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No. 38 NEWSLETTER Winter 1997

WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

 

Reports on Trips

Four adults and one child joined Ron Mabbett for a walk over the Prestbury Hill Reserve on the morning of Saturday, 16th August. It was helpful to have a guide on my first visit to the Reserve.

It was another hot and sunny day. The prolonged hot weather over Cleeve Common, spared the heavy rain and floods which had affected Gloucester only a few miles away, seemed to have reduced the numbers of butterflies on the wing. However, there were enough to make the walk interesting and enjoyable. On our arrival we were greeted at the entrance to the southern part of the Reserve by a couple of Wall Brown butterflies, a rare sight for someone who hails from Warwickshire. We were only a few minutes down the path when the target species for the walk, a Chalk Hill Blue, flew past and, although they did not appear in the numbers for which they are famous, several more of these butterflies were seen during the walk, some at close quarters. It was my first sight of this species. We found most of the butterflies which you would expect to see on sunny grassland in August, together with the Brown Argus and Small Heath, and the rarer Grayling. A solitary and faded Dark Green Fritillary was another first for me but my ambition to see a fresh specimen with its colouring intact must wait for another year. In the meantime I am grateful to the West Midlands Branch for organising the walk.

Sarah Wager

 

After seeing an article in the West Midlands newsletter, my wife and I decided to go with Joe Cocker and a small group to Mexico. The main reason for going was to see the Monarchs over-wintering in the Sierra Madre Mountains about 100 miles from Mexico City.

On Tuesday January 31 we set off from our hotel at 7 00 a.m. to cross Mexico City by the ‘metro', arriving at the coach station for a 3 hour journey to Zitacuaro. On arrival at Zitacuaro, we were lucky enough to find a local bus ready to leave for Angangao. Arriving there, Joe negotiated with the locals to hire a four wheel drive jeep to take us the last couple of miles to the El Rosario Reserve high in the mountains, at 10,500 feet. Before arriving at the Reserve, we stopped by a small mountain stream to witness' hundreds of Monarchs drinking.

The El Rosano Reserve is extremely low key with just a couple of small wooden huts, one of which was the visitor centre. Having paid our 12 Pesos (about £1) we were allocated a guide, a young lad of about 14, to take us up the mountainside. We started to climb a roped off path about 12 feet wide up the wooded mountainside. The previous two days had apparently been dull but today the sun was shining and there were ‘Monarchs' flying all around us, more especially where the sun could reach. They were also on the ground and the desire to pick them up and assist them to a sunny spot proved too much as they just fluttered back to the ground. Higher up the mountainside the sights were even more spectacular - tree after tree was covered with Monarchs, the complete tree being a shade of orange, literally millions of butterflies. One feels very humble to have the privilege of being allowed into their environment and to witness a truly wondrous sight.

After around 3 hours at the reserve we again boarded our jeep to start the return journey to Mexico, arriving at 9.00 p.m. to a very welcome glass or two of ‘Corona'.

The first few days of the holiday were spent in Mexico City from where we visited Teotihaucan for the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, Tasco, the silver city and the Museum of Anthropology Mexico City.

Three days were also spent at Palencue in the rain forest. A good area for butterflies. and an excellent base to see some of the many Mayan sites. One day trip was especially memorable -a visit to Yaxchilan, a Mayan site only accessible after a I hour trip in a small boat down the Rio Usumacinta along the Guatemalan border.

In summary Doreen and I would urge people not to miss a chance to see both the Monarchs and Mexico. The trip really is the trip of a lifetime.

John & Doreen Griffin

Another Mexico trip is planned for 1998,
see “Dates for your Diary” 6th Feb 1998 (page 16)