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NEWSLETTER No. 15 -  Summer 1986

WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

 

Butterfly Round-Up

Even if 1985 did not live up to our expectations of large Painted Lady numbers, the improved weather of early Autumn meant that the butterfly was still in evidence until almost the end of October. Robert Mabbett, a new branch member from Charlton Kings, sent me a list of sightings, which included 18-20 individuals on the disused railway line through Cheltenham and, in late September, a further 15+ in Dorset. On 13th October Margaret Vickery saw a Painted Lady visiting Heliotrope in her garden, while I saw another flying strongly an an excursion to Cannock Chase. Two days later Madge Payne reported her final Painted Lady of the year with the air temperature a cool 56°F. The latest date I am aware of, however, was the report contained in the BBCS Merseyside branch newsletter of fifteen being seen on 20th October. I learn via Gary Palmer that a few Clouded Yellows turned up on the Scillies in October, but none appear to have reached the West Midlands.

1985 will remain in the memory as a year for exceptionally late sightings of a number of species. A visit by Gareth Robinson and Philip Hopson to a site near Penn, also on 13th October, produced no less than 7 species, including Small Copper, Wall Brown, Speckled Wood and a female Common Blue! Suitable days during October produced Small Tortoiseshells, Commas and Brimstones in reasonable numbers. Commas are always quick to take advantage of late ripening blackberries which, as Margaret Vickery observed in a letter, is presumably the reason why this butterfly goes on building up energy reserves rather than going into hibernation earlier. Margaret asks whether any members have ever seen Brimstones feeding from fruit? Small Tortoiseshells, unlike Commas and Red Admirals, appear to be exclusively nectar seekers and are therefore more dependent on late flowering plants.

The first frosts of early November brought the Indian Summer to a close, although Margaret Vickery managed to see 2 Small Tortoiseshells and a Comma on 3rd November after an overnight -8°C. A further Small Tortoiseshell, along with a male Brimstone, was seen four days later by Simon Barker at Nunnery Wood CP, Worcester, and on 8th November Madge Payne's garden produced a very late Peacock. The outright winner of our "last butterfly of the year" contest, by a clear margin, was David Badham, who saw a Small Tortoiseshell in flight at Perdiswell, Worcester on 3rd December.

In view of the limited opportunities for watching butterflies last year, it is amazing just how many species some members managed to see. A surprising number (including I must admit myself) managed over 40, but Gary Palmer must surely go into the record book with 49 - a list which didn't include Small Blue, White letter Hairstreak or Dark Green Fritillary, all species which might be seen without too much difficulty within the region. If it is any consolation, and for most of us I suspect it will not be, I can reliably inform you that the Summer of 1985 was not as bad as you think. According to branch weatherman, Mike Averill, last year's rainfall was slightly below average, in fact the first below average year since 1980! What lies behind this extraordinary statistic is a pretty wet summer combined with an exceptionally dry autumn. While we had 65 rain days during May-August, almost twice the number for the same period in 1984, this was followed by only 28% average rainfall in September, with October also well below average. Our hearts go out to those unfortunate enough to be on holiday during June last year, when rainfall was 170% long term monthly average.

As usual a comprehensive set of records was received from Dave Hatton, to whom we send our best wishes on his recent marriage to Pauline. Dave has continued his good work on the White letter Hairstreak and has tracked down a number of new Staffs sites. Some of these are illuminating and demonstrate how similar searches elsewhere might pay a rich reward. Places like the verge of Stafford ring road, the embankment of the M6 at junction 14, waste ground by the A34, a disused railway line and Stafford Cemetery are not the first localities that spring to mind as likely haunts for this butterfly, but it has been found at all these sites. Indeed, the M6 colony is possibly one of the strongest in the county with 47 larvae in early June and 11 adults counted on 8th July. Another notable feature of the season in Staffs were the number of reports of second generation Holly Blues.

