West Yatton

[wavelea1]

Well here's a story.

It's Thurs - sun started appearing at about 3.00 so I stopped building a boiler cupboard, cancelled guitar practice and drove to West Yatton in search of Adonis Blues??????

Sun was still shining on arrival and all looked well although only found one adonis female but loads of others also making the most... Sun went in about 4.00 so I thought I would look round the site including getting close to the Castle Coomb race track. In a field at the top of the site I was approached by two blokes in a pickup and informed that this was private property - I duly apologised - no signs etc.... They then asked what I was doing and I told them about the Adonis Blue at which stage the older guy says he'd seen a solitary female on the south facing slope where I saw mine.

Their attitude towards me changed completely and 'Maurice' the older guy informed me that he was the Vice-Chairman of the National Butterfly Conservation Society - the afternoon took a completely different tack then. He apparently manages this site and the conversation became very interesting. I accompanied then to where they were setting up a moth trap for the night and they informed me that 40 - yes 40 species had been recorded at West Yatton. I reckon to have seen about 20.

Maurice then detailed where to look for Purple Hairstreaks and White Letter Hairstreaks, Dark Green Frits and Silver Washed Frits and more. The site has taken on a new dimension for me and I intend to visit a lot more next year.

I don't think we were aware of any of this? Watch this space

I've left them with my card (Guitar tutor) in the hopes of staying in contact. What a great afternoon.

Wavelea1

[Pete Eeles]

That'll be Maurice Avent See:

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/t ... uncil.html

Just goes to show that being friendly and talking to people can pay off

Cheers,

- Pete

[Denise]

Hi Wavelea1,

Maurice is a really nice and helpful chap. Eccles and I have run into him on more than one occasion. He always passes the time with us, and any local info that we might have missed.

We must compare notes and see if we can help each other out on species seen here. I saw my first Green Hairstreaks here back in May, Seems like years ago! (I had no idea that WLH were seen here )
Hazelbury Common could have second brood Adonis on the wing now. I love this site and it's not far from West Yatton.
We really should meet up some time soon. We only live 5 miles apart!
BTW, I liked your Open winged Brimstone.

Cheers
Denise

[Piers]

Yes, that sounds like Maurice Avent, he owns West Yatton Down.

Bit of a grass land management problem there regarding the Chalkhill Blue colony, or so I'm told...

Felix.

[Denise]

Hi Felix

It's probably something to do with the humongous cows that graze there. How they ever negotiate that hill I will never know.
It's a bit scary when half a ton of cow comes charging down the hill in your direction I jumped behind eccles

Denise

[eccles]

I don't recall meeting Maurice, although I'm used to complete strangers wandering up to natter about wildlife so I may have met him and not have realised who it was. I met Hugo Brooke at West Yatton.

[wavelea1]

Eccles

You can't miss Maurice (and having now checked it was Maurice Avent, Vice President not Chairman as I indicated)- he has only one arm which kinda makes all of the work he's doing that much more significant.

He and his mate were setting a moth trap and he informed me that despite initial resistance he has now really taken to moths. As Denise says ' a really interesting bloke'.

I've downloaded a plan of the site from Google and marked it up, as he explained, for next year (my memory is shot and by next year I will struggle to recall) so I'm happy to provide copies.

- I've added this cos I'm not sure what it is (is it rude?)

Mike

[eccles]

Ah, the missing arm would have made an impression, so I can say that I haven't met him yet.

[Denise]

I was mistaken with the identity of Maurice. But in my defense the man I met did look a lot like his photo, and he was very knowledgeable about the area.

Denise

[eccles]

Mike, would it be possible to scan your modified West Yatton Down map and email a copy to me and/or Denise please?
I've PM'd you with my email address.
Thanks..

[wavelea1]

Hi Mike

Glad to be of assistance - you'll get the pukka version in the next few days. Thanks for all your help in the past.

Mike

[eccles]

Received with thanks!