Edmund on life in lockdown

time to do a lot of thinking.”

He’s also had time for his hobbies, which isn’t always the case on the tennis circuit. As well as loving Lego, Edmund is “big into my car racing. I’ve got a toy at home that’s like a PC game with a proper steering wheel and pedals. It’s definitely not an essential– it’s sort of a boy thing to do that my mum wasn’t happy about, but I got it because I like it!”

That’s another aspect of the year that’s been unusual for Edmund: actually getting to spend time with his family. “I’ve only ever seen them in pockets,” he says. Born in South Africa, Edmund was raised in East Yorkshire but has spent most of his life travelling for tennis. Now, he’s based in Surrey, saying: “It was nice for me personally because I could see my family for like two to three months, and be at home with them.”

The current state of the world has caused many to struggle with their mental health, but Edmund says he’s managed to keep fairly level-headed throughout the pandemic.

He describes himself as “quite a quiet and shy person” and says that talking to family and coaches, he’s realised he tends to “bottle up things,” which can impact his tennis. “I’ve always tended to bottle up stuff and then eventually it will come out in one massive go, but I’ve learned that if, a bit more frequently, I open up and communicate, it just helps.”

He says this isn’t always easy, describing tennis as “a very lonely sport”, and as a singles player, can spend lots of time alone in hotel rooms. “Tennis is an individual sport, it’s not a team game. All your thoughts are down to you – you make all the decisions. When it doesn’t go your way, it’s on you, but at the same time, when it does go your way, you’re credited. It’s tough because you’re constantly battling your own thoughts.”

For now, Edmund is home and gearing up for a big 2021. “Once Wimbledon comes around,” he says, “there will be even more anticipation because we missed a year.”

● Kyle Edmund has teamed up with Evian to offer key workers the chance to win tickets to The Championships, Wimbledon 2021. To nominate a key worker to win tickets, visit the Evian Instagram page (instagram.com/evianwater). The competition closes at 23:59, on Monday.

When it’s newly emerged, the ringlet has a velvety appearance and is almost black, with a white fringe to the wings. The distinctive circles on the underwings, which give the butterfly its name, vary in number and size and may be enlarged and elongated or, rarely, reduced to small white spots.

This butterfly loves damp conditions with long grass and nectars on bramble and wild privet flowers.

Caterpillars eat wild grasses, including cock’s-foot, false brome and tufted hair-grass, so by creating a mini-meadow or leaving some grass to grow long in your garden you may encourage the butterfly to breed. Keep an eye out at riverbanks, verges and any shady grassy habitats, particularly on clay soil.

While most other butterflies remain inactive on dull days, the ringlet doesn’t. You can spot it by its characteristic bobbing flight. It’s found across much of the UK and has become much more widespread in north-west England and in Scotland in recent decades.

They might be small but these butterflies have a big attitude. The males are territorial and will choose a patch of warm stone or bare ground on which to bask and wait for a female. They will chase away any passing insect which gets too close before returning to their chosen spot.

Though it remains a common and widespread species in most parts of the UK, the number of small coppers has declined by over a third since the 1970s.

You can look for them in a variety of warm and dry places, from chalk grassland to woodland clearings and heathland. They also appear on road verges, field margins and brownfield sites and occasionally visit gardens.

Their caterpillars feed on wild sorrels, which are the smaller relatives of the docks that people use to relieve nettle stings.

With their wings open they are a little larger than a 50p coin, but they are easily overlooked as they are rarely seen in large numbers. The upper sides of the wings have distinctive bright orange and black markings.

And don’t forget moths...

Did you know that there are many day-flying moths as well as nocturnal species? This dazzling black and scarlet moth has a slow, buzzing flight and is active on warm, sunny days.

It’s attracted to a range of flowers, especially purple blooms including thistles, knapweeds and scabious. Its caterpillars feed on common bird’s-foot trefoil, from which they obtain cyanide to protect themselves from predators – the striking colours of the adult moths also serve as a warning to anything that might eat them.

The best places to spot them are flowery grasslands including those near sea cliffs and woodland rides, roadside verges and sand dunes.

There are other similar moths, but this is the only UK species with six red spots on each forewing, although care must be taken with identification, as in some cases the outermost spots can be fused together, and, rarely, the red colour is replaced by yellow. They are evident throughout the country.

This day and night-flying moth is an immigrant to our shores and is most numerous in late summer, so the charity is interested in discovering how many have made it to the UK this year.

Its fantastic markings make it perfectly camouflaged against predators. Each forewing has a clear unbroken metallic silver ‘y’ marking, its namesake.

Tens or even hundreds of millions arrive each spring, with numbers fluctuating greatly from year to year, and they breed here on a wide range of plants including bedstraws, clovers and common nettle as well as garden pea and cabbage.

The offspring then migrate south in the autumn to continue their life cycle in warmer parts of Europe. The silver Y can be encountered anywhere and is a frequent garden visitor so you may see the swift-flying moths feeding on nectar during daytime or at dusk.

To get ready for the count, download spotting sheets and an ID chart from Bigbutterflycount.com or download the free app for IOS and Android to identify and record the butterflies you spot from www.butterflyconservation.org

● The Big Butterfly Count, sponsored by B&Q, runs from 17 July to 9 August, bigbutterflycount.org