Winter 2016
The Arion
Issue No 102
Newsletter of the Somerset & Bristol Branch of Butterfly Conservation
Competition
Winners
Butterflies
1st
Brimstones
(Front Cover)
©Liz Marsden
2nd
'Which Way'
Brimstone
(above)
©Peter King
Joint 3rd
Small Pearlbordered
Fritillary
(above)
©Nigel Cottle
Chalkhill Blue
(left)
©Will Langdon
2
View from the Chair
Butterflies are proving to be a very important indicator of environmental
changes that may affect all of us. More than three-quarters of the UK’s butterflies
have declined in the last 40 years. Habitat loss plays a continuing part in this but
climate change and pesticides may be playing a more significant role.
This information comes from The State of the UK’s Butterflies 2015, a report
published in December by Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology &
Hydrology and based on the analysis of data collected by BC members every
year.
What is particularly worrying is the decline in once very common and
widespread species with, so far as we know, no very specialised habitat
requirements. As examples, the Wall has suffered a 25% drop in abundance
since 2005, continuing a longer trend of decline. The Gatekeeper has
experienced a 44% decline in the last decade and numbers of Small Skippers
have been below average for the last 15 years. These are all species that require
patches of rough grassland for their caterpillars and a few bramble bushes or
thistles to feed the adults. The habitat is still there but the butterflies have often
gone. Why?
Weather is an influence. It is often what happened last year that affects
butterfly numbers this year, but they have coped with good and bad for millennia.
Climate change may now be driving more sustained trends and the report notes
increases in migrants like Red Admiral and Long-tailed Blue that may benefit from
slightly warmer conditions here but it is not clear why species like Wall and
Gatekeeper should be declining as they are butterflies that have large ranges
across areas both warmer and colder than England.
Another recent study using BC monitoring data has found that growth in
the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, previously implicated in declines in bee
populations, coincides with this butterfly decline. If neonicotinoids are the cause,
then what other invertebrates are also affected? The implications for the
functioning of most terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are profoundly worrying.
Other declines are quite without explanation at this stage. Why should Wood
Whites and White Admirals be declining? Their foodplants are common in
woodland, significant losses of broad-leaved woodland have long ceased and
management practices have not changed greatly, indeed much native woodland
is now in conservation ownership or managed to conservation principles.
There are success stories from the period, largely related to species that
have been the subject of targeted management but this, though welcome, is no
consolation of the losses of butterflies that ought to enliven the whole countryside
and every garden.
I guess most of us join BC because we like butterflies and don’t want to
get drawn personally into conservation politics and battles. All the more important
then that BC at national level is working, with others, to throw light on these
problems and will, I am sure, campaign strenuously for solutions.
John Andrews
3
AGM Minutes
BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION – SOMERSET & BRISTOL BRANCH
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & MEMBERS’ DAY
Ruishton Village Hall, 2pm Saturday 28th November 2015
Present: John Andrews, Keith & Eileen Gould, Julian Rawlings, Chris Iles, Nigel
Cottle, Paula Hewitson, Andrew Daw, Jane Martin, David & Gay Lester, Geoff and
Marjorie Brunt, John Bebbington, Bob & Sue Smith, P.J.S. Smith, Sue Davies,
John Connolly, Roy & Faith Blackmore, Peter & Brenda Wilson, Peter & Brenda
King, Rupert Haynes, David Auld, Liz Marsden, Colin Sampson, Terry Mullin,
Sue & Richard Ashton, Stuart Hill, John & Valerie Godsmark, Charles Hill, Roger
Dickey, Dave & Ginny Ayling, Richard Soulsby, Bob Winn, Glen Davis, Robin
Stamp, Hilary Raeburn, Peter Shirley, Geoff Hiscocks, Leanne Butt, Simon
Phelps, Sue Sherry, John Burrell, Jeff & Celia Holmes, Alan Barrett, David
Edmondson, Will Langdon.
The Chair, John Andrews, welcomed members to the meeting.
1.
APOLOGIES: Roger Perkins, John Ball, Pat Owen, Agnes Auld,
Joe Middleton.
2.
MINUTES of the LAST AGM held on 8th November 2014, having
been published in The Arion Spring 2015, No.99, were unanimously approved
and signed as a correct record.
3.
MATTERS ARISING: None
4.
CHAIR’S REPORT.
Butterfly Conservation is doing well. Our national membership is over
26000 and in the last financial year we spent £2.73 million on conservation work.
The Branch is also thriving. Over membership is over 900, having increased by
well over a hundred in the last year.
One of our jobs is to provide members new and old with information and,
we hope, help to increase their enjoyment of butterflies and moths. We ran a New
Members event in the summer; the day was a success for all involved but
attendance was not as good as we had hoped and we are giving further thought
to venue and timings to see if we can attract more people. Three issues of The
Arion were produced, with excellent articles and photos contributed by members.
It is pleasing that an increasing number receive it as a pdf by email which means
we save printing and postage costs and they get the whole magazine in full
colour.
There were 15 guided walks arranged and led by members for members
and this programme goes from strength to strength. The new all-colour booklet on
Butterfly Walks has sold well and has already covered its production costs. Our
4
Twitter and Facebook sites are well used and popular and the Branch’s new
website has just gone live. As well as keeping everyone up to date with activities
and news, it will provide a great deal of information about butterfly identification,
flight seasons, status in the county and distribution.
Our stock of display materials has been enlarged and the purchase of
new gazebos allowed us to put on a very professional stand at the Taunton
Flower Show as well as participating in other events and activities for children.
The Munching Caterpillar project, aimed at 7-11 year-olds, has ended and the
Branch will shortly consider whether to support a continuation project in the
County.
Turning to conservation work, John Burrell’s long involvement with
Westbury Beacon had finally borne fruit with the purchase of the site. The appeal
raised £120,000 including a magnificent anonymous donation of £80,000. On our
other reserves, management under the eyes of John Davis and Lucy Morton has
gone forward well despite the difficulties of managing grazing when reliant on
others’ livestock.
The Large Blue Project in the Poldens and the Two Moor Project on
Exmoor had successful years (and are reported separately in this issue of The
Arion). An initiative headed by the Blackdown Hills AONB and involving us, Devon
Branch, both Wildlife Trusts and Natural England is looking at developing a joint
project for key species such as Marsh Fritillary.
In all, there had been 69 transects walked through the summer. The value
this work is underlined by a very recent study using BC data that shows a
correlation between the declines of many species and the use of neonicotinoid
pesticides in agriculture. This is a profoundly important issue in which BC is
playing an essential role.
John Andrews concluded his report by stressing that although the Branch
does a great deal we still need more help in many aspects of our work and to run
more activities in the Bristol and Bath areas. The Branch Committee would be
giving thought to these matters as well as a possible Munching Caterpillar
continuation and input to a Blackdowns species project.
5.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Paula Hewitson presented her report
and highlighted the strength of the Branch’s finances. A copy of the Accounts to
year end 31 March 2015 was included in The Arion Autumn 2015, No. 101. The
accounts were approved and adopted unanimously.
6.
ELECTION OF BRANCH COMMITTEE: Roger Perkins, Ginny
Ayling and Derek Arthurs had all resigned during the year for personal reasons.
Marjorie Brunt retired and did not wish to stand for re-election. David Ayling and
John Bebbington retired by rotation; they were eligible and stood for re-election.
Julian Rawlings had been co-opted onto the Branch Committee and now stood for
election. The three were all proposed by John Burrell and elected unanimously.
7.
COUNTY BUTTERFLY RECORDER’S REPORT: David Ayling’s
report is published separately in this issue of The Arion.
5
All The Moors Butterflies Project
After the AGM a short presentation was given by Simon Phelps, the
Development Officer for the All The Moors Butterflies Project which is envisaged
as a continuation of the Two Moors Project, covering Exmoor, Dartmoor and also
Bodmin Moor, seeking to protect five of the UK’s rarest butterflies: Pearl-bordered
Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, High Brown, Heath Fritillary, Marsh
Fritillary and the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth which shares a similar habitat
to the Marsh Fritillary. Many different environmental agencies would be involved.
The two main aims of the project are to save species using the landscape
approach and to engage people in as wide a variety of activities as possible:
walks, talks, events, volunteering etc.
Simon is in the process of developing detailed plans for a funding bid for
a three year project to be submitted for Heritage Lottery Fund money. For more
information e-mail: [email protected].
Presentation to Marjorie Brunt
John Andrews noted that great financial
value to BC of the work of its volunteers, especially
bearing in mind the true commercial value of the
skills deployed. He noted that while much of what
we do is enjoyable there are, as with all jobs, times
when it is hard graft and much commitment is
needed. Marjorie Brunt, who was retiring from the
role of Data Recorder after 17 years in which the
number of transects had increased several times
over, exemplified these qualities. The Branch
acknowledged her contribution to citizen science
and species conservation, her hospitality, her advice
and not least her enthusiasm. John presented her with a copy of Matthew Oates'
book In Pursuit of Butterflies and a bouquet of flowers.
Refreshments were served between 3.30 and 4 pm
The Secret World of Moths
After tea John Walters, our invited guest speaker, delivered a fascinating
talk about aspects of moth behaviour of which some of us are completely
unaware. It was beautifully illustrated with photos, video clips and his own
drawings of moths doing the most amazing things or having having rather nasty
things done to them!