This butterfly had been considered possibly single brooded in much of the county but this would appear not to be the case, with records from a wide area, including a late record by David Hall from the Bishop's Palace, Lichfield on 14th September. Also pleasing was Richard Dovison's report of Purple Hairstreaks, which are locally distributed in Staffs, at Highgate Common near Werrington. Earlier in the year Richard had observed a Brimstone visiting a garden Forsythia, a shrub not generally considered of value from a butterfly viewpoint. Finally in Staffs, Dai Wynne-Jones has asked me to correct the piece in our last newsletter about Mill Green Park in Cannock. Apparently there is one pool and three woods and not the other way round! The list of birds recorded there is now up to 94 and butterflies to 24.

Over in Shropshire, the county's butterfly survey got off to a reasonable start and we are grateful to members who sent in records. A new branch member, Philip Good from Wilnecote, Warks provided an impressive list for a limestone area in the north-west, including Brown Argus, Grayling and the two smaller Fritillaries, which sounds worth further investigation. Also in this category, is an old quarry in the far south of the county visited by John Bingham, which contained a large colony of Grizzled Skippers. Thanks are also due to Butterfly World at Yockleton who sponsored the costs of producing the leaflet.

Amongst recent Worcs records is a White letter Hairstreak seen at Hartlebury Common on the edge of  Stourport by new member John Allen. Other new sites for this butterfly were located in the Malvern area on both Wych and English Elm, and another new member, Andy Nicholls, has provided additional Herefordshire records. Also of considerable interest is Andy's report of further Brown Argus from the Haugh Wood complex, a sighting confirmed by photograph.

As mentioned in our last newsletter, White letter Hairstreaks were very scarce in Warks last year with several known sites showing a blank return. None were seen, for example, at Hampton Wood where there had been a number of sightings in 1984. So far only three reports have come to hand: David Brown's garden at Charlecote where Smooth-leaved Elm is the likely foodplant; two almost certain sightings by Roger Smith at Print Wood; and another garden record from Sambourne near the Worcs border. A butterfly to look out for in Warks this year is the Essex Skipper, which has been extending its range in both Northants to the east and Oxon to the south. In fact, the butterfly has already been recorded in the 10km square adjacent to the Oxfordshire/Warwickshire boundary.

News has been received from Rob Habbett of a number of interesting aberrations last Summer. The rare female form of Silver-washed Fritillary (var. valezina) was seen along the railway line near Chedworth, Glos, and Rob managed to photograph a most unusual Chalkhill Blue, with only residual spots on its hindwing, at Cleeve Common. An excursion to Salcey Forest in Northants produced the all black White Admiral ab. nigrina, which seems to crop up with some regularity.

The first butterfly of 1986 turned out to be a Peacock disturbed by a Worcs NCT work party on 12th January in the Wyre Forest. Hopefully it was able to return from whence it came, for the severe weather of late January and February was not conducive to early butterflies. The latter month proved to be the coldest February since 1947 with temperatures barely climbing above freezing all month. What followed offered conclusive proof of our crazy climate, as within a matter of days average temperatures were a good 10° higher and reports started to come in of butterflies emerging from hibernation. On 4th March Philip Hopson spotted a Peacock flying inside a Wolverhampton bus garage, which he caught and fed on a mixture of tepid water and sugar. Two days later, Alec Millward reported the season's first Comma in his Stourport garden. On 7th March, Charles Derry was able to report another Comma visiting Snowdrops in his Ironbridge garden, while Tony Hatton spotted a Small Tortoiseshell at Bishops Cleeve. Brimstones seemed less inclined to put in an appearance and it was not until 19th that I saw my first at Nunnery wood, while Phil Williams reported the same species from nearby Perry Wood and Josie Lowe saw another at the Knapp NR.

The full scale of the disaster which befell Worcs' Marsh Fritillary colony last year was revealed when an extensive larval search turned up only two webs. In 1985 I had counted over one hundred. Suitable weather during the flight season will be vital if this colony is to recover.

 

Mike Williams