May 2011

[NickB]

Yes, David; I don't think I've ever seen so many Burnet Companions, nor Mother Shipton's, as I have this year!
(Or is it because there are fewer butterflies to notice, I wonder )
Back in the garden at Strumpshaw; two Swallowtails on the same flower....

Many were suffering bird-inflicted wing-damage. In fact, one Great Tit was waiting in a small tree next to the garden border and kept having a go at the butterflies we were watching.
I guess a Hobby might take one or two as well; there are plenty in the Broads and around Strumpshaw....
N

[Gruditch]

I'm with you Suz.

Gypsies, or the more politically correct Travellers, aren't all persecuted minority's fleeing here from foreign country's. There have been Gypsies in the New Forest area for hundreds of years. Around this way there are whole council estates made up from ex travelling families. I've known and been friends with many of them over the years, friends or not, I wouldn't trust them as far as I could fling them. As for the still travelling community around here, where they go, criminal activity follows.

Regards Gruditch

[Jack Harrison]

As always there are many sides to an argument. I find it quite encouraging that a group dedicated to butterflies is able to stray into politics like this.

Minorities certainly have rights but the law is (supposedly) designed to look after the majority. It’s often called the silent majority for a very good reason. It is the minority that is often the more vocal and the easy way out is to give in and not confront. And then of course, something like Prees Heath happens. By then, it’s too late.

By all mean let these people live an alternative life style if that’s what they want. But they mustn’t be allowed to inflict the fallout from that life style on the majority.

Surely, in theory, travellers should be much closer to the land and nature than city dwellers or even people like me who live in villages? Maybe these travellers at Prees Heath would be upset if it were explained to them what harm they might be doing? Wildlife bodies must have liaison people who do just this. Or do they? Maybe BC or even ukb should take the lead. We would need someone who is tactful (that would leave me out) charismatic and non-threatening as the liaison officer. One or two names spring to mind but I will say no more about that.

Jack

[Paul Wetton]

I've got to have a say on the traveller issue because I too have experience of these people and many spend much of their time polluting the countryside and paying nothing towards clearing up the mess they leave after they move on. I was going to rant a bit but decided against it.
I do know though that some of the so called travellers who lodged on some land near us also live in big houses during the colder months and some even have property in the London area that they rent out. They're absolutely loaded, mainly because they don'y pay taxes and national insurance etc.

I hope BC have taken an injunction out to get them moved on as it normally takes at least 3 months to move them on and if they come up with the excuse of having some sort of infectious disease like the bird flu they had near us they will be given another 3 months. Even though they visit the local drinking establishments on a daily basis.
Done.

[celery]

From West Midlands BC webpages:

28th May (Saturday) - Moth Night - Prees Heath Common Reserve

A Public Event

Starting at 9.30pm at Prees Heath Common Reserve

Contact: Stephen Lewis

Wonder how that's gonna turn out?

[Paul Wetton]

Probably be like moths to a flame. Might have to use a flame when the moth traps are on EBay.

[Jack Harrison]

People are trying hard not to have a rant on ukb but I have given up trying. So here goes.

An injunction. Why, why, why is the legal system set up to look after the lawyers? If there were a statute that certain things are illegal, then there would be much less lining the pockets of lawyers who “never lose”. There should be no need to have to take special action to evict travellers who are camped illegally. If the law were drafted more sensibly, all that would be required is for the police simply to throw them off the site. End of story. But the present rules favour the lawyers who can make a mint out of injunctions, super-injunctions, and so on. A friend once described – accurately in my opinion – lawyers as being “people who make their living out of other people’s misfortunes”.

I have had some experience of the law in getting compensation for my daughter who was severely injured in a road accident when an infant. Yes, she did get significant damages in the end, but with all those crossing of the Ts and dotting of the Is, I have to say that I often felt that looking after their own interests (the lawyers that is) sometimes seemed more important than serving the client.