John breeds moths and then uses the females in suitable habitats to
attract males. An example is the Emperor moth (shown). One female releases
so much pheromone that dozens of males will be attracted to her but once a
male has succeeded in coupling with the female all the other males fly away. We
were shown a variety of macromoth larvae including the wonderfully camouflaged
Brussels Lace and the Beautiful Yellow Underwing.
6
Mimics shown included the
Magpie moth pupa which mimics a
wasp, the Emperor Hawkmoth caterpillar
which mimics a snake and the Angle
Shades which mimics a leaf.
We were shown the murderous
Dunbar moth which feeds on other
caterpillars, a carnivorous fungus
consuming a caterpillar and perhaps
most amazing of all a young bird
mimicking a caterpillar to avoid
predation in South America. Stranger still are the tortrix moths which mimic bird
poo. What better way to avoid being eaten!
All in all a really wonderful talk and for those of us new to ‘mothing’ very
inspiring.
Photographic Competition - THE WINNERS
The final event of the afternoon was the announcement of the winners in
our first photographic competition. All images were anonymised and judged by
those present at the AGM. There was an excellent display of photographs. A big
thank you to all those who entered. Sadly we did not have any entries for the
under 12 category. We will repeat the competition at the next AGM. Categories
will be announced in the Spring Newsletter. This winners will also be displayed on
our Website, Facebook site and used in this year's editions of Arion.
1.
Butterflies (images shown in this issue)
First
Brimstones
Liz Marsden
Second
Brimstone "which way"
Peter King
Joint Third
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Nigel Cottle
Chalkhill Blue
Will Langdon
2.
Moths (images shown in this issue)
First
Merveille du Jour
John Bebbington
Joint Second Saxon
Geoff Hiscocks
Angle Shades
Will Langdon
Third
Large Emerald
Valerie Godsmark
3.
Immature Forms
First
Pale Brindled Beauty larva
John Bebbington
Joint Second Swallowtail caterpillar
Elephant Hawk-moth larva
John Connolly
Joint Third
Six-spot Burnet Moth
Geoff Hiscocks
Peacock caterpillar
Valerie Godsmark
4.
Overseas
First
Southern Swallowtail
Keith Gould
Second
Mountain Clouded Yellow
John Bebbington
Third
Scarce Copper
Will Langdon
7
Recorder's Report - 2015
The Year in Perspective
The year started with some very wet weather in January which was
followed by a long period of cool strong winds lasting through into May.
April saw a bit of improvement with temperatures slightly higher than last
year but by the time May arrived temperatures had dipped, winds had increased
again and the rain came back.
The wind and rain continued into June but then an improvement came
with record temperatures heralding the beginning of July. It didn’t last long though
and wind and rain soon returned along with cooler conditions and this set the
scene for August as well.
September & October, however, were dry and warmer than average and
even though November was fairly wet the temperatures were still above average.
The effect of the weather on the butterflies shows in the numbers
counted. At present I am still receiving records but the transects and results of Big
Butterfly Count both show a drop in total numbers of about 6% -7% against last
year. Many of the common Wider Countryside species showed big loses with
Small Tortoiseshell being the worst hit.
Compared with 2014, on about 60 transects that were walked in both
years, numbers for Small Tortoiseshell were down by some 76%.
Also badly affected were:
Small Copper
-52%
Small Skipper
-48%
Green-veined White
-43%
Wall
-43%
Brown Argus
-41%
Red Admiral
-39%
Speckled Wood
-32%
Common Blue
-27%
Ringlet
-27%
Small Heath
-17%
The chart shown in figure A. shows the week-by-week transect counts for
the 3 years 2013-2015. It can clearly been seen that the expected peaks for the 2
annual broods were way down on previous years. The reasons for this are not
immediately clear but it is certain that weather conditions will have affected the
size of the broods.
Fortunately not all the news was bad for the year. Some species did do
well, with transect totals for Holly Blue being more than double those of 2014 and
Brimstone, Gatekeeper and Large White also showed good increases along
with Meadow Brown, Comma and Orange-tip.
Our immigrant butterflies had a mixed year with few Clouded Yellows
being recorded while Painted Lady did better than last year although not as well
8
A
as had been predicted in the spring as the expected major influx from the
continent failed to materialise.
The Fritillaries had a mixed year. Heath Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered
and Silver-washed all had a fairly good year but Dark Green numbers were
down. Only a few Marsh Fritillary were seen and the small introduced colony of
Granville Fritillary appears to have died out with none being reported for the
second year.
Large Blue are reported to have had a better year and numbers of Small
Blue were slightly higher than in 2014 while numbers of Chalkhill Blue were
slightly down.
Duke of Burgundy and Grizzled Skipper were both reported less on
transects but the known colonies appear to be still viable although small. The
Dingy Skipper showed a small but welcome increase in numbers.
White Admiral appeared to have a good year with numbers up at both
Shapwick Heath and Lords Wood.
Other species that I haven’t mentioned appeared to have had a fairly
average year although it will be interesting to look at the final figures when all the
records for the year are in. I say this because I did notice that Peacock numbers
in the second half of the year were down as can be seen from Fig. B page 10,
which is based on 7 key sites.
My thanks go to all the members who send in their records each year.
The more records we receive the better we will be able to start to understand how
our butterflies are faring and how weather and other changes in conditions can
affect them.
9
B
If you still have records for 2015 (even before that) which haven’t yet
been sent in please do so as soon as possible.
Dave Ayling. Nov. 2015
Butterfly Walks in
Somerset and Bristol
Butterfly Walks in
Somerset and Bristol £6
a
Available from:
▶ The Museum of Somerset, Taunton,
Telephone: 0117 922 357
▶ Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Queen’s
Road, Bristol
▶ M Shed, Harbouside, Bristol.
▶ By post from The membership Secretary,
12, Alma Street, Taunton, TA1 3AH (+ £2
p&p).
Supported By
▶ Online from:
www.butterfly-conservation.myshopify.com
(£8 inclusive of p&p). Cheques should be made payable to Butterfly
Conservation, Somerset and Bristol Branch.
It features about forty walks on thirty-seven sites throughout Bristol and Somerset. It is
illustrated with photos of all the butterflies which occur in our area, has a map for each
walk and details of how to find each site. There is a section on day-flying moths and
flight charts for both the butterflies and moths are included.
10
Two Moors Project Update
Overall it was a reasonable year for the Heath Fritillary butterfly on
Exmoor, considering the cool and rather dull weather conditions during the
butterfly’s flight period. The total number of Heath Fritillary recorded across
Exmoor has risen year on year since 2012, when wet and cool weather caused a
significant decline in numbers. Data from 2015 surveys indicated that 7 sites
showed an increase in the number of butterflies recorded compared with 2014, 4
sites were down and 7 sites remained stable. 13 sites were occupied in 2015,
compared with 11 in 2014 and 2013. The data is currently being analysed, and
the Exmoor Heath Fritillary 2015 Status Report will be published by the end of the
year.
The introduction of Heath Fritillary adults in June 2014 into a coppice
clearing at Hawkcombe was successful in its first year, with both larvae and adults
recorded in spring/summer this year. Further coppicing/ride widening
management is planned in association with Exmoor National Park Authority who
own the woodland, and it is hoped that the butterfly will thrive here, and eventually
move out to colonise the nearby historically occupied sites at Shillet Combe and
Berry Castle.
A maximum count of 24 individuals was recorded from the Haddon Hill
transect route in 2015 (same as 2014), and HF were recorded on the transect for
6 consecutive weeks, with 5 seen on 10th July (Dave Ayling will provide further
details, no doubt).
Once again, sadly no Marsh Fritillary were seen at Codsend Moor, the
second successive year of no sightings. However, this is a huge site and it is quite
possible that the butterfly or larval webs were missed during surveys, as only
around 10% of the potential breeding habitat can be covered during the survey. It
should be noted that the habitat was looking in good condition, following a small
burn to encourage stock into rank areas.The Exmoor Mires Project will be
undertaking ditch blocking in agreed areas, and it is hoped that this may improve
habitat conditions further.
Surveys in the Exe Valley bracken sites again revealed no definite High
Brown Fritillary, whilst habitat conditions appear rather grassy, clearly favouring
Dark Green over High Brown Fritillary.
Regarding progress with developing the ‘All the Moor Butterflies’ project,
our Development Officer, Simon Phelps, is busy carrying out consultations with
local community groups, volunteers and landowners to put together the details of
our 3 year HLF-funded project. The application is due to be submitted in February
and we hope to begin the delivery phase in the autumn next year. The project will
cover Bodmin Moor as well as Dartmoor and Exmoor, and will have a strong
focus on community engagement as well as delivering land management advice
to farmers and landowners.
Jenny Plackett
11
Summary of Large Blue Work in the Poldens
Large Blue, Collard Hill, © Will Langdon
The Biffa Award funded project begun in September 2014 and runs until
February 2016. This update was written in November 2015 and includes work
from September 2014 to November 2015.
Populations:
Although 2012 is widely regarded as a bad year for butterflies, the Large
Blue did exceptionally well in the Poldens. However, the cold and late spring of
2013 was followed by a hot and very droughty July which impacted badly on both
the ants and the caterpillars. Numbers of Large Blue eggs laid in 2013 were down
on 2012 and poor survival of caterpillars on desiccated Thyme meant that the
Poldens population fell even lower in 2014.
