HOME__________________________________________________________________________________________________

NEWSLETTER No. 12 -  Winter 1984/85

WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

 

Field Trip Reports

Certainly one of our most successful years so far with most of the hoped for species seen, well attended trips and generally kind weather. A member attending every field trip (I don't think there were any?) would have seen 39 species.

May 27th - Flecknoe and Harbury

The first field trip of 1984 was if not the wettest ever (Sutton Park holds that accolade) certainly the windiest and coldest. However 13 brave souls met at the disused railway cutting near Flecknoe House Farm to look for butterflies. It was far too cold for any butterfly to be in flight but several were found resting on grass stems and dandelion heads. These included 3 Orange Tips, a Green-veined White and several newly emerged Common Blues which were males except for 2 females. Also seen were several webs of the Lackey Moth caterpillars on Sloe and Hawthorn, and Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars on nettles.

We then made our way further eastwards along the railway to an embankment near Nethercote to look for Green Hairstreak. These had been abundant a few days previously but today were keeping their heads well down and could not be found. Common Blues and Orange Tip were found again resting. It is worth noting that Elm suckers were found in fruit and this appears to be the Smooth-leaved Elm rather than the more usual English Elm (White-letter Hairstreak?).

After lunch we visited the nature reserve at Harbury Spoilbank, here, in addition to several resting Common Blues, a Green Hairstreak was found low down on a Hawthorn twig waiting for better weather to return after the Bank Holiday weekend. It was at least easily observable and photographable which is not always the case when they are active. This ended the first field trip which now seems to be wet by tradition but something of interest can always be found.

David Porter.



June 10th - Miserden

A small group of members were blessed by beautiful weather for this outing to the area where Large Blues were once seen. A late Orange Tip greeted us, as did a pair of Roman (edible) snails. We saw numerous Dingy Skippers, Duke of Burgundies, Common Blues (nearly all male) and Green Hairstreaks. An egg hunt revealed a cluster of nine "Duke" eggs on Cowslip and later, the chance to see one being laid. A pristine Brown Argus and some equally fresh Large Skippers were also seen together with several Pearl bordered Fritillaries. A migrant Marsh Fritillary was observed together with Brimstone, Grizzled Skipper, Large White, Peacock, Small Heath and Speckled Wood. A great butterfly day which also included a still wriggling lizard's tail, a swimming grass snake and several unidentified moths. Our thanks to Ron Hatton for leading the trip. Winter conservation work had paid off handsomely for the Dukes.

Peter Newton-Lewis



June 16th - Ufton Fields and Stockton Reserve

After a cloudy start, flaming June came busting out all over on this third trip of the summer. Eight of us enjoyed the morning trip to Ufton Fields starting at 11 a.m. including Ray and Joyce and friend from Leicestershire who regularly travel long distances on field trips as they haven't a branch in their area. They are very keen and knowledgeable and always enjoy themselves.

We saw lots of Blues (Small and Common). There were also quite a number of day flying moths about, including the pretty Cinnabar moth. Not long after we started off, David Porter found a colony of busy Potter Wasps on a bank and we stopped and watched them for quite a while, during which time David photographed them. They build tunnels, with clay, then fly about catching spiders and caterpillars which they push into the tunnels and lay their eggs on them. When the eggs hatch out, they eat the poor spiders and caterpillars alive. He was so fascinated he went back at lunch-time with his camera! During our walk we disturbed a snake, it was too quick to tell if it was a Grass Snake or an Adder, and then we came upon three ladies admiring a large Greater Butterfly Orchid. While eating lunch a large cheerful individual came striding by saying "Good afternoon". One of our party said he had nets and looked like a butterfly collector - to my shame I did not query him.

In the afternoon eleven of us congregated to see what Stockton Nature Reserve had to show us and we were not disappointed. The butterfly count was similar to that of the morning. It was a hot, sultry afternoon and we broke up about 4.30. I was in a hurry to get home, but as luck would have it the car I was in broke down on the Willenhall Roundabout outside Coventry. I had to do the rest of the journey by bus.

For wild flower lovers here are some of the flowers we saw that day: Kidney Vetch,
Ox Eye Daisies, Buttercups, Common Spotted Orchids, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Greater
Butterfly Orchid, Bee Orchid, Twayblade, Yellow-wort, Milk-wort, Herb Bennet, Yellow Rattle and many more.

