July 2011

[Lee Hurrell]

I won't say much more than that, but your support, moral or otherwise, is urgently needed. We need to get people on board and turn it around or it will go. If that happens, all that will be left are the beautiful stained glass windows high up on the gables of .Sainsbury's and Homebase DIY superstores at Warren Heath, Ipswich, a stark reminder of how these two buildings cleared a whole colony out the way, splitting what was left into the smaller fragmented and at risk populations we have to deal with today.

I thought the SSB had a degree of protection? That is a simply awful story Julian.

EDIT - I've just checked the legal bit on UKB - http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/reports_law.php and SSB only has protection from sale. So it seems possible what happened to your colony could happen anywhere

Lee

[Piers]

So how would you suggest people help, Julian?

Volunteer work etc. for those who live in the district or within a reasonable commute, but is there anything that the rest of us can do to help the SSB in Suffolk? or more accurately perhaps, to help secure the future of the land and the habitat.

Piers.

[Julian]

Thanks Lee. As you say, what little protection SSB's have is from sale although of course they are protected on SSSI's as is practically everything else on it. This doesn't secure their future but simply prevents them being removed from the site. Heathlands as we know are dynamic, undergoing change all the time. Birch scrub, Bracken, Gorse, Ling, Oak, all crowd out the Bell Heather and open ground needed for butterflies and ants in their symbiotic relationship.

Thanks again Piers. Your words are moral support. I don't know where we go from here exactly but we are trying to develop ideas and it may be that we form a friends of the Ipswich Heaths and continue with our larger scale ground works to open up the heath and remove scrub. It would be nice to secure an HLS agreement for one site in particular. Last year's manual labour mixed in with machinery was effective in clearing scrub and exposing the seed bank, but the desired effects will take time to materialise and benefit the butterfly. Our real concern though is long term site security as you highlight. Without the owners' permission, no agreement.

Excuse me now, but I'm concerned that this topic has now run beyond the July sightings heading. Perhaps we could open up dialogue on another thread somewhere?

Regards
Julian

[NickB]

Re: Skippers in the Cemetery - finally nailed one from head-on yesterday evening....

Also a good few fresh Gatekeepers too....

[Piers]

Lovely gatekeeper, Nick.

[Charles Nicol]

excellent gatekeeper pic Nick !!

here is a Red Admiral i took with my phone camera:

charles

[GOLDENORFE]

oversley woods, went to warwickshire a 284 mile round trip! to see purple emperor

had a superb day, spotted 19 different species!

saw 3 grounded emperors and at least 4 up in the congregation area fighting!

phil







purple hairstreak

[Lee Hurrell]

That's a cracking PH photo Phil

Cheers

Lee

[Neil Freeman]

Oversley Woods is a lovely place. I am lucky enough to live just 30mins drive from there.

And seconded on the PH photo.

Neil.

[GOLDENORFE]

Here is a marbled white from oversley wood


phil

[admiral halsey]

Willow Park, Langdon Hills. Plenty of activity despite the heavy showers. About twenty whites, a dozen Ringlet, three meadow Brown, and one each of Comma & Red Admiral. Interestingly, saw the white below displaying an unusual flight pattern. Now, being quite new to this, I thought that the Imago fully expanded/dried its wings before flying. So, either this is either a fresh Imago, or a defect. Thoughts?

Rich

[millerd]

I would guess that either it was a defect in the pupa that manifested itself when the butterfly emerged, or it was unable to expand its wings properly after it had emerged. Either way, it inhibits its flight somewhat.

I encountered a Silver-washed Fritillary the other day at Bernwood which had suffered similarly. It was small and could fly - but not very well.

Dave

[Mark Colvin]

Having managed to get out for an hour or so late this afternoon I thought I'd have a bash at 2nd generation Wood White and came home with these two instead. I've never photographed SWFs before and was quite pleased with the results ... especially the ab!

SWF female (7 July 2011)

SWF female aberration (7 July 2011)

Does anyone know if this is a named aberration?

Thanks. Mark

[nick patel]

Lovely weather today at Gait Barrows NR... plenty of High brown and Dark green out and about, some stopping for pictures also billions (slight exaggeration although there was loads!) of browns, ringlets, skippers and whites. Plus many damsels and dragonflies..

[Denise]

I was very pleased to see a Painted Lady in the garden this morning, along with several very fresh Comma, a Red Admiral and two Hummingbird Hawkmoth, but these have just been eclipsed by (my first for the garden,) female Silver-washed Fritillary

Denise

[sandraandkevin]

Sandra and I have just come back from a week in Anglesey but on friday 1st July, made a detour to the Lake District, to try and track down our last British butterfly to see the Mountain Ringlet. Arrrived at 9.00am at Honister Pass, having had full sunshine since Manchester, Honister was covered in cloud, hearts sank as we have been trying to see this species for 3 years. However up the hill we went and arrived at Drumhouse, still cloudy but not cold, started to walk around area and almost immediately Sandra spotted one flying really low and near where it landed there was also a mating pair. What a wonderful moment, which made our wait well worth while. Over the next few hours the sun came out between clouds and I would say there were at least a dozen flying.
Being on a high we decided to pop into Meathorp Moss to see the Large Heath, whilst windy there were lots around, a great butterfly and all in good condition. Then we went to Arnside Knott arrived quite late, early evening but Butterflies still flying well, lots of Dark Green and also saw a couple of High Browns, Sandra got her 1st shot of a side view. Brilliant day had and one we will never forget.
Arrived in Anglesey at 12.30am and then up at 4.00 am to see Choughs for the 1st time at South Stack, also saw Silver studded Blues in good numbers on the reserve. Also during our trip saw a Humming bird Hawkmoth egg laying on Goose Grass at Aber falls near Conwy.
A very beautiful place Anglesey, well worth a visit.

Very contentent

Kevin and Sandra

[MikeOxon]

Brilliant day had and one we will never forgot.

Congratulations on completing your 'British list' and in such a memorable way! Curiously, I found MR quite early in my butterflying days - quite by chance, after scrambling up the Dungeon Ghyll ravines in Langdale. I've never seen a mating pair and, although I have a few record shots, have never managed a decent photo either.

My own 'last' species was the Chequered Skipper, which was the result of a similarly memorable trip to NW Scotland. I've also enjoyed the Choughs at South Stack. Sounds as though you had a great trip!

Mike

[Hoggers]

Went to Lydden Down Nature Reserve ( Kent ) this afternoon and a few steps from the car park found myself in a meadow full of Chalkhill Blues - Glorious!

[Gibster]

On Sami's behalf...yesterday a Clouded Yellow at Cressa Beach, St Marys, Isles of Scilly. Her first in UK since 2009, and I do believe that she's now ahead of me for the year... Plus she was slugging a beer at the time, cheeky moo!

Gibster.

[A_T]

Warm sunny day on the Welsh coast near Barmouth. Plenty of Grayling in rocky sun-baked spots, lots of Ringlets and Meadow Browns. One rather battered Dark Green Fritillary (female I think).

And this evening a couple of Painted Lady basking in the evening sun.