The warm 2014 summer was interspersed with regular rain showers
ensuring that conditions were exceptionally good for the survival of both ants and
Large Blue caterpillars.
In 2015 Large Blue populations increased fourfold from their 2014 levels.
Gratifyingly, this also led to an expansion onto to new sites and there were five recolonisations during the summer. This was made possible by the improved
habitat quality as a result of the practical work carried out under this project.
Summary by David Simcox (Habitat Designs Ltd). Survey work supported
by Oxford University, Network Rail, Habitat Designs Ltd, Natural England and
Butterfly Conservation.
Butterfly Conservation staff visited the restoration sites on the Aller Ridge
and Eastfield. No Large Blue were recorded on these sites yet.
Conservation work:
September 2014 – September 2015
Scrub: Since the start of the Biffa Award project 4ha of scrub has been cleared and
managed on eight of the 14 project sites; this includes 2.9ha by contractors and 1.1ha
of management by volunteers.
Ruderal: Since the start of the Biffa Award project 35 days of ruderal control was
12
conducted overall across ten project sites: this included: spraying of bramble and
brush-cutting regrowth. 30 days of this was contracted and five volunteer work party
days were held.
Fencing: 500m on one site and 450m on another to make them stockproof to
encourage and help control grazing in the future.
Winter 2015/16: Winter scrub management has begun and includes scrub clearance
on the Aller sites, Green Down, Gilling Down, Tannager and Blackthorn management
on Collard Hill.
Community Engagement: Events up to December 2015
Summary:
Overall 17 work parties and events have been held so far with eight more
to come in 2015 and January 2016. At the end of November 2015 it was
calculated that volunteers attending work parties, talks and training events have
contributed over 300 hours of their time and this involved 48 different people (not
including the Large Blue Open Day).
30 volunteer days have been input into scrub management, 12 to assist
with ruderal control and 25 days into attending talks and training events (not
including the Large Blue Open Day on Collard Hill and Green Down).
Events have so far included two local talks on the project and Identifying
Large Blue, the Large Blue training day on Collard Hill and Green Down, UKBMS
transect training on New Hill and Tannager and the Large Blue Open Day (est. 80
attended).
We have had more tasks this winter including:
•
01/12 at Green Down with Somerset Wildlife Trust (scrub management)
•
13/12 at Gilling Down with Somerset Wildlife Trust (scrub management)
Still to come in 2016:
•
12/01 at New Hill with Somerset Wildlife Trust (Wild Liquorice seeding
and scrub management)
•
13/01 at Collard Hill with the National Trust (Blackthorn management)
•
15/01 at Collard Hill with the National Trust (Blackthorn management)
•
17/01 at Gilling Down with Somerset Wildlife Trust (scrub management)
Upcoming events
12 January - Wild Liquorice seeding event at New Hill Reserve (see below)
26 January - Brown Hairstreak egg count training event in the Polden Hills (see
details here: (http://butterfly-conservation.org/244-10596/somerset-and-bristolbrown-hairstreak-egg-count-training.html)
th
th
Wild Liquorice, Astragalus glycyphyllos:
In January we will be planting seed with the Somerset Wildlife Trust on their New
Hill Reserve to help increase the area of habitat for the Liquorice Piercer moth
(Grapholita pallifrontana).
13
Liquorice Piercer Moth ©John
Wild Liquorice, Astragalus glycyphyllos Bebbington, Charlton Mackrell 2013
We are also looking for people to help monitor the success of this seeding and to
keep an eye out for Wild Liquorice whilst out surveying in Somerset. Please find
more details here:
http://butterfly-conservation.org/244-10595/somerset-wild-liquorice-seeding-worktask.html
Publicity:
We have had one regional press release (e.g. Western Gazette) two local articles
in the Somerton Sentinel and Langport Leveller.
An article is due out this month in the Wet Moor magazine about the Large Blue
project to encourage volunteers and in December in the Langport Leveller and
Somerton Sentinel about the Brown Hairstreak and the event.
More will be planned to promote the Brown Hairstreak event and the Wild
Liquorice seeding event.
Project Funders and Supporters:
Biffa Award,
Natural England, Butterfly Conservation Somerset and Bristol Branch,
University of Oxford and all those who generously contributed to Butterfly
Conservation Match Pot Appeals.
The project would not be possible without the support of the partners in
the East Poldens Large Blue Landscape Partnership and the private landowners.
The East Poldens Large Blue Landscape Partnership work together to
restore the East Poldens landscape, including re-establishing a viable Large Blue
population that formally went extinct in the UK in 1979.
The Partnership consists of Butterfly Conservation, J&F Clark Trust,
Millfield School, National Trust, University of Oxford, Somerset Wildlife Trust and
South Somerset District Council, with support from Natural England.
Rachel Long
14
Small Blue Project
MSc STUDY BY POPPY HOOKINGS TO CONFIRM THE STATUS OF THE
SMALL BLUE IN SOMERSET AND BRISTOL AND TO IDENTIFY FACTORS
WHICH MIGHT ENABLE B.C. TO MANAGE SMALL BLUE HABITATS MORE
EFFECTIVELY.
The Small Blue (Cupido
Small Blue © SueDavies
minimus) is described as U.K.’s tiniest
butterfly, dependent upon a single larval
food-plant Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis
vulneraria), scarce and in decline and
typically restricted to small colonies in
chalk and limestone grassland.
On examining transect records
for 2013 and 2014, I recognised a
dramatic decline in the county’s
population since 2011. In that peak year
when 243 were seen in the County, 176 were recorded at Stoke Camp, but by
2014 only 4 were recorded there and 4 were recorded on the Cheddar Wood
transect. The species was then at a very low ebb. Coincidently, I noted a dramatic
fall in Large Blue populations on the Polden Hills in 2013 and 2014 despite a peak
in 2012. I raised my concerns about both species at the Branch Committee
meeting on 25th February 2015.
John Andrews then contacted Rachel Jones in the conservation team at
Head Office about the Large Blue decline. Did the published transect figures
reflect the true position and was the Large Blue management on top of the
problem? Subsequently, John was approached by graduate Poppy Hookings from
Bristol University seeking an opportunity to conduct a research study culminating
in a dissertation for an MSc degree. It was thought that this study could usefully
address the Small Blue issue. John, Poppy and I accordingly set about defining
the requirements of this study.
Firstly, it would be important to visit Small Blue sites sufficiently frequently
to count adult butterflies, their eggs and larvae: then to observe the butterfly’s
choice of aspect and shelter when selecting Kidney Vetch plants for egg-laying.
Also, to compare the vegetation structure and management history where Small
Blue survives with some sites where it has been lost. The study would include
assessments of Kidney Vetch abundance and vigour in relation to sward structure
and height. Our active and experienced but aging members were already fully
stretched walking transects and other tasks, but inertia was unacceptable. We
needed Poppy’s help with this research. BC would assist her by covering travel
expenses. Meanwhile, Dave Ayling and I were struggling to identify sufficient sites
where there was still a prospect of encountering Small Blues. Our objective was
to name five managed sites which could be visited three times during the flight
season, but records from 2014 transects showed only the few Small Blue adults
15
recorded at Stoke Camp and from the slopes above Cheddar Wood in the
county. We had no option but to include Draycott Sleights and Dolebury Warren
on the basis of their past records. Fortunately I heard of a further Small Blue
site from which records were not published. This small site is situated on a
railway embankment in the Polden Hills with restricted access, close to the
Large Blue site at Green Down and also managed and monitored by specialist
ecologist David Simcox and colleague Sarah Meredith MSc. I arranged to meet
David and Sarah at this site known as Castley Hill. I explained that as numbers
of Small Blue locally had crashed, BC was planning a research study on the
few remaining occupied Small Blue sites. David was very supportive and
having read Poppy’s Research Project Plan, agreed that Castley Hill could be
included as one of the study sites (subject to restricted access to this private
site) and that he and Sarah could provide Poppy with some mentoring. I visited
Castley Hill on 22nd May 2015 to meet David and Sarah and we saw our first
Somerset Small Blue of 2015. (On this relatively low altitude site the butterfly
appears to fly earlier than on our other, higher reserves.)
Poppy was due to start her 3-month study on 25th May 2015. This would
enable her to view both first and second brood Small Blue butterflies. Initially it
was not known how familiar she was with the adults, eggs or larvae of the
species, nor the proposed study sites. It was important to arrange a ‘start- up’
meeting to introduce her to site managers should she need access to sites and as
a source of information. On 26th May 2015 at SWT’s Office at Callow Hill she met
with Christopher Hancock and Neil Watson of SWT, Joe McSorley of AWT and
with John Andrews and me. Her study was discussed: suggestions and support
were offered. Two significant issues arose. On sites where a fixed transect had
been walked for many years it was possible to overlook key butterfly species if
their larval food-plants had shifted locus. Draycott Sleights later proved a
potential example. In these circumstances, transect routes may need reviewing
from time to time where scarce species are involved. After the meeting, SWT
staff introduced John and Poppy to the transect
via the steep slopes above the nearby Cheddar
Wood but no Kidney Vetch was found. This
implied that no Small Blue could be present,
that last year’s records were made in error and
this site should be omitted from the study.