Our final tally for the day was 14 species: Small Blue, Common Blue, Small Heath, Large Skipper, Green Hairstreak (seen laying on Dogwood), Large White, Brimstone, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown, Orange Tip, Dingy Skipper, Speckled Wood, Green-veined White, Peacock.

Alma Faulkner.



July lst - Shropshire Mosses

The party (about 15 members) set out for the Large Heath site at 11.55, after parking our vehicles adjacent to a delightful wild flower meadow (about which more later), courtesy of the landowner.

The sun becoming hotter as the afternoon progressed, the first butterflies of the peat bog were seen - Large Skipper and one Green Hairstreak (a possible further one was later seen on bramble).

Large Heaths were soon spotted and chased across the spongy peat, cameras clicking
madly as they settled. About 9 or 10 individuals were seen during the afternoon.

Other interesting insects were:- Common Heath moth, Four Spotted Dragonfly, White
Faced Dragonfly, Small Red Damselfly, Common Coenagrion Damselfly, (thanks to Colin
Marsay and Mike Williams for identification), Brimstone, Wood Tiger moth, Small White,
Large White and a worn specimen of Small Copper obligingly settled on our path at 14.00

Ron Hatton and myself managed to spot a Merlin (small bird of prey) much to the chagrin
of Mike Williams.

Back at the meadow Pete Salmon was quick to spot a Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary on bramble, further species here being: Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue, Meadow Brown,
Small Skipper, Wall Brown, Speckled Wood and a frog.

Over to the well known Silver Studded Blue location at 15.30 and more entomological delights awaited us :- Meadow Brown, Cinnabar moth, Small Heath, Silver Studded Blue, (in surprisingly good numbers, outnumbering all but Meadow Browns), Common Blue, Small White, Grass Emerald moth, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Yellow Shell moth and six-spot Burnet cocoons atop grass stems.

Interesting, the Grayling was said to once breed here, but had not been seen for about 3 years.

We returned well pleased with our day's tally of 16 butterfly species.

Gareth Robinson.



July 7th - South Warks

It proved to be a very hot day and the first butterfly to be observed was a Red Admiral by our parking place. We found Meadow Brown and Small Skipper abundant and the Ringlet, Large Skipper and Small Tortoiseshell frequent. The White Admiral was common over the whole woodland area on both sides of the county boundary. Several Commas were seen, together with a few Small Heaths, Speckled Woods, Common Blues and Small Whites. Two newly emerged Gatekeepers were recorded and two colonies of Marbled White - one very flourishing. One strangely marked Comma proved to be the aberration Reichstettensis on consulting the text books. Fourteen species in all and
eleven humans to observe them.

A meeting with the owner of the wood, Tom Cowley, resulted in one generous member presenting him with a butterfly book., An afternoon visit to Oxhouse Farm produced all the regulars in good numbers and rounded off a successful day.

Roger Smith



July 21st - Haugh Wood

It started with the White Admiral in the car park and ended when we recorded our 20th species. White Admirals in the car park were very unusual, according to Martyn Davies, who led the field trip around Haugh Wood, on what was to prove a day to remember for all of us. The weather was perfect for butterfly watching, being warm and sunny with little wind.

We hadn't penetrated far into the wood before coming to a group of Holly Blues and Purple Hairstreaks feeding on Lime blossom. Too high up for the photographers but a truly fascinating sight, and one unlikely to be repeated very often. Another surprise was the number of White-letter Hairstreaks in the wood. We found them feeding on Marjoram and Creeping Thistles. Although very localised, the population seems to be recovering well as the Elm suckers reach sapling proportions. Alas, this is the stage at which Dutch Elm disease strikes and only time will tell if the trees have developed immunity to the disease.

A surprise to all of us was the aberrant Comma found on a Bramble patch. This butterfly had the characteristic Comma shape and white mark, but had lost the ability to produce the characteristic orange colour - it was a rather plumy pink. The black patterning was also different, as was the undersides of the wings. No other Commas were found in the wood that day, so this individual was something of a mystery. Many of the common species were present in abundance and the wood was swarming with Ringlets, Gatekeepers and Small and Large Skippers. Meadow Browns and Small, Green-veined and Wood Whites were also widely distributed, the latter only appearing after lunch. Some excitement was generated by the appearance of several Marbled Whites, a species which seems to be extending its range into the wood. White Admirals were fairly well distributed, gliding between the trees and one even posed for its picture, but in general they were too restless for the photographers amongst us. This was also true of the lovely Silver-washed Fritillaries with their strong, fast flight. A female was observed laying eggs on a tree trunk, when the marvellous camouflage of the underwings was apparent. It was extremely difficult to differentiate between the bark of the tree and the bark-like pattern of the butterfly's underwings.