Consider the Ryan Giggs scenario. There are those who might think that Mr.Giggs acted immorally. I couldn’t care less what a virile young man might get up to. But my view is that the really immoral behaviour was shown by his lawyers. There was no way they could win and they must have known that. Nevertheless they must have been only too happy to pocket (presumably) hundreds of thousands of pounds because they were able milk a rich client. If that isn’t immoral, then I don’t know what is.

Susie. I know you work for a law firm. Maybe this thread isn’t for you.

Jack

[Michaeljf]

So it's all sorted then. Jack and Felix are going to go along and have a 'friendly and charismatic' word with Prees Heath's new 'guests'.. I do wonder what would be the reaction if the travellers were now on a more known site, such as Collard Hill (not that they'd be able to perch on the side of the hill). And to think we were debating about photographers not being 'aware enough' and stepping on the occasional foodplant by accident.

This looks like the sort of discussion that could run and run. Should it be started on another thread?

Michael

P.S. There are also occasionally good lawyers, I'm lucky enough to have known one.

[Lee Hurrell]

Minorities certainly have rights but the law is (supposedly) designed to look after the majority. It’s often called the silent majority for a very good reason. Jack

I would have said the purpose of the law is to protect everyone, no?

It seems to me that at least part of the problem at Prees Heath is because the land is privately owned, i.e. by Butterfly Conservation. It must therefore take more onus off from the police to act. If the land was publicly, or even local authority owned would the police would be able to move in quicker? Or am I misunderstanding the legalities?

However, I'm hopeful that the situation can be resolved as soon as possible so that the SSB are not endangered. That's my concern.

Cheers

Lee

[David M]

Perhaps one of the local farmers could be persuaded to let a small herd of cattle graze Prees Heath for a while?

[Paul Wetton]

Wonder if they prefer their steaks well done or rare.

[Gibster]

Gypsies, gipsies, Romanies, tinkers, travellers, gippos, do-as-you-likeys, pikeys...the list goes on. My favourite is Caravan Utilising Nomadic Travelling Sort.

Which probaby has an abbreviation.

Back to butterflies - Sam and I are off to the Isle of Wight tomorrow. Fingers crossed we see more than horizontal rain. If all else fails it'll be fossilised shark's teeth hunting along the beach followed by a cold beer.

Gibster.

[Susie]

Susie. I know you work for a law firm. Maybe this thread isn’t for you.

Jack

You're entitled to your opinion, Jack. I am not sure why you would want to exclude me from the discussion though.

[Paul Wetton]

Nice one Gibster

Your whit is amusing me. Good luck with the trip to IOW. Would have loved to come along but I'm spending far too much already and it's a long way from us in the Midlands.

I'm off up north to Cumbria in the hope of possibly finding some orchids at Gait Barrows. Any help with sites would be appreciated.

Anyone know how to find the Lady's slipper at Silverdale.

[Jack Harrison]

Susie wrote:

You're entitled to your opinion, Jack. I am not sure why you would want to exclude me from the discussion though.

Well I had thought you might find it difficult after I had made such a vitriolic attack on the legal profession. So please join in. It might make be less biassed.

Jack

[Susie]

TBH I can't be @rsed! A discussion on lawyers isn't really what this forum is about anyway so carry on without me.

[Gibster]

A discussion on lawyers isn't really what this forum is about anyway so carry on without me.

Or the pikeys.

Can we get back to butterflies now? Then Susie can come out to play too!

[David M]

Yes, this IS the 'Sightings' thread after all.

[David M]

Had a unexpectedly productive afternoon at Ewenny, in South Wales today, not in the sense of butterflies seen but because I bumped into Paul Dunn, the transect recorder, on Old Castle Down.

He took me to the other side of the site (via a route I would never have located) and explained which areas had been cut back to encourage the growth of violets for the four varieties of Fritillary that are found at this site.

He does a lot of the work himself and is clearly one of the main reasons why this site is so stunningly good for High Brown Fritillaries in summer. He told me caterpillar numbers were excellent this year and that he expected a good showing from the adults in two or three weeks time.

It was good to tap into this extremely useful local knowledge, as this is the only place in Wales where four different Fritillaries can be found in serious numbers, although there seems to be some doubt as to the long term viability of the southern facing part of the site due to the ownership of the land recently changing hands.