Poppy was then taken to visit Draycott
Sleights and Stoke Camp reserves where
Kidney Vetch was found (but at Draycott
Sleights it was high on a steep rocky area,
distant from the entrance, potentially off the
existing transect).
A week later Poppy joined me to meet
David Simcox and Sarah Meredith at Castley
Hill where Poppy was able to identify her first
Small Blue © John Burrell
16
adult Small Blues and under the expert guidance of
Sarah, find their eggs tucked between Kidney Vetch
florets. David recommended that timed counts were
better than walking transects and that counts of eggs
and larvae were at least as important as counting
adults. David outlined the management of the site,
showed Poppy a simple way of measuring sward
height, offered guidance on methodology, and further
assistance should she need it. With this practical
experience she was able to visit the other sites and
apply what she had learned. Recording the adult
butterflies would be weather-dependent but their
eggs and larvae less so. At Stoke Camp, Poppy was
fortunate to have guidance from Lucy Morton who
herself had worked with David Simcox previously. At Small Blues ©SueDavies
Dolebury Warren, Poppy was already known to Joe
McSorley.
I had been keen to understand why Small Blue populations should
plummet at what had recently been the County’s best site, Stoke Camp. There
was adequate Kidney Vetch there and the butterfly had flourished on the lower
slopes, sheltered by Rodney Stoke wood where there was a mini-landscape of
warm rocky hollows amongst the food-plant. This was regarded as ideal habitat
where wind would not deter females from egg-laying. There would probably have
been more than one contributory cause of the decline. Management issues such
as inappropriately timed or over-grazing and inclement weather could both be
implicated. In discussion with David Simcox, I learned more details about the
Large Blue collapse in 2013. Weather records showed that in February, March,
April and May that year, temperatures were markedly lower than normal and
rainfall lighter. These inclement conditions so delayed butterfly development that
David found Large Blue larvae to be three weeks later than usual. Then, during a
drought in July 2013 at Green Down, data loggers at ground level showed that 25
degrees Celsius had been exceeded for 300 hours instead of only 30 hours
during that month normally. As a result, thyme plants were desiccated and many
larvae apparently failed to mature. At the same time, Sarah was experiencing
similar problems with Kidney Vetch in Surrey. When handled, the desiccated
plants fell apart and drifted away on the breeze. Similar conditions at Stoke Camp
in 2013 could have taken a serious toll on Small Blue larvae. In 2012, the flight
period of this and other butterflies was exceptionally wet and cool. Transect
records indicated it was a very poor year for most species. The combined effects
of reduced numbers in 2012 and the contrary weather in 2013 could well have
contributed to a dramatic decline in Small Blue populations.
On natural Small Blue sites sward management is normally achieved by
timed grazing, preferably by cattle or alternatively by ponies. This is usually
restricted to winter. Sheep grazing in spring can result in the centres of their
17
rosettes being eaten out. Such plants
do recover, but the risk is that flowering
may be delayed. This is significant
because flowering needs to be
synchronous with female Small Blue
emergence. The timing of both flowering
and Small Blue emergence appear to
be linked to the altitudes of our sites,
but without human intervention they
Empty Small Blue egg case on Kidney
should normally remain synchronous.
Vetch flower head ©Will Langdon
Kidney Vetch is a perennial but stands
of it may need to be rejuvenated from time to time to keep it vibrant in the long
term. For it to continue to flourish, it needs some bare ground for seeds to
germinate and cattle can assist germination by the soil disturbance they create.
Whilst Poppy was carrying out her study, transect walkers, site managers
and leaders of BC walks were also recording adult Small Blues which
complemented the data Poppy was accumulating. This brought to light a further
site at Littleton where manager Hamish Cole had seen 1 Small Blue adult in
2014 and then 2 in 2015.
On completion of her research, Poppy submitted at dissertation that
reflected the assertion that the greatest threats to the rare and declining Small
Blue were the lack of habitat management or inappropriate techniques including
overgrazing, agricultural intensification, inadequate knowledge of habitat
requirements and insufficient monitoring. She conducted counts of adults on
the four selected sites by both transect and timed count methods, and with egg
and larval counts following the random distribution of quadrats. She also
assessed habitat quality factors including % cover of wildflowers, % of bare
ground / rock, % herb cover, sward height in cm, % gradient, soil depth and
density of Kidney Vetch. She then assessed the types of management used in
2014/2015 and in prior years, focussing on the type of management, time of
year and intensity. She found Small Blue populations to be disturbingly low,
with numbers too few to allow for statistical analysis. To prevent further
declines in Small Blue populations she advocated monitoring rabbit grazing at
Castley Hill and, on all other Small Blue sites, for cattle grazing to be restricted
to winter and at low intensities. Poppy might not have recognised that another
limiting factor was the relative dearth of Kidney Vetch. The Somerset Atlas
Flora describes it as ‘scarce and localised’ in the County.
Much as her endeavours have been appreciated, overall, her study has
not added greatly to our understanding of Small Blue requirements.
Poppy’s dissertation does pick up other relevant issues as follows:
*
The most reliable monitoring is best carried out by the same experienced
recorder, year on year.
*
For its size, Small Blue has a high dispersal rate capability to colonise
distant Kidney Vetch habitats. This attribute has facilitated establishing new sites
18
seeded with Kidney Vetch.
*
Sites with high wildflower cover, particularly including Horseshoe Vetch
(Hippocrepis comosa) and Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) the adult
butterfly’s favoured nectar sources, can help promote an abundance of Small
Blue.
Poppy has under-played the potential negative effects of inclement or
extreme weather conditions (or indeed the positive effect of fine summers) which
are known to influence butterfly populations. (See Pollard and Yates, 1993).
Following the very poor showing of Small Blues in 2014, Poppy’s most
significant contribution was to galvanise efforts to establish their current status.
It was encouraging to see that the combined counts in 2015 reflected a
substantial recovery at Stoke Camp and modest recoveries elsewhere. At Stoke
Camp, 27 adults were recorded on transects and guided walks between
27th May and 18th July and Poppy recorded 2 other adults on different dates,
plus 15 eggs. At Castley Hill, 16 adults were recorded between 22nd May and
17th August (10 recorded by Poppy and 6 by Sarah Meredith in my presence).
Poppy also recorded 37 eggs there and Sarah found another 5 in my presence.
Poppy recorded 1 larva also. At Draycott Sleights, 4 adults were recorded on
transect for the first time since 2012. Dolebury Warren’s site manager
reported sightings of 1 adult Small Blue and 1 egg (the first we were aware of
since 2011 from this former stronghold). So, together with the 2 adults seen at
Littleton (above), 52 adults were recorded this year across the 5 sites, a tenfold
increase on last year.
Given the relatively few natural Kidney Vetch sites in the County it is not
surprising that we have had several pioneers of Small Blue habitat creation
schemes which have been seeded with the food-plant. These include Clive
Farrell, Andrew George and David Simcox with successful sites at Rywater (in
Dorset), Noone Cottage, Carymoor Environmental Centre and at Castley Hill. In
the latter case, with approval Network Rail, David Simcox created suitably
sculpted habitat and seeded it with Kidney Vetch in 2006. Small Blue appeared
there in 2011and continues to flourish. On natural sites when populations peak,
Small Blues may disperse to seek suitable new habitat. Conversely, as we
know from Dolebury Warren, strong populations can peter out. There is scope
for more of this habitat creation activity to guard against loss of sites for rare
species if BC deems this appropriate. We have access to the expertise. On
these normally smaller man-made habitats cattle grazing may be impractical
and as a consequence Kidney Vetch there might be relatively short-lived and
need more human management. Clive Farrell speaks of having to collect seed
and re-sow it, to add more chalk on occasion and to keep his Kidney Vetch
swards free of unwanted competitive weeds.
John Burrell, 5th December, 2015.
19
Are Neonics Destroying our Butterflies?
The first scientific study to examine the effects of this controversial group
of pesticides on British butterflies suggests that they may be contributing to their
decline. Researchers found that 15 of 17 farmland species such as the Small
Tortoiseshell, Wall Brown and Small Skipper, show declines associated with
increasing neonic use.
ref: https://peerj.com/articles/1402/
Neonics are a new type of highly toxic chemical which acts a nerve agent
for insects. They were first introduced in 1994 and are now widely used on crops
such as cereals, sugar beet and oil seed rape. They are also sold for use in
gardens, so many gardeners may be unwittingly adding to the problem.
Population data from 1985 to 2012 gathered from more than 1,000 sites
across the country was studied by scientists at the universities of Stirling and
Sussex, in partnership with Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology. They found that neonicotinoid use better explained steep population
declines than other factors.
Although the study cannot definitively identify the cause of the population
drops, Martin Warren, chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, said that the
correlation revealed by the research required urgent further investigation.
“The debate up until now has been focused on bees. If neonicotinoids are
affecting a lot of other insects, we should be even more worried,”
“What we really want is more research. It’s crazy that we’re using a potentially
dangerous-to-wildlife chemical and nobody has done those studies."
“If we’re going to get smart about using chemicals in the countryside we need to
test them better before they get out there.”
