I remember showing one of these to my friend's young daughters a few years ago. After the initial, "It's disgusting, squash it!!!" nonsense they were amazed to discover that not all moths have wings. I'll be checking my own security lights tonight, it's a bit wet but fairly mild here in Ep...

Managed to find two species today...a larva of Infurctinea argentimaculella in its larval tube and a case of Narycia monilifera . Yesterday I spent an inordinate amount of time checking the beams and rafters of the hides in Barnes WWT for hibernating Small Torts or Peacocks. Managed a few spiders an...

Gibster wrote First round's on me... Free beer? I'm in!!!!! No worries, mate - but you're covering your own petrol expenses, Devon's a long way away lol! :lol: Seriously, if there's going to be a get-together then I'm very happy to buy you guys a beer. Putting faces to names, swapping tales and tip...

Sounds as though there's a potential UKButterflies outing ready to be announced...count me and Sami in!!! Paul, what's your day rate? :wink: We're planning on hitting Cumbria for subspecies mnemon followed by Ben Lawers for subspecies scotica sometime around late June/early July depending on this ye...

Hi Susie, have you got a rough idea of a suitable date? My girlfriend is certain to want to tag along on your Glanville Frit trip, she's mad keen on seeing them again after this year's rather disappointing sighting of just a single south coast individual. I'm not sure she's even been to the Isle of ...

This is what I wrote on the very first page of this thread - "Last month it was "Twitchers - A Very British Obsession". I know the three main characters the editors chose to portray. The main character, Lee Evans, was so unhappy with how his five and a half hours of interview were cho...

If the gene pool becomes too small then introductions may be required to maintain the population along with habitat management etc. Introductions may not be from the same sub species or race as they may not be another similar population. In such circumstances I think that survival of an altered gen...

Felix wrote:Yeah! Cheers Gibster, everyone to the bar, Gibsters getting 'em in!

Let's face it chaps, you deserve 'em! First round's on me...provided not ALL members turn up!!!!

Pete Eeles wrote: Perhaps we could make it a UKB bash should anyone else want to chime in

Maybe incorporate some WLH egg-hunting beforehand...god knows I need help finding my own lol

Scenario: Imagine I find a small and obviously fragile population of Chequered Skipper in a remote corner of a wood in Rutland. I had presumed you were talking about a relict population (and only hypothetically!) not a released population. With that in mind, please disregard my post concerning the ...

You think I was joking about Chequered Skippers in Wardley Wood (SP840998) just to the west of Uppingham, Rutland. Well, not so much a joke but designed to put you off the scent. However, the real location isn't a million miles away Oh buggerit. Looks as though my fave UK butterfly is about to be d...

Felix wrote: So far on this thread alone, individual's observations of the tartan argus and the white letter hairstreak are at odds with the text.

So when is the definitive UKButterfly Guide due out???

There is a case for arguing that the widespread dissemination about a locality for a rare butterfly might lead to damage of a fragile habitat or to trespassing onto private land. Equally, it could be said that localities should be public knowledge as this might be the best way to preserve a habitat...

OK, slight tangent but...(gulp)... People feel uncomfortable criticising publicly what has been haled as a pedestal worthy publication. This is a shame. The book is of course excellent, but people should feel that they can stand up and say "actually my own observations contradict this text"...

Were the species in question birds rather than butterflies, the usual course of action would be to contact what is known as The Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP). Below is a summary of their guidelines for observers who have discovered a rare breeding species. In principle it would transfer very happ...

all regions do have Wildlife Crime Officers, but even these valiant chaps have to prioritise their work, and (rightly or wrongly) hare coursing, raptor persecution, and illegal trade in reptiles, birds etc. will always be given a higher priority. These officers always have a massive case-load. The ...

[quote="Gruditch"]Offences carry penalties of up to £5,000 fine and/or 2 years imprisonment[/quote Hi Gruditch, that just needs Guy to get involved and ALL the Moderators will be here! :D Thanks for pointing out those facts, although I assume they wouldn't apply to releasing Essex Skippers...

So apart from the possibility of being ostracised by their local BC branch members, there's not much to sway somebody's mind if they decided to undertake an illicit butterfly release? And that wouldn't dissuade them if they were a loner or undertook the releases safe in the knowledge that "they...

Just out of curiosity, say I managed to breed through a few hundred Niobe Fritillaries and decided to boot them out in the local woods. Adults or larvae. At the very moment of release the site warden jumps out of a bush with a policeman in tow and I'm officially arrested. "It's a fair cop, guvn...