Butterfly questions.

[nomad]

Hi all. Can anyone help with the following. Please feel free to answer any or all of the following questions. Thanks in advance. Please can someone tell me who manages the M40 Compensation Bernwood Forest site and are they aware of the heavy browsing by deer along the Sloe hedges, which must have resulted in an awful loss of Brown Hairstreak eggs and larvae. Is someone monitoring the site for this species. I have heard that the Large Blue had a bad year at Collard Hill, how did it fair at Daneway Banks and Green Down. Someone has told me there are three public sites? but I think they may be wrong, as far as I am aware Green Down is a closed site. Thirdly, have others noticed that Commas seem to be few in number compared to the last few years. Why is this? Small Copper numbers also seem low?
Regards Peter.

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Peter.

Please can someone tell me who manages the M40 Compensation Bernwood Forest site and are they aware of the heavy browsing by deer along the Sloe hedges, which must have resulted in an awful loss of Brown Hairstreak eggs and larvae. Is someone monitoring the site for this species
Not sure - suggest you contact the Upper Thames branch of BC.

I have heard that the Large Blue had a bad year at Collard Hill, how did it fair at Daneway Banks and Green Down
Don't know - I last heard from the experts just before the annual egg counts were due to take place, but have yet to catch up with them again. Based on sightings, Daneway Banks seemed to be doing ok.

Someone has told me there are three public sites? but I think they may be wrong, as far as I am aware Green Down is a closed site.
Yes - it's closed during the flight period. There are other sites but I'm not sure if these should be shared on a public forum - I've asked the experts for advice (given that these are all in the public domain) and am waiting to hear back.

Thirdly, have others noticed that Commas seem to be few in number compared to the last few years. Why is this?
I've not noticed that myself. Could be a local variation.

Small Copper numbers also seem low?
Ditto.

Regards Peter.

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

Must admit, when I visited the M40 compensation area in June I noticed that the gate leading from Bernwood forest to the motorway area was damaged and left ajar. This would have proved no obstacle to a browsing deer.

Daneway Banks generated satisfying numbers of adult Large Blues this year whereas Collard Hill did not. One explanation I've heard for this is that the soil at Collard is far more susceptible to adverse conditions generated by precipitation (of which we had lots in early 2014).

Like you, I too have seen fewer numbers of Commas this year. Problem is, that goes for just about every species. I'm struggling to think of any UK butterfly that has eclipsed its 2013 status.

Maybe we need another harsh winter?

[nomad]

Thank you guys for taking the time to reply. Regarding the M40 Compensation area, I have sent a email to David Wilton of the Thames BC branch and await his reply. It is not just the gate that is damaged , at the far western end, where you can go no further, there is a large gap under the fence where you can see the many comings and goings by the deer's footprints in the thick mud. I find this very strange, both the gate and the fence could have been repaired. As they do not cull the deer in this site, it is a safe haven for them and you can see the spots where they are bedding down for the night. While I enjoy seeing deer on my walks, I like Brown Hairstreaks better. If we can get upset about one Brown Hairstreak, getting eaten by a spider, imagine how many eggs and larvae have been killed by the deer, perhaps having no lower places to egg-lay they will do so higher. On my last two visits to this site I did not see a single egg-laying female.

Regards Peter.

[peterc]

Must admit, when I visited the M40 compensation area in June I noticed that the gate leading from Bernwood forest to the motorway area was damaged and left ajar. This would have proved no obstacle to a browsing deer.

Daneway Banks generated satisfying numbers of adult Large Blues this year whereas Collard Hill did not. One explanation I've heard for this is that the soil at Collard is far more susceptible to adverse conditions generated by precipitation (of which we had lots in early 2014).

Like you, I too have seen fewer numbers of Commas this year. Problem is, that goes for just about every species. I'm struggling to think of any UK butterfly that has eclipsed its 2013 status.

Maybe we need another harsh winter?

I can think of one species which has done better this year and that is the Red Admiral (well certainly in my neck of the woods in Hertfordshire). Whether it is due to the mild winter we've just had or increased numbers from the continent I don't know. Probably a combination of the two.

Peter

[CJB]

Hi Pete,
Early on in the season in my neck of the woods it seemed that there were hardly any Red Admirals to be seen, but this last weekend they were everywhere with up to 20 occupying one large buddleia. Similarly there have been large numbers of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells round my way.
I am lucky enough to live within 20 minutes of Daneway banks and saw Large Blues in all parts of the reserve. I would also say that I saw more Brimstones this year than last, including a fresh one this weekend. I agree on Small Coppers, of which I saw one in my garden at the start of the season and nothing since. I have seen commas throughout the season, again including this weekend, so not sure about that.
Flutter on!
CJB

[NickMorgan]

I can only answer the Comma question I am afraid. Strangely, up here, the Comma has had its best year. I have never seen so many, but they have only been regularly recorded here since 2006. In previous years it was generally only seen singly. There may have been 20 Peacocks and 10 Small Tortoiseshells in a budldleia bush, but never more than one Comma! This year I saw six on one occasion and several times I have seen two or three at a time.
Small Copper numbers are about normal, a little lower than last year, but that was exceptiona.
Maybe all the butterflies are moving north!

[monet]

Nick, there have been a few scientific papers that some butterflies have been shifting their range northwards (in the Northern Hemisphere)during the past 20 years or so, due to climate change. Here's a link to an abstract of one such paper : http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v3 ... 9579a0.pdf
Here in the the Southern Hemisphere it's the other way around, and some species are shifting South.
Regards,
David Hall
Sydney, Australia

[kevling]

I have not noticed Small Copper numbers in decline this year. There were good numbers in Suffolk in the early summer and I have just returned from Yorkshire, where apart from the whites, the Small Copper was the most numorous species I saw, along with the Red Admiral.
With regards the RedAdmiral, I too have noticed a vast increase compared to 2013. Almost everywhere I have been this summer they have put in an appearance (even laying eggs of a pot of nettles in my garden). Takes me back to my childhood, when I remember them being so numorous.

Regards
Kev