Dr Andre Gilburn, of the University of Stirling, who led the butterfly study,
said: “Our study not only identifies a worrying link between the use of
neonicotinoids and declines in butterflies but also suggests that the strength of
their impact on many species could be huge."
Neonics usage increased at its fastest rate during the first decade of the
21st century, when farmland butterflies also experienced a precipitous decline,
despite a doubling in conservation spending and predictions that climate change
would benefit most species.
The Small Skipper declined by 62% and the Essex Skipper by 67%
between 2000 and 2009. Both species’ caterpillars live on grasses found on field
margins. In the same period the Large Skipper declined by 35%, the Wall Brown
by 37% and the Small Tortoiseshell by 64%.
According to the study, published in the journal PeerJ, these declines
have largely occurred in England, where neonic usage is at its highest. By
contrast in Scotland, where spraying of the pesticide is comparatively low,
butterfly numbers are stable.
A US study published earlier this year found that dust emitted when
seeds treated with neonicotinoids are planted causes sub-lethal effects in
20
caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly. Another study identified mobile dust
containing a high concentration of neonicotinoids on the surface of fields,
suggesting the pesticide could spread to effect insect populations which don’t live
adjacent to arable fields.
http://bioscienceresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Pecenka-andLundgren-2015-Early-On-line.pdf
Matt Shardlow, chief executive of the charity Buglife, said: “Clearly the
use of neonicotinoid seed treatments has been an unmitigated ecological
disaster. It is such a shame that the government continues to support their use
when the time has clearly come to extend the ban on seed treatments to cover all
crops, not just oilseed rape.”
In 2013, the EU introduced a temporary ban on certain types of neonics
for flowering crops such as Oilseed Rape to allow scientists to better determine
the insecticides’ impact on bees. But neonics continue to be widely and legally
used on other crops, particularly Wheat.
Scientific studies have shown how neonics stay in the soil for years, leak
into water and can be absorbed by wildflowers and grasses growing in field
margins, which provide nectar for butterflies and food for their caterpillars.
Researchers in the Netherlands have linked neonicotinoids found in
surface water to declines in insectivorous birds and there is widespread scientific
evidence that neonicotinoids harm bees, reducing their ability to pollinate plants.
However scientists judge that there is still not enough data to say whether this
harm ultimately leads to a decline in bee populations.
Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex, said:
“Many of us can remember a time when our meadows and hedgerows had far
more butterflies, bees and other insects than today. This study adds to the
growing mountain of evidence that neonicotinoids are one of the causes of these
declines.”
http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dave_Goulson/
publication/264056414_Ecology_Pesticides_linked_to_bird_declines/
links/540cb99f0cf2d8daaacaeb2a.pdf
Butterfly Conservation launched a crowd-funding appeal to support a
more detailed scientific assessment of the potential impact of neonicotinoids on
farmland butterflies. The charity also wants scientists to test butterflies and their
caterpillars to see if they have neonics in their bodies.
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/are-pesticides-killing-our-butterflies
There are many scholarly articles related to this issue. I have included a
few salient references but there are many others readily accessible on the internet
for anyone wishing to read further on this extremely important subject.
Sue Davies
21
Our Newest Reserve - Westbury Beacon
Westbury Beacon is crowned by a Bronze Age tumulus standing some
900 feet above the Bristol Channel, clearly in view to the west with the rising
slopes of Exmoor beyond. Looking south, the eye is caught by the tower on
Glastonbury Tor. Eastward, the edge of the Mendip scarp runs away hazily
towards Salisbury Plain. To the north sheep-grazed fields rise towards the top of
Black Down at just over 1000 feet. On a sunny calm day, surrounded by
wonderful views and with Chalkhill Blues busy around one’s feet, it is an idyllic
spot. On a winter’s day with the wind from the northwest and scudding rain it can
be seriously bleak.
The tumulus is a bell barrow somewhere around 3300 years old.
Excavated in the 1750s, bronze spear heads were found and are reputed to have
been given to a local farmer in exchange for cider. In medieval times or later, it is
though to have been a signal beacon site. Just beside, shallowly underground
and now infilled, is a Royal Observer Corps bunker that was created at the height
of the Cold War in 1961. The green barn was later used as a workshop by the
electronics firm Racal, working on radar here. Racal became part of Thales, a
French multinational company that designs and builds electrical systems and
provides services for aerospace and defence industries. Now, after several years
of trying, we finally own the site, Bronze Age, Cold War, butterflies and all.
Much credit for this goes to John Burrell, who started to survey and
manage the site in 2006. The bones of the Mendips are close to the surface here
and while the flat ground is still mostly grassy, the steep slope dropping away in
front of you was never much use even as rough grazing and has for a good many
years been clothed by old hawthorns and gorse. John began to work away at this,
cutting bays and inlets where butterfly plants could grow sheltered from the wind.
It is due to his efforts, supported by work parties from the Shapwick Volunteers
and others, that the 2014 transect counts recorded a total of 4389 butterflies of 28
species including a healthy Chalkhill Blue population as well as Dingy and
Grizzled Skippers and Dark Green Fritillary (see John’s article in Arion 99).
Perhaps the most pressing need is to start grazing the grassy areas as
they are now very rank and suppressing the violets that the DGF’s caterpillars eat.
This will need careful regulation to create the optimum sward height. At the same
time, the Horseshoe Vetch on which the Chalkhill Blues rely needs different
conditions. We will also continue to carefully open up new glades in the gorse
while keeping plenty of shelter from the chill winds that can blow here even in
summer. As it is an SSSI, what we do requires Natural England consent and will
take proper account of its Adders, its nesting birds and its 160-plus plant species.
Close to our Stoke Camp reserve, SWT’s Housegrounds and Draycott
Sleights and the Rodney Stoke Woodlands National Nature Reserve, Westbury is
also a most important acquisition strategically and I have little doubt that its
biodiversity value will grow further.
We are lucky to have a strong team of transect walkers to whom John
has handed over this year and their knowledge of the site, plus of course his own
22
and the experience of BC’s reserves staff Lucy Morton and John Davis, to steer
the site’s careful development.
So, much thanks to all of you who contributed to the Appeal which wholly
covered the costs of the acquisition. Reward yourselves by visiting, on a warm
day.
Access: You can follow the public footpath east from Stoke Camp or come in from
the Priddy road, taking the footpath from OS ref ST506506.
John Andrews
Can You Help?
CAN YOU HELP RUN OUR CONSERVATION PROJECT IN THE POLDENS?
Since 2011 Butterfly Conservation has received funding to help secure
the Large Blue butterfly in the Polden Hills. Work has also been undertaken on
other important species including the Brown Hairstreak. Although BC hopes to
continue work in the Poldens the professional staff time will be limited.
So we are looking for somebody to give a day a week in the summer to
help monitor species and habitats and undertake surveys; and one or two days a
month during the winter to assist with arranging and running work parties and
possibly also to liaise with the private landowners who have important sites.
You do not need to be an expert as BC staff will give training and the
Branch will provide information and support. The skills to enthuse and work with
others will be most important.
This has the potential to be a very important post, taking forward Butterfly
Conservation’s great achievements of the last five years in the Poldens and
extending them to other key species.
Fuller information including a job description will be posted on the Branch
website during January. Go to www.somersetbutterflies.org.uk or contact us by
email.
John Andrews
At the MShed, Harbourside, Bristol.
Sat Nov 28th - Sun April 10th
For more details: 0117 352 6600. www.bristolmuseums.org.uk
23
Flitter
Haircuts and Hairstreaks - Julian Rawlins
If you just google frohawk you will be presented first with images of
extraordinary haircuts; but if you google F W Frohawk you will cut straight to
information about the great entomologist and zoological illustrator, who is best
known for his two-volume work Natural History of British Butterflies. It took
him nearly 25 years to complete, which he did just before the First World War but
it was not published until 1924.
Over 50 years ago my eldest brother bought a copy of both volumes,
which he subsequently took with him when he emigrated to Australia. I
corresponded recently with him about Brown Hairstreaks. Between us we
collected a specimen, I spotted it and he caught it, very many years ago. He felt
that his treasured Frohawks would now be more useful back in the UK, so he
gave them to me and they arrived a few weeks ago.
Frohawk bred every species of British butterfly from ovum to imago and
at each stage he described and drew or painted them from real life. The result is
a wealth of fascinating and almost unimaginable detail, beautifully illustrated.
Great browsing on winter evenings.
24
Fivehead Death's Head emerges! - John Bebbington (© images)
The Death's Head larva (shown
right), which Sally Pizii found in
Fivehead in August, emerged yesterday
the 6th November - just in time for
Somerset Moth Group AGM this
morning! It was much admired by all.
I am grateful to Sally for
allowing me to exhibit and later
photograph the moth, a magnificent
female. I will release it this evening in
the hope that it will find favourable
winds and make it back to the Med!
Female Death's Head Hawk-moth
Acherontia atropos from larva found in
Fivehead (above)
Detail of head of the moth - amazing
claws! (right)
Purple Hairstreak Caterpillar Liz Marsden (© images)
Taking a leaf (almost literally) out of
Chris Iles's book, I've taken to searching
the leaves of fallen twigs - on a rather
squashed lot.
On the 6th June, along the path at
Mount Fancy I found a Purple
Hairstreak caterpillar (above).
It hatched on Sunday 5th July, (right)
and when released flew straight up into
the tree-tops.