I arrived at 11am and stayed till 2.30. Whilst it was cloudy early on, it brightened up significantly in the early afternoon, though temperatures were 14C at best.

Butterflies seen were:

1. Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary 30-40
2. Speckled Wood 15-20
3. Common Blue 8
4. Brown Argus 8
5. Small Heath 3
6. Red Admiral 2
7. Green Veined White 1
8. Large White 1



Brown Argus were active on the sheltered east facing bank



I spent 5 minutes watching a female diligently laying eggs on Rock Rose



SPBFs were fairly numerous despite the cool conditions



Hard to get an underside shot, so had to make do with this



Superb camouflage meant this Red Admiral was hard to spot in cloudy conditions



As soon as the sun came out though, he opened his wings



Paul Dunn had already spotted several High Brown larvae - here's another looking plump and ready for pupation

[Michaeljf]

Trip to Norfolk Broads (24/25th May)

Rather running out of a possible time to visit the British Swallowtails (given June is going to be busy), we were going to visit the Broads on Friday (today) but looking at the forecast on Monday it looked like the weather would be wet by the end of the week, so we drove down (making a last minute decision) on Monday night, taking a couple of days off work. We stayed at the Travellodge at Acle (about 20 minutes from Hickling Broad), and we woke up Tuesday morning to bright sunshine, but unfortunately also strong winds. At Hickling Broad there were Swallowtails about (probably about 10 or so), but most that I could see were staying close to the trees and were only briefly visible amongst the reed-beds due to the constant breeze. I was hoping to get photographs of the Swallowtails on the Yellow-Flag Irises, but the Irises were in low numbers within the reeds and often not even flowering above the reed-beds. Even the multitude of Dragonflies weren’t stopping for long, frequently disturbing each other or just ‘spooked’ by the wind. I managed a few photos of one of the adults sheltering on the wooden path through the reed-beds, but that was the best I could do. We also drove briefly to How Hill but the clouds came over more in the late afternoon – and though we saw a couple of Swallowtails in the car-park at How Hill, there was no more success there. We did however see several Marsh Harriers when we returned to Hickling in the late afternoon.

So Wednesday turned out to be a blessing, as early morning came there was hardly a cloud in the sky (as per the morning before) but this time luckily the wind was very low or non-existent first thing. We got to Hickling Broad before the Visitor Centre opened (it doesn’t open until 10am), and wandered round the reed beds for a couple of hours. The butterflies didn’t really get going until about 10:30 and although there were more to see (probably around 20 adults). There was still little chance of good photography in the main reed-beds due to the lack of Irises, but walking nearer the edges of the reed-beds by the woodland area (close to the Visitor Centre) there were a good number of Yellow-Flag Irises, and once one of the adult Swallowtails found these they would go from flower to flower for ten or twenty minutes, much more obligingly for photography. Only after taking several hundred photos of one adult did I realise it had some hind-wing damage - nevertheless it is always a thrill to watch this wonderful British butterfly in its preferred landscape. Around the woods and reed-beds there were also several Brimstones, Red Admirals and Small Tortoiseshells. The sun was still lovely and warm when we left just before 1am (we went home via Fermyn Wood). Unfortunately the traffic was worse than expected and it was too cloudy at Fermyn for any butterflies.

Michael



The main path through the reed-beds at Hickling Broad


One of the few Swallowtails that settled down on the path on a windy Tuesday.


Lapwings were a constant at Hickling, with funny calls to go with their erratic flying..


There were plenty of Ox-eye daisies nearer the Visitor Centre, though the Swallowtails weren't visiting in the wind.


Wednesday morning was calmer and the Swallowtails were out in better numbers.


Several fledglings were on the walking paths. I don't fancy their chances much.


Dragonflies were in good numbers, even though they didn't stay for long for photos.


Swallowtails on the Yellow-Flag Irises nearer the edges of the reedbeds.


The edges of the main reedbeds - more Irises for nectar sources.


Underwings shot of one of the Swallowtails. The wind was picking up again by mid-day on Wednesday.


A final close-up. Shame about the wing damage!