Several Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks were observed, but only two Common Blues and we seemed to be between broods for the Small Heath, as none were positively identified. The Speckled Wood was unusually elusive, not being spotted until well into the afternoon, when it became our 20th species to be noted. By this time our heads were reeling with the number of butterflies seen, so we left Martyn to continue his work of marking White-letter Hairstreaks and, with butterflies dancing before our eyes, made our way home after a truly memorable day.

Margaret Vickery.



July 22nd - N. Staffs

On Sunday, July 22nd, eight members and two juniors met near Blore village to be led by Richard Warren of the Staffs N.C.T. around one of their reserves. The reserve was part of the Manifold Valley, affording some superb views in either direction. When we had parked the cars, Richard showed his excellent qualities of leadership by suggesting that we had our midday meal before getting down to business. While we were eating and enjoying the view, Richard pointed out a Northern Brown Argus and this raised hopes for the afternoon. The walk had no sooner begun when Ron Hatton and Tony began their usual hawkeyed egg spotting; first a Common Blue on Bird's Foot Trefoil, and then, when we had reached the first colony of Arguses, they were soon coming up with eggs (9 altogether) on leaves of Rockrose.

Being a very hot day, the butterflies were very active and gave little consideration to hard worked photographers.. Madge Payne seemed to be paying particular attention to the flies that seemed to be paying particular attention to her. This colony of Arguses provided a lot of interest and excitement, and we were able to watch several individuals nectaring on bramble.

We were then led down the valley to some Elms where we had the joy of watching White Letter Hairstreaks, albeit at a distance. Further down the valley side we had unconfirmed sightings of Purple Hairstreak (?). The second Argus site did not live up to expectations and the decision was made to return to the cars for tea. This was when we realised what a steep sided valley it was! What with the heat and the gradient, a fairly dehydrated party reached the ovenlike vehicles. We then took stock of our sighting which were Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Small Copper, Small Heath, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Green veined White, plus the stars of the show, Northern Brown Argus and White Letter Hairstreak. Moths included Common Footman, Large Yellow Underwing, Chimneysweeper and Silver Ground Carpet.

Ray and Joyce Butchart



July 29th - Wyre Forest

Nineteen members met at Hawksbatch car park for a walk led by Mike Williams. A warm morning promised a hot day and even as the party left the meeting point a Silver-washed Fritillary was found by one of the children. After crossing the road a pair of Speckled Woods were encountered in a dog fight over the path. Purple Hairstreaks were soon spotted in the oak canopy and were observed by various members throughout the day. The butterfly reserve alongside Dowles Brook produced a few High Brown Fritillaries noticeably on the thistle flowers and both sexes of the Brimstone were seen feeding on bramble flowers much dried up by the excessive hot, dry weather. Also in the reserve were Gatekeepers, Common Blue, Small Skipper, the three members of the whites and Ringlets. Good sightings were also had of the Brown Hawker Dragonfly busy about his business of catching small flying insects.

Lunch was taken under the cool shade of the trees bordering the Reserve. The afternoon walk took us further into the forest to the Nature Conservancy owned land at Lodge Hill Farm. Some members looked for adders, quite often found here basking in early spring but none were found. On the low boughs of a pear tree, a Purple Hairstreak was found resting and soon others were seen flying across the ant heaped pastureland. Small Coppers were noted and also Large Skipper and Small Heath. Just before entering this open area a large bramble patch had been observed because of the numerous Silver-washed Fritillaries feeding on the flowers. One of these large butterflies was discovered unmoving, apparently caught in the brambles, but further examination revealed it had been caught by a crab spider which was busy feeding and extracting juices from the dead body.

On leaving the pasture the now disused railway line was crossed, the footpath taking us past Lodge Hill Farm itself. In the garden, a large stand of teasel was admired with its attendant butterflies feeding on the ragged tiny blue flowers scattered around the teasel head. Of note were Small Tortoiseshell, Silver-Washed Fritillary, Small Skipper, Gatekeepers and Peacock together with many bumble bees. A Small Copper was also feeding on a thistle flower beneath the teasels.

