South West Butterflies

[Andrew Cunningham]

Wotcher,

Does anyone have any recommendations on books to help me find butterflies in the south west?

Any books specifically for Devon?

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Pete Eeles]

There's a Cornwall Butterfly Atlas (see http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/books.php - although you can probably get it cheaper/quicker somewhere other than Amazon!).

I'm unaware of any Devon-specific books, and would encourage you to contact one of the Devon Butterfly Conservation committee members who are listed off of http://www.devon-butterflies.org.uk/committee_Main.htm. They're there to help

Cheers,

- Pete

[Andrew Cunningham]

Thanks Pete, I was hoping there was a nice little booklet like the one produced for Somerset.

[Rogerdodge]

Andrew
The only Devon specific book I know of is Devon Butterflies by C.R. Bristow S.H. Mitchell & D.E. Bolton published by Devon Books of Tiverton (just up the road from you!) in 1993.
ISBN 0 86114 884 3
It is, of course, 16 years out of date, but the species accounts give good indicators to good butterfly sites.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/
is my favourite source for out-of-print books.
The sites guide on this website is prety good
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/sites.php
Also look at the Devon Wildlife Trust website
http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/
Perhaps we ought to write one ?

[Andrew Cunningham]

Good evening Roger,

I did not even know of Devon Books here. Googling that name draws a blank so they must have gone bust. Shame. Our local bookshop also went out of business after being outmuscled by the net and Waterstones.

The books is available at £25 or about £85. Ouch!

I would be delighted if someone wrote a book on butterflies and their sites in Devon! I am not savvy enough to do so unfortunately.

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Dave McCormick]

I didn't have a chance of looking through all the pages here: http://www.pemberleybooks.co.uk/cgi-bin ... EPIDOPTERA but maybe you may find what your looking for here.

[Zonda]

This link might help.
http://www.devon-butterflies.org.uk/Home.htm
Then click on 'Key Sites'.

[Roger Gibbons]

I have a copy of the Bristow book Roger refers to. I bought it from new and it is still pristine as I never take books into the field, although I rarely refer to it these days. It is in hardback and has very detailed distribution maps of each species and the historical information is equally detailed. One of my favourite Devon sites was/is East Budleigh Common.

No doubt you would use it more than I would, so if you don’t yet have a copy and would like it I am happy to sell it for £15 (= cost - it cost £12.95 in 1993, plus a few pounds postage). If you’re interested send me a pm.

I also have Butterflies of Dorset (1984) by Jeremy Thomas and Nigel Webb. I believe it is the same Professor Jeremy Thomas of Large Blue re-introduction fame.

Roger

[Andrew Cunningham]

Good afternoon,

Thanks for the further replies and leads to other links.

Thanks for the offer Roger (Gibbons). Could I hold on to your kind offer for another date? I ask as I am currently trying to sort myself out for a few photography items and with spring being some way off I will most probably be back to you on that before so.

Regards,
Andrew.

[Rogerdodge]

Andrew
The distribution maps that Roger Gibbons mentions are reproduced on the pages of the BC Devon Branch Website under Species/Distribution.
The shame is that they are 10 years old, and need to be treated with a little caution.
However, it is vey easy to isolate the individual 10k squares, and a little judicious sudy of maps or aerial photographs can help locate the right habitat.
Good Luck.

EDIT - I have just noticed some are dated 2009 - so better then I thought.

[Andrew Cunningham]

Good morning Roger,

Thanks for that. I did follow the Devon website daily basis but last year I let butterflies lapse as I got into the DSLR game and I am finding my feet but now I have a macro I shall probably look at butterflies 'properly' again next year and be back on the Devon website.

Regards,
Andrew.