25
Walking After Italian Lakeland Butterflies
In search of some late season sun and late season butterflies before
winter my wife and I booked a holiday to the north of Italy. After searching the
brochure we decided on the little town of Pieve at the head of Lake Ledro about
60 miles from Milan. After the short flight from Bristol to Bergano, a transfer along
Lake Garda with a passage through some spectacular tunnels brought us to our
hotel beside Lake Ledro situated some 650 metres above sea level.
The following day was bright and sunny allowing us a chance to take
stock of our surroundings. The lake is surrounded by a steep sided valley forested
with mixed woodland on the lower slopes and conifers at a higher level. The area
is very well signposted and using the excellent map of the area provided free by
the local tourist office we began by walking up the valley on the well surfaced
cycle track. Leading into the lake was a dry water course with steep concrete and
stone sides. From these walls sprouted many large Buddleia bushes. A quick
glance revealed they were feeding many butterflies, Red Admiral, Painted Lady,
Brimstone, Clouded Yellow and many Silver-washed Fritillaries. These were
interesting in that at least half of them were of the female variety valezina they
appeared to have been around for some time as many looked well worn. The
other find was six Hummingbird Hawkmoths on one bush; this moth seemed to be
very common in the area. Over the period of our stay many good finds were made
on these bushes.
We continued our walk along the valley passing a large factory making
wooden pallets. The fields provided Common Blue, Brown Argus, and a large
number of Small Heath. The fields had been partially cut for hay but there were
many corners and odd bits that still sported a luxuriant number of flowers. After a
good first day we retired to try some wonderful Italian ice cream and prepared for
another day.
Dryad
26
The lake is approximately 8.5
km around and so we decided to walk
around the perimeter. We walked from
Pieve along a surfaced path beside the
shore to the next village of Mezzolago.
At this point the path crosses the main
road and goes inland through the village
to cut off a large corner. We were
advised by the hotel receptionist, the
helpful Lisa, that if you walked up the
Dryad
road for about 150 metres you could
pick up the old path and avoid the detour. This advice was indeed worthwhile as it
lead us to a wonderful sunny bank and flat area above the lake; over the holiday
period this was to provide a great variety of species. The first seen flying was the
Dryad (above), both male and female. This is a large slow flying species that is
not easily seen as it tends to hide low down in vegetation. We were lucky as they
were warming up and basking as they nectared with wings flat open, many
looking well worn. Further along the stone path we came across fresh specimens
of Wall Brown, again of both sexes, feeding on Fleabane.
There were a number of whites
Wood White
in flight: the usual Large, Small and
Green-veined were found. Two small
specimens needed following, these
turned out to be Wood White (right).
During our stay we found them all over
the area up to a height of 985 metres at
one of the mountain huts, in a variety of
habitats. We noticed they seemed to be
stronger fliers than those seen in
Britain. This area was revisited several
times and produced a strong colony of
Small Heath, Small Copper, Brown Argus and very fresh Adonis Blues. These
again were to be found at several sites again to high altitude. The flowers were
past their best but the bright pink flowers of Bloody Cranesbill and the blue of
Meadow Cranesbill were still much in
evidence together with others
unidentified.
There are a number of side
valleys running down to the lake some
of which were explored. They produced
some good finds including White
Admiral, Geranium Bronze and
Swallowtails. A small rough field above
the village of Lenzumo contained a
Scotch Argus
27
Silver-spotted Skipper
colony of Scotch Argus (left) . Many
were worn but gave good pictures of top
and underside. These valleys contain
mixed forest with Beech, Sweet
Chestnut and Walnut trees together with
Hornbeam and a fair few Spindle with
their bright pink fruits. Together with
conifers made for very pleasant walking.
Here we also found good plants such as
Herb Paris, Flower of Parnassus,
High Brown Fritillary
Jupiters Distaff and Clarys.
Most days we revisited the
lakeside Buddleia bushes and
sometimes found new species. Silverspotted Skipper (above) was seen on
two days and most days we saw High
Brown Fritillaries (left), some fresh,
some worn. These all seemed to be the
standard specimens, not the variety
cleodoxa which is common further east.
The two species we did not find were
Small Tortoiseshell and Gatekeeper
female Large Wall Brown
which was surprising given the number
of other Nymphalids and Satyrids
present.
Our last find was aptly on our
last day when eating our lunch on the
lakeside when an odd looking butterfly
flew over. A short chase proved it to be
a female Large Wall Brown in
reasonable order (right).
Our holiday butterfly wise was
much better than we expected with 28
species seen and 6 species of day
flying moth. The flowers were still
reasonable and the area was well worth naturalists visiting. The accommodation
was very comfortable with good food and facilities and we were left wondering
what an early season return visit would bring.
Keith Gould, 30th August to 11th September 2015 (© images)
28
Moth Trapping in the Highlands
At the end of July 2014, I
attended a joint RSPB/ BC Highland
Branch moth trapping event at Insh
Marshes, the RSPB reserve near
Kingussie.
My main hope was to see some
of the moths that are concentrated in
the North of England and Scotland and I
was not disappointed. Multiple traps
had been employed and it was great to
Dark Bordered Beauty
see and photograph such species as
Haworths Minor, Angle-striped Sallow,
Lempke's Gold Spot and Suspected,
along with many others I'd not seen
before.
The highlights however were
Dark Bordered Beauty - now found at
only three sites in Scotland and one in
Yorkshire ( Strensall Common) - and
Cousin German, a rather indistinctly
marked reddish grey moth which is very Cousin German
scarce and a species of the Central
Highlands and Wester Ross.
It only rained (poured down! )
after we'd seen the moths and
completed an interesting butterfly walk
on the reserve during which we saw
Scotch Argus and found a Narrow bordered Bee Hawkmoth larva.
Geoff Hiscocks (© images)
Haworths Minor
Lempke's Gold Spot
Angle-striped Sallow
29
Long-tailed Blue Heading Our Way?
This striking continental butterfly
has emerged in the South of England in
record numbers for the second time in
three years.
More than 60 Long-tailed Blue
butterflies have been seen from Suffolk
to Devon since August in what is
thought to be the second largest
emergence of the butterfly in UK history.
The Long-tailed Blue, Lampides
boeticus is a migrant from the
Mediterranean with a handful typically
reaching UK shores each year. Experts
believe climate change may be behind
this butterfly reaching our shores more
regularly and in vastly increased numbers.
Migrating butterflies crossed the Channel in August and laid 1000s of
eggs in gardens and allotments along the South Coast.
BC’s Neil Hulme said: “I can’t stress how exciting this is – we have seen one of
the largest ever migrations of this butterfly into the UK, only exceeded by the
record numbers of 2013. Coming so soon after the last major invasion, despite a
collapse in the August weather, this really is amazing"
The majority of sightings were in Sussex, where nearly 40 were spotted,
but the butterfly has also been seen in Devon, Dorset, Hampshire & Isle of Wight,
Kent and Suffolk.
UK-born Long-tailed Blue butterflies started to emerge in late September,
taking advantage of the unseasonably warm end to the month. They were seen
up to the end of October and one was spotted at Brighton Racecourse on the 1st
November.
The Long-tailed Blue butterfly has previously been considered a very rare
visitor to the UK, despite being abundant across southern Europe, Africa, Asia
and Australia. It was seen for the very first time in Britain in 1859, but over the
next 80 years only 30 adults were recorded here. Significant influxes occurred in
1945 and 1990, but these events were relatively small when compared to the
invasion of 2013. 109 sightings were recorded between July and October of that
year. This is one of the world’s more successful species of butterfly. It may be
small, but it’s a very powerful flyer capable of crossing mountain ranges and seas.
In hot weather it can go through its entire life cycle in just over a month,
which is half the period taken by many species. The woodlouse-shaped larva first
feeds on the flowers of the foodplant, but eventually enters a pod where it feeds
on the contents, relatively safe from predators. This stage lasts between 3 and 4
weeks. The primary larval foodplants are Bladder-senna (Colutea arborescens),
30
Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea (Lathyrus
latifolius), Broom (Sarothamnus
scoparius) and Narrow-leaved
Everlasting-pea (Lathyrus sylvestris).
Mange-tout pea (Pisum sativum) is also
used. It can be an agricultural pest in
continental Europe.
The one thing which holds it
back is that it cannot normally survive
the winter this far north, but to see this
number of Long-tailed Blues entering
the UK again does suggest that the
species is undergoing a significant
change in its geographical spread. It
may be that its zone of permanent
residency in southern Europe is
extending northwards possibly in response to climate change.
The butterfly gets its name from the wispy ‘tails’ on the trailing edge of
each of its hindwings, which flutter in the breeze. Adjacent eye spots fool birds
into thinking this is the head of the butterfly, allowing it to escape any attacks
unharmed.
The male (above) is a striking violet-blue colour, while the female is a mix
of duller blue and brown. The underside of both sexes is a sandy brown colour
crossed by numerous white, wavy lines.
By way of contrast the not
dissimilar Lang's Short-tailed Blue,
Leptotes pirithous, (left) very rarely
reaches our shores.
Although it has a similar
distribution across Southern Europe,
Africa and Asia Minor, there is only one
relatively contemporary record. A single
specimen of this species, a male, was
caught on the edge of an uncut Clover
field at Bloxworth in Dorset on 13th
June 1938. This specimen is believed to
have arrived with a general influx of
immigrants on the south coast of
England.
