The early appearance of orange tip and yellow brimstone butterflies in March heralded a warm spring, but that was not to be.

Because of the dry winter we weren’t surprised to find that numbers of snake’s-head fritillaries at Iffley Meadows nature reserve were low. Just over 32,000 plants were counted this April, less than half the total recorded there in 2011, but this summer’s rainfall could help their revival.

This year I’d hoped to photograph every species of butterfly that you can find in Oxfordshire, but that was soon dashed in May by the cool wet weather.

The rare and elusive black hairstreak was first spotted more than three weeks later than last year.

The less time they are on the wing the fewer opportunities they have to mate and lay their eggs on their favoured blackthorn hedgerows. We will only know next year what the real impact of the weather has been.

Thankfully not all butterflies have fared badly. Anyone walking through wildflower meadows, or along paths beside woodland, will have noticed how just a few minutes of warm sunshine brings out the butterflies. The hot spell in July encouraged the midsummer species, such as marbled white and meadow brown, to fly in large numbers.

The regal purple emperor butterflies were late to appear, but when they did I joined other butterfly lovers in a pilgrimage to Bernwood Forest, near Stanton St John, to catch a glimpse of these gems. They live high in the tree canopy and come to the ground to feed, not on nectar from flowers but the natural mineral salts in animal dung. If you see a group of butterfly enthusiasts gathered around a pile of horse manure we’re probably waiting for the purple emperor!

Part of my job is to analyse the data that our tireless band of volunteer surveyors gather each year. Despite the downpours in May and June these diligent men and women were out conducting butterfly surveys, bird counts and plant censuses on our nature reserves. The information they collect is recorded, analysed and the results discussed with the reserves team.

Our management work is guided by the survey results; for example, if coarse grasses and scrub are beginning to invade a chalk grassland reserve such as Chinnor Hill, we will increase the livestock grazing so that the Chiltern gentians and other precious chalk grassland flowers are not overwhelmed by invading scrub.

The wet weather helped many plants, especially orchids. The rare monkey and lady orchids, as well as their hybrids at Hartslock nature reserve, did well and surveyors are reporting more fly and bee orchids flowering this year. Oxfordshire is blessed with superb hay meadows and this summer we noticed a particularly impressive display of wild flowers such as great burnet and black knapweed. The continued diversity of these meadows is reliant on a mid-July hay cut.

Unfortunately the wet ground meant that we couldn’t get tractors and bailers on to the land at the optimum time, so the magnificent show of flowers this year may not be replicated in 2013.

We can only hope the undoubted resilience of our wildlife will allow them to cope with the washout this summer and will bounce back next year. Once again our volunteer surveyors will be out and about, come rain or shine, assessing the populations of many of our animals and plants.

Why not join a BBOWT guided walk across wildflower meadows or discover bats and moths? Go to www.bbowt.org.uk for details of all the BBOWT nature reserves and find out what’s on near you.