Guidance & recording forms

Using the UKBMS website

UKBMS Online Guidance - illustrated guidance for new UKBMS users getting started with data entry

Setting up a new transect online - detailed illustrated guidance note for setting up a new transect route on the UKBMS website

Frequently Asked Questions  

Health & Safety

Health and Safety Guidance - for recorders

Standard Risk Assessment - Monitoring & Recording - for volunteer recorders

Standard Risk Assessment - Covid-19 - for volunteer recorders

Latest UKBMS Coronavirus Guidance (16th April 2021) - for recorders

Traditional Transects (Pollard Walks)

The following resources include guidance and recording forms for those involved in butterfly transects:

G1 Monitoring Butterfly Numbers - summary information for recorders

G2 - Field Guidance Notes for Butterfly Transects

G3 - Guidance for Filling in Form F1 (habitat & management details)

G4 - Habitat Classification for Butterfly Transects

F1(S) - Butterfly Transect Details Form (Small Site)

F1(L) Butterfly Transect Details Form (Large Site)

F2 - WEEKLY RECORDING FORM - Butterfly Transects

F2 REGIONAL ADAPTATIONS Surrey, Sussex & KentSomerset & BristolHampshire & Isle of WightCornwallWiltshireScotlandNorthern Ireland

Training Videos

Standard Transects

UKBMS Standard Transect Methodology 

Setting up a standard transect route - field notes

Adding a transect online - Mapping 

Adding a transect online - Troubleshooting 

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey

WCBS Methodology 

Setting up a WCBS route - field notes

Drawing your WCBS route   

Please note some WCBS squares will appear with 10 orange centroid squares. In this case, please contact survey@butterfly-conservation.org before mapping your square. 

Non-transect

Purple Hairstreak Monitoring - mapping your survey points online

General

Submitting your records

Accessing your data - Annual Summary 

Accessing your data - Section Plot

 

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS)

The following resources include guidance and recording forms for those involved in the WCBS including in BBS squares:

WCBS Guidance for surveys on butterfly only squares (i.e. not BTO BBS squares)

WCBS Guidance for BTO BBS recorders

WCBS recording form (for all recorders)

Landowner letter

Non-Transect Methods (inc. timed counts/single species)

The following resources include guidance and recording forms for those interested in timed counts or other non-transects:

Ng1 -Timed Count Guidance Notes

Nf1 - Timed Count Recording Form

Ng2 - Marsh Fritillary Larval Web Guidance Notes

Nf3 - Larval Web Recording Form

Ng3 Brown Hairstreak Egg Count Guidance Notes

Nf4 - Brown Hairstreak Egg Count Recording Form

Ng4 - Purple Hairstreak Monitoring Guidance Notes

Purple Hairstreak Monitoring - mapping guidance

Landowner Letter for Brown Hairstreak Egg Count Surveys

Permissions

Forestry England and Butterfly Conservation National Agreement 2024