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NEWSLETTER No. 3 -  Summer 1980

WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

 

Letters Page

 From J. E., Green,
 "Rostrevor",
 Knoll Lane,
 Poolbrook,
 Malvern.

A few points of detail arising after reading your Newsletter. First, the Small Blue is present in three 10 Km squares in Worcs., several sites, and another on the west side of the county to be confirmed this year.

White Admirals in Wyre Forest; although rare, records are more frequent than you were told, the warden probably wouldn't know about the extent of the distribution which we have established. It is better not to spread the information. We had a collecting group from Birmingham in one of our other White Admiral locations I regret to say  - easier than going to N.E.Oxon or the southern counties!

Concerning T. betulae (Brown H/streak) in Worcs., we are extremely anxious about conservation, and I think it is imperative that if any of your members have got to know of the location, that their lips are sealed and that no attempt is made to go on to the private land. We are involved with agreements to conserve the habitat.

Our recording situation in Worcs. is largely complete thanks to over 40 recorders and 11 years effort - that is for butterflies. One or two of the remoter 10 Km squares on the western side need a little more attention. Moths not quite so good, but according to the B.R.C. the county situation compares favourably with most others ...

John E. Green.

From R. G. Warren,
32 Whitmore Road,
Trentham,
Stoke-on-Trent.

I was interested to receive your letter and the Newsletter of the West Midlands Branch of the B.B.C.S. As it happens, in addition to being Treasurer of the Trust, I am the recorder for Lepidoptera in Staffordshire, and I am pleased to enclose a copy of the Trust's last Newsletter and also one of Part 1 (Butterflies) of the Atlas of Staffordshire Lepidoptera on which I am engaged.

I note that your Branch is intended to cover Staffordshire but that up to the present you have no Staffordshire members. I intend to join myself but the difficulty may be that, particularly in North Staffordshire, we are too remote to attend any of your meetings.

It is interesting to compare your notes on the past season with our experiences; there are some similarities but some marked differences. For example, Red Admirals were distinctly scarce with us and while the Holly Blue was in good numbers in the spring brood only one or two examples of the second brood were reported; indeed, in the north of the county I would say the species is single-brooded.

There have also been some exciting discoveries; the Small Blue has been found in small numbers in the limestone area of the north-east; and there has been a report which seems to indicate an overlooked colony of the Large Heath which I hope to confirm next year.

On, the conservation front, good news is that the Trust has a lease from the Forestry Commission of part of Burnt Wood, entomologically the richest woodland in the county; butterflies include Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Purple Hairstreak.

R. G. Warren.



From Mrs. C. L Hatton,
The Old Deanery,
36 Dean Street,
Brewood,
Stafford.

I would like to join the British Butterfly Conservation Society. I cannot be an active member as I am in very variable health, but I am sure the membership fee will come in useful and I would very much like to be kept in touch with the opportunity to read your newsletters.

I have kept a list of butterflies seen in our garden since 1973 if it is any use I will make a copy of it and post to you. I find this part of Staffordshire not really very good for butterflies. I think the reason may be partly found in the small variety of wild flowers in the hedgerows; we were very late in the stopping of spraying the verges with weedkiller.

I am interested in the news of the Large Blue. I have two cuttings, one from the "Guardian", Wednesday, Sept. 12th 1979,, giving a life history plus information of 5 adults hatched. 1978, this year, 1979, the article states that 22 adults emerged but produced no viable eggs. However, I also have a Sunday Telegraph cutting of Sept. 23rd, 1979, stating that Mr. John Lodge has a number breeding successfully in the Cotswolds, and Mr. Wilfred Therigen seems to think there may be colonies in Cumbria, one can only hope.*

My knowledge of butterflies and ability to identify is not good as it is an interest  I have taken up since my health has been bad, but if one is relatively stuck one can observe one's immediate surroundings so I make lists of birds and butterflies. We have a reasonably large garden with plenty of shrubs and a lane behind and fields.

If any of your members are in this area. and would care to telephone I would be most pleased to meet them.

Joan I. Hatton.

* Editors note:

Unfortunately Mr. Lodge has been unable to provide details of this location to the Nature Conservancy Council, or any other official body, and the record therefore remains unconfirmed.

Also see report of the Large Blue in B.B.C News No. 24, from Mr. Robert Goodden.

 

From R. Smith,
22 Milverton Crescent,
Leamington Spa.

One or two brief comments, if I may, on your review of "The Lepidoptera of Warwickshire". In case we may have given a wrong impression concerning the woodland fritillaries, it should be said that, while destruction of habitat may have contributed to their disappearance in certain localities, the overall disappearance is part of a trend in England
marked by a retreat westwards and south-westwards. This is shown very clearly on the Monk's Wood distribution maps. Even in Bernwood Forest, straddling the Oxon-Bucks border, the Silverwashed and the Small Pearl-bordered have long since gone. An attempt to reintroduce the former in the late '60's met with no success.

Roger Smith.

The following people have joined since the publication of our last Newsletter:

Blunt, W. H., 46 Wroxall Road, SOLIHULL, West Midlands.

Grainger, Miss J. H., "Ochey", 37 Bilbrook Road, CODSALL, Staffordshire.

Haden, E. S., "Blue Cobwebs", 28 Sandy Road, Norton, STOURBRIDGE, West Midlands.

Halliwell, J., 23 Grasscroft Avenue, Honley, HUDDERSFIELD, West Yorkshire.

Harrison, M., 5 Earls Croft, Cheylesmore, COVENTRY, West Midlands.

Hatton, Mrs. C. L,, "The Old Deanery", 36 Dean Street, BREWOOD, Staffordshire.

Hatton, Mrs. I., 45 Delabere Road, Bishops Cleeve, CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire.

Laws, B. E., 79 Wyken Way, Stoke Heath, COVENTRY, West Midlands.

Millington, F., 243 Farren Road, Wyken, COVENTRY, West Midlands.

Payne, Mrs. M., 90 Kelsey Lane, BALSALL COMMON, West Midlands.

Porter, D., 48 Penny Park Lane, Keresley, COVENTRY, West Midlands.

Pyle, Dr. R. M., 219(c) Huntingdon Road, CAMBRIDGE.

Rice, G. G., "Woodlands", Rolleston-on-Dove, BURTON-ON-TRENT, Staffordshire.

Richer, Miss H., 14 Cannon Hill Road, COVENTRY, West Midlands.

Warren, R. G., 32 Whitmore Road, Trentham, STOKE-ON-TRENT, Staffordshire.