www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Jack Harrison wrote:It could well be that the airfield itself could hold some very good wildlife: pictures show quite a wild area.

It does indeed, Jack. Apart from the butterflies there are plenty of interesting plants and I've seen quite a few raptors circling about and have also heard a cuckoo there. The other day I noticed a fox slinking about at dusk amongst the undergrowth.

I've been right up to the northern perimeter fence where the outer runway is long disused. The terrain is much drier there and the birds foot trefoil and ox-eye daisies are a sight to behold in June. Common Blues and Dingy Skippers are about in serious numbers.

David M wrote about Swansea airfield.

I do have to wonder how many good sites remain undetected. I [independently] discovered an excellent Grizzled Skipper site in Cambridgeshire purely from study of Google Earth.

So all you fireside lepidopterists - come up with some ideas where to search.

Jack

Hello Jack,and all.
Like yourself ,i've also been scanning possible sites using Google Earth. In my neck of the woods (mid Kent) there are several proposed new "Towns/villages on my doorstep
and I've found quite a few interesting sites ,and I,ve done one or two winter reccies, can't wait for the 2015 season to start! Good hunting! Regards Allan W.

I've been scanning google earth in and around London for the past few months now, there's so many little parks and nature reserves I never knew existed in my home town!

Jack Harrison wrote: So all you fireside lepidopterists - come up with some ideas where to search.

I have spent hours poring over various sites on the Gower. I reckon Bishop's Wood looks interesting as it is a limestone woodland.

Will check it out later this year.

I have just done 'Google Earth' in the Stevenage area and discovered white blackthorn blossom so I have other places to look for Brown Hairstreak eggs

Peter

Dolgoch Quarry SJ277247 - Grizzled Skipper, Green Hairstreak, White-letter Hairstreak

Here's my 2p worth.

TL:
Balls Wood - add Silver-washed Fritillary
Broxbourne Wood - add Marbled White, Small Copper
Hexton Chalk Pit - add Brown Argus, Marbled White
Pegsdon Hills - add Brown Argus, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Small Copper
Sharpenhoe Clappers - add Small Blue
Telegraph Hill - add Brown Argus, Dingy Skipper

Paul

Well - that took a lot longer than expected! Anyway - thanks everyone for their input. All sites now updated.

If you find any other errors / additions / removals etc. then please mention in this thread. Thx!

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Pete,

SU484276 St. Catherine's Hill has duplicate entries (2x Brown Argus, 2x Chalk Hill Blue).

HTH, Jon

jonhd wrote:Hi Pete,

SU484276 St. Catherine's Hill has duplicate entries (2x Brown Argus, 2x Chalk Hill Blue).

HTH, Jon

Thanks Jon - all fixed.

Cheers,

- Pete

Peter,

Thank you for taking off Thrift Wood.

What's the score with adding Larval Hostplants on a species account? We find Orange-tip ova on Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba). Not prolifically, more occasionally on sea walls, say a single plant in front of a larger clump. Sometimes inland too, but they definitely use it. Or am I opening a can of worms?

EssexBertie

We find Orange-tip ova on Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba).

That is the usual foodplant in the drier, sandy areas of the Brecks (Thetford Forest). The reason I know that is a few years ago I asked (I think on ukb) the name of the plant - that I couldn't identify - that was used by egg-laying Orange Tips.

Jack

Essex Bertie wrote:What's the score with adding Larval Hostplants on a species account? We find Orange-tip ova on Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba). Not prolifically, more occasionally on sea walls, say a single plant in front of a larger clump. Sometimes inland too, but they definitely use it. Or am I opening a