Big Grayling Survey Day on the Long Mynd

Wednesday 22 July 2026 10:00am

Can you help us find new sites for the Grayling butterfly?

Meeting at 10-10.30am in the café at Carding Mill Valley, returning around 3-4pm to share findings (tea and cake available to all)

Grayling Action Group event, organised by WM-BAMS in partnership with the National Trust

Around the Long Mynd, residents have reported Grayling butterflies regularly nectaring in their garden. One of the reasons for this may be a shortage of nectar sources on the exposed slopes where they breed, as they are largely dependent on heather being in flower. Prior to 2025, only three small populations of Grayling butterflies were known to exist on the Long Mynd. However, in 2025, following the advice of Richard Bullock from the Oswestry and Borders Butterfly Group who has been studying Graylings on the Welsh/English border, we targeted searches on south/south-east facing slopes close to woodland and found a new colony within ten minutes. This rocky outcrop near The Burway has been christened ‘Grayling Rock’. Proximity to woodland may offer both shelter and access to bramble flowers, which we know to be another favoured nectar source. These findings suggest there may be more undiscovered colonies on the Long Mynd and we need your help to find them.

Led By: West Midlands Butterfly and Moth Society

Contact: Jenny Joy

Email: jenny.joy17@outlook.com