Sue Davies (© images)
Photographs:
Long-tailed Blue, Andalusia in October;
The Lang's Short-tailed Blue, Languedoc in September.
31
Mining for Lepidoptera
The butterfly season has all but finished, and the large variety of Autumn
moths has dried up. Nevertheless, take heart, as there's still a way to find more
Lepidoptera and make useful records - leaf mines!
Some species of micro moth burrow inside the lamina of leaves, leaving a
characteristic pattern, unique to each species. By searching for these patterns,
known as 'leaf mines', and using a mine key, the species that made the mine can
be identified.
It's important to note that many species of beetle and dipteran larvae do
also mine leaves, making the differentiation of species and families something of
a 'minefield', generally speaking. However the mines of micro moths have a lot
more frass (poo) in than those of other types of miner, and if the mine you've
found is not featured on the excellent Lepidoptera mine key on this website....
http://www.leafmines.co.uk/index.htm
it's probably not been made by a micro moth!
Fortunately, even after the leaves have fallen off, some species do
continue to feed, leaving 'green islands' where the rest of the leaf has turned
brown, the area around the mine remains green, allowing the larva to continue to
feed, and making them very obvious to observant lepidopterists!
Here are some examples of commonly found Mines to get you hunting.
A. The Mine of The Apple-Leaf
Miner, despite the name, also found on
Birch, Cherry, Blackthorn, and a whole
host of other plant species!
B.The mine of Parornix
devoniella, by identifying species as leaf
mines, and breeding them to adulthood,
you can see and have confirmed IDs for
Adult bred out
by Chris Iles
adult moths that can normally only be
separated by genitalia dissection in this
stage, the Parornix species are a case
in point!
C. The mine of Phyllonorycter
coryli, an extremely common blister
mine, found on the upperside of Hazel
32
Adult bred out
by Chris Iles
leaves - often several to a leaf.
D. The mine of Phyllonorycter
maestingella, another common blister
found on Beech leaves, in common with
most Phyllonorycter species, the larva
Adult bred out
overwinters and pupates inside the mine
by Paul Wilkins
E. Everyone's favourite leaf
mine - Stigmella aurella, this species is
most commonly noted on Bramble,
where it makes this meandering mine
with its distinctive purple edges. It's
likely in the future that this species will
be separated into several species that
can only be separated by DNA analysis
- pity our county recorder!
F. The mine of Stigmella
floslactella on Hazel, perhaps you're
beginning to notice a pattern here Phyllonorycter species generally form
papery blister mines, whilst Stigmellas
go for these wonderful wiggly
constructions!
G. This is the mine of Stigmella tityrella
on Beech, a common one at this time of
year, which leaves distinctive green
islands. This one is tenanted, with the
green, semi-transparent larva at the top
(note its long green gut!), and can be
separated from Stigmella hemargyrella
by the absence of coiled frass (which
looks much more dispersed).
Will Langdon (©mine images)
33
A 'Mothfest' in Northern Spain
In September I had the good
fortune to spend two weeks in Northern
Spain enjoying the Lepidoptera. There
were still quite a few butterflies on the
wing. Plenty of Scarce, Sooty and
Small Coppers; blues included
Chalkhills, Adonis, Long-tailed, Shorttailed and Turquoise Blue. The
commonest species was probably the
Map (the late summer form, right).
Weaver’s Fritillary were still plentiful and
La Sófia and Meadow Fritillary, a
European endemic, were occasionally
also seen. Wood Whites and Silverspotted Skippers were common.
The first week was
spent in the beautiful lush
lowlands of La Cerdanya (left)
just south of the Pyrenees. Here I saw my first
Straw Belle, Chalk Burnets (right) in large
numbers, Chalk Carpet, Burnished Brass and
Dew Moth, (Setina flavicans not S. irrorella
which is occasionally seen in the UK). Plenty of
commoner day moths were also
encountered, Common and Latticed
Heath, Shaded Broadbar, Burnet
Companion, lots of Vestals,
34
Hummingbird Hawkmoths, Nettle-tap, and
numerous Blood-vein in a particularly damp
meadow. One was beautifully posed in the sun
as if waiting for a passing photographer.
The second week was spent in the
Picos de Europa (below) which is undoubtedly
one of Europe’s Lepidoptera ‘hot spots’. Here
we put out moth traps for several nights
and amassed a total of 124 species.
This included more day-flyers, the
Treble-bar, Yellow Belle, Straw Belle,
Spanish Carpet and Convolvulus
Hawkmoth. There were also species
which can be encountered during the
day such as the Chinese Character
which
looks
like bird droppings and can easily be overlooked.
L-album Wainscot, Rosy Footman and Red
Underwing can all be encountered during the day
either by disturbing vegetation or more likely just
luck.
Hilary Raeburn (© All images except
Dew Moth © Daniel Morel)
35
Field Studies Council 2016 Courses
The list below shows the current butterfly and moth identification courses
available. Butterfly Conservation fully supports the aim of promoting active
conservation through learning. Full details of each course can be found at;
http://www.field-studies-council.org.
2016 programme
Dissection techniques for moth ID verification
Preston Montford
Sat 02 April - Sun 03 April
Tutor Dave Grundy
Level Beginners
Discovering Moths in Bushy Park
London
Sat 14 May
Tutor Martin Harvey
Level Beginners
Moth Trapping for Beginners
Preston Montford
Fri 27 May - Sun 29 May
Tutor Dave Grundy
Level Beginners
Butterfly and Moth Identification
Blencathra
Sat 28 May - Fri 03 June
Tutor David Brown
Level Open for Everyone
Identifying Moths and Butterflies
Flatford Mill
Fri 08 July - Sun 10 July
Tutor Sheila Wright
Level Intermediate
Focus in on Micro-Moths of Epping Forest
Epping Forest
Sat 09 July
Tutor Martin Harvey
Level Beginners
Identifying Butterflies, Moths and Dragonflies
Flatford Mill
Fri 15 July - Mon 18 July
Tutor Richard Lewington
Level Intermediate
Moths of the Pembrokeshire Coast
Orielton
Sat 16 July - Tue 19 July
Tutor Dave Grundy
Level Open for Everyone
London’s Butterflies in Bushy Park
London
Sat 23 July
Tutor Martin Harvey
Level Beginners
Butterflies and Moths
Malham Tarn
Mon 25 July - Fri 29 July
Tutor David Brown
Level Open for Everyone
Chalk and Limestone Grassland Moths
Juniper Hall
Fri 29 July - Sun 31 July
Tutor Dave Grundy
Level Open for Everyone
An Introduction to Moths and Butterflies
Slapton Ley
Fri 29 July - Mon 01 August
Tutor Adrian Spalding
Level Open for Everyone
Butterflies and Moths of Chalk Grasslands
Amersham
Fri 29 July - Sun 31 July
36
Tutor
Martin Harvey
Level Open for Everyone
Butterflies and Moths
Preston Montford
Mon 08 August - Fri 12 August
Tutor David Brown
Level Open for Everyone
Micro-Moths
Flatford Mill
Fri 12 August - Mon 15 August
Tutor Dave Grundy
Level Open for Everyone
Highland Butterflies and Moths
Kindrogan
Fri 19 August - Mon 22 August
Tutor David Brown
Level Open for Everyone
Autumn Moths
Flatford Mill
Fri 09 September - Sun 11 September
Tutor Dave Grundy
Level Open for Everyone
Moths In Autumn
Epping Forest
Sat 17 September
Tutor Martin Harvey
Level Beginners
•
Location: FSC Centres have been chosen for their stunning
locations and access to wonderful flora and wildlife, ensuring you enjoy your
butterfly and moth identification course
•
Expert staff: FSC butterfly and moth identification courses are led
by expert tutors who are passionate about the subject
Special Members' Meeting
in KEYNSHAM on SUNDAY 28TH FEBRUARY
If you live in Bristol or Bath (or even if you don’t) and would like to know
more about the butterflies and moths of Somerset and how Butterfly Conservation
works to save them, do come to our special members’ meeting at the Masonic
Hall, Keynsham, on Sunday 28th February from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Though we may still be in the grip of winter’s gloom at the end of
February, the start of spring will only be a few weeks away and we will be looking
at how different species, both common and rare, are doing; at the success of our
reserves including our new acquisition Westbury Beacon; at our conservation
projects; and our ideas for an education project working with primary schools in
Bristol and Bath.
There will be time to chat too when we break for tea and cake from 3.00
to 3.30. To conclude the afternoon John Bebbington FRPS will speak on Going
Wild in the Garden, illustrated with his superb photos.
The Hall is close to Saltford on the edge of Keynsham, just off the
Keynsham bypass at 99 Bath Road, BS31 1SR (see www.keynshamhall.co.uk for
a map). There is parking for 40 vehicles.
There is no need to book but if you’re likely to come it would be helpful to
know so that we can ensure we have enough cake for everyone.
Email Keith Gould on [email protected]
John Andrews
37
Our New-Look Website
www.somerset-butterflies.org.uk
Welcome to the new Branch website. It is still a work in progress so some
parts of it are incomplete at the moment and some of the planned functions are
not yet set up. We will be developing it further over the coming weeks. Meanwhile,
in the following pages you will find information about:
•
the butterflies in our area,
•
walks, talks and other events,
•
places to visit to see butterflies,
•
ways you can help their conservation.
