The UK’s wildlife faced significant challenges in 2024 as extreme weather continued to reshape natural habitats. From thriving seal colonies to struggling butterfly populations, the year’s weather patterns created clear winners and losers in the natural world. Grey seals established their first colony in Suffolk at Orford Ness, with the seals choosing this remote location due to the low risk of disturbance and as numbers increased from other colonies along the coastline at Blakeney and Horsey Gap. However, insects faced severe challenges. At Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, butterfly numbers reached their lowest recorded levels during peak week in 15 years of … Continue reading UK Wildlife in 2024: Grey Seals Thrive; Butterfly Numbers Hit 14-Year Low Amid Extreme Weather