The path now disappeared into the woods again to finally emerge by Knowles Mill. A high flood mark was noted here carved for posterity near the top of the door and giving a date of May 1924; quite frightening to look up slightly to see this mark. The last hot part of the journey now took us back along Dowles valley and back up the steep track to return us eventually to the starting point. A very rewarding day with eighteen species recorded. Our thanks to Mike for leading us.

G. Lowe.



August 5th - S. Shropshire Hills

The mist of the early morning cleared and the sky was blue, as we assembled on a hot, humid day for another expedition in search of the elusive Dark Green Fritillary. The chosen site was on the edge of the South Shropshire hills, an outcrop of ancient pre-Cambrian volcanic rock, surrounded on all sides by younger sedimentary rocks. Our guide was David Smith, Lepidoptera recorder for Shropshire, whose knowledge of nature proved to be of interest throughout the day.

As we set off we passed a garden where, in the scented sunshine of a buddleia, we saw a myriad of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells, constant visitors to the nectar of the flower spikes. Butterflies abounded in the hedgerows: Green veined Whites, Large Whites and Hedge Browns were the most abundant. We were shown the Large leaved Lime, which is indigenous to Welsh border country, and also scanned a field of thistles hoping that the warmth of the sun had conjured a Dark Green Fritillary from its secret hiding place - no such luck! In this wooded area a Speckled Wood defended its territory, whilst the Meadow Browns made leisurely progress amongst the grasses. Before making the assault on the hill, we waited for the stragglers to reach us. After regrouping, we were ready to tackle the south spine route to the peak. During the climb, we were fortunate enough to see a pair of mating Graylings, so we stopped for a while to regain our breath and take photos. Another Grayling was noticed as it dipped into the grass laying eggs. We climbed still higher and, after what seemed an eternity, reached the pinnacle and all our aches and pains were forgotten as we surveyed the surrounding hills. We collapsed for lunch to replenish our starving bodies and, so it came to pass, ever watchful Tony, the eagle eyed son of our honourable Chairman, caught a fleeting glimpse of a Dark Green Fritillary.

This excitement raised our hopes considerably and, thus rejuvenated, we continued our search. As we descended the steep grassy slope, Small Coppers and Small Heaths were flickering amongst the grass. I saw greater quantities of these two species on this day than all the rest of the year - a very pleasing sight.

We descended into a warm and sheltered spot, and our hopes were raised as we thought we saw a Fritillary in the distance, but unfortunately it was a Comma. Butterflies in this suntrap were Common Blue, Small White, Small Skipper and a single Ringlet. Wall Browns, sun loving creatures, soaked up the warmth of the sun; they have not been so plentiful this year. We finally dragged our feet back towards the cars. In the hedgerow we noticed the striped, spiny larvae of Small Tortoiseshell on stinging nettles. Our day in the sun had produced a score of 17 species, out of the total of 32 recorded on this Salop NCT reserve.

Colin Marsay



August 26th - Bernwood Forest

As this was the Bank Holiday Sunday it was not surprising that the roads were busy, making it all the more pleasant to get away from it all in Bernwood Forest. One enthusiast from Surrey whom we met during the morning had spent two days patiently watching and observing Brown Hairstreaks whenever possible. We felt very lucky to have several good sightings during our short lunch break. The main nectar plants for the majority of butterflies were Ragwort, Fleabane and Catsear with a few late thistles.

It was a very successful meeting on several counts. Firstly the weather was hot and sunny in the morning, when most of the butterflies were seen, Secondly, the leader, Dave Porter, showed us more species than we expected., Thirdly, we had a group of fifteen observers, which included one new member, who had brought four visitors with him. The rest of the group being eight regular members and two more regular visitors. Later in the afternoon we met Paul and Gareth with another new member, Phillip Hopson, who had missed the start of the organised walk, but who had also seen several good sightings of Brown Hairstreaks.

After lunch, the weather became very dull, humid and oppressive and this affected the activity of the Brown Hairstreaks, so that only one or two glimpses were seen by a privileged few. Butterfly sightings for the day were as follows: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Large White, Brimstone, Small Copper. White Letter Hairstreak. Brown Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak,, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock. Wall Brown, Speckled Wood, Ringlet. Gatekeeper, Small Heath and Meadow Brown.

Overall a very rewarding day with everyone having good sightings of our main objective the Brown Hairstreak.

Madge Payne