We know that most of our members have busy lives and are happy to
support Butterfly Conservation and to enjoy the butterflies that they encounter but
haven't the time to play a more active part. So we have designed the website to
make it easy to find out things you may wish to know and participate as much or
as little as you wish.
For those with the time, you can upload your butterfly records, post
sightings, ask for help with identifications and help other members with their
queries.
If you want to get more involved, there are several ways in which you can
help. For instance, Branch members monitor butterfly populations at over 60 sites
from spring to autumn and the data feed into a long-running national study that
guides conservation priorities and helps track the effects of climate change.
Members also help with managing four Butterfly Conservation reserves in
the county – Stoke Camp and Westbury Beacon in the Mendips, Mount Fancy in
the Blackdown Hills and Haddon Moor on Exmoor – as well as other work such as
the Large Blue Project running in the Poldens.
Do feel free to contact us with questions or suggestions relating to our
activities at any time.
Sue Davies
38
A Big Welcome to our New Members
October
Dobner Mrs L T & Mr MA, Street
Jones Mrs N, Wellington
November
Beeson Miss E, Bristol
Billingsley Miss N, Yate
Birch Miss K, Weston-s-Mare
Breeze MrS, Street
Briant Mrs H, Bristol
Elliott Miss K, Chilton Polden
Field Dr. M, Wookey Hole
Fisher Mrs C, Bridgwater
Garrard Mr P, Bristol
Godden Mrs J, Bristol
Graham Mrs J & Mr D, Burrowbridge
Grant Miss J, Bristol
Grenfell Mrs D, Bristol
Guy Mrs P, Midsomer Norton
Haddell Mr J, Creech Heathfield
Hand Mrs C, Bristol
Heymans Mrs A, Backwell
Hiscock Mrs J, Yeovil
Hyde Ms c & Keirl Mr R, Bridgwater
Jones Miss V, Williton
Mahony Ms V & Staynings Mr R,
Stockwood
Mills Mr J & Mrs E, Thornbury
Mitchell Mr J,Weston-s-Mare
Murphysmith Mrs C & Mr A, Filton
Pentney Mrs J,Creech St.Michael
Screech Miss A, Bristol
Seal Mr G, Stoke Gifford
Spode Mr B, Chesterblade
Staynings Miss J, Southmead
Tett Miss E, Ilminster
Theobald Miss E, Bridgwater
Vickery Miss H, Bristol
Wilkinson Miss K, Weston-s-Mare
Williams MrC & Mrs J, Winscombe
Williams Mrs H, Bristol
Campbell Miss A,Taunton
Fullom Miss SM, Henry
Jessup Mrs L, Minehead
Mckee-Smith Mrs H, Crewkerne
Tincknell Mr C & Mrs G, Midsomer
Norton
Williams Mrs H, Bristol
November
Arnold Miss J & Aldridge Mr C & family,
Taunton
Baber Mrs V, Ashley Down
Brimble Mrs J, Stockwood
Britton Mr P, Bristol
Cooksey Mrs E, Kingswood
Fairburns Ms S, Bristol
Farrar Ms R, Bristol
Griffey Ms F, Shepton Mallet
Harris Mr S, Bath
Jarvis Mr J, Chilcompton
Jones Mrs D & Mr R, Horfield
King Mrs C, Pilton
Ladd Mr R, High Littleton
Lee-Potter Mr J, Aller
Mardon Mrs C,Wiveliscombe
Parker Mrs G, Croscombe
Porter Mrs J, Dunkerton
Pike Mrs C, Chidden Fitzpaine
Richardson Mrs V, Frome
Rogers Mr D, Bristol
Sharpe Dr. H, Fishponds
Singleton Miss J & Burrows Mr M &
family, Bath
Wheeler Mrs S, Wells
Goldie Mr P J, Monkton Heathfield
We hope to see you at the Winter GetTogether on Saturday 6th February at
Ruishton (pag 41) and at the Special
Members Meeting in Keynsham on
Sunday 28th February (page 37)
39
Committee Members
Chairman
John Andrews
Trinity View, Church Road, Chilton Trinity, Bridgwater, TA5 2BH,
Tel:01278 426500.
Email: [email protected]
Branch Secretary
164, Westbury Rd. Bristol BS9 3AH
Tel: 01172 398110
Email: [email protected]
Treasurer
Tel: 07805 170374
Hilary Raeburn
Paula Hewitson
Email: [email protected]
Membership Secretary, Branch Contact
Keith Gould
12, Alma Street, Taunton, TA1 3AH
Tel: 01823 277462
Email: [email protected]
Butterfly Recorder
Honorary Warden Haddon Moor Reserve
Dave Ayling
Leeside, 2, Grove Road, Blue Anchor, Minehead, TA24 6JX
Tel: 01643 821664
Email: [email protected]
Transect Data Recording Co-ordinator
Honorary Warden, Mount Fancy Farm Nature Reserve
Liz Marsden
Fernside, Watergore, South Petherton, TA13 5JQ
Tel: 01460 240184
Email: [email protected]
Honorary Warden Westbury Beacon
John Burrell
The Willows, 20 Church Road, Wembdon, Bridgwater, TA6 7RP
Tel: 01278 456851
Email: [email protected]
Honorary Warden of Stoke Camp Reserve
Arborfield, Holcombe Hill, Holcombe, Radstock BA3 5DH
Tel: 01761 414798
Email: [email protected]
Christopher Iles
Newsletter Editor
Sue Davies
4, Mounsdon Close, Butleigh, BA6 8RX
Tel: 07702 151312
Email: [email protected]
Facebook Coordinator
Gill Coles
Springfield, Allowenshay, Hinton St George, Somerset TA17 8TB
Tel: 01460 57573
Email: [email protected]
40
John Bebbington
(also Chairman of Somerset Moth Group and macro moth recorder for VCs 5&6)
Quantock View, Newtown, Langport, TA10 9SE
Tel: 01458 253027
Email: [email protected]
Geoff Brunt
Kea House, Chapel Lane, Butleigh, BA6 8TB
Tel: 01458 850919
Email: [email protected]
David Lester
1, Holmans, Butleigh, BA6 8UD
Tel. 01458 850772
Email: [email protected]
Andy Ellard
Ridge House, Greenham, Wellington, TA21 0JS
Tel: 01823 672885
Email: [email protected]
David Auld
West Close, Church Road, Edington, Bridgwater, TA7 9JT
Tel: 01278 722529
Email: [email protected]
Julian Rawlins
Old Barn, North Barrow, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7LZ
Te: 01963 240245
Email: [email protected]
Webmaster
[email protected]
Winter Get-Together
Saturday 6th February at 2-5pm
Ruishton Village Hall, near Taunton,
Cheats Road, Ruishton,TA3 5JD
This is the time when we meet to chat over last year’s happenings and
our plans for the spring and summer soon to come. We share photos and videos,
perhaps help each other with the identification of some tricky Fritillary or have the
simple pleasure of provoking envy in those of us less well-travelled or skilled with
a camera. Rewards and consolations are provided in the lavish supply of cakes
and tea.
If you propose to bring slides or CDs can you please inform Dave Ayling
beforehand on 01643 821664 or [email protected] so that
he can plan the batting order.
As we are often hard-pressed to fit everyone in please limit the number of
photos to a maximum of 20 and any video to not more than 5 mins.
We look forward to seeing you there.
John Andrew
41
Index
Winning Photo, Butterflies
2nd & 3rd places, Butterflies
View from the Chair
AGM Minutes
Photographic Competition Winners
Recorder's Report 2015
Two Moors Project Update
Summary of Large Blue Work in the Poldens
Small Blue Project
Are Neonics Destroying our Butterflies?
Our Newest Reserve, Westbury Beacon
Flitter
Walking after Italian Lakeland Butterflies
Long-tailed Blue Heading our Way?
Mining for Lepidoptera
A 'Mothfest' in Northern Spain
Field Studies Council Courses 2016
Special Meeting
Our New-Look Website
New Members
Committee Members
2nd and 3rd places, Moths
Winning Photo, Moths
Front Cover
2
3
4
7
8
11
12
15
20
22
24
26
30
32
34
36
37
38
39
40
43
Back Cover
Websites:
www.somerset-butterflies.org.uk
www.somersetmothgroup.org.uk
Our Facebook site:
Somerset and Bristol Branch of Butterly Conservation
This open group is a forum for everyone to post and share all their sightings and
photos - from Nature Reserves to back gardens and everywhere in between.
Our Twitter site: BC Somerset (@BCSomerset)
Arion by email:
If you would like a full colour version by email and are not yet receiving one,
please email me at [email protected]. All new members with an
email address now receive Arion this way. This saves the cost of printing and
postage, increasing funds for Conservation work. Please remember to let us
know if you change your email address.
42
Competition
Winners
Moths
1st
Merveille du
Jour
(back page)
© John
Bebbington
Joint
2nd
Angle Shades
(above)
© Will Langdon
F
Saxon Moth
(right)
© Geoff
Hiscocks
3rd
Large Emerald
Moth
(left)
© Valerie
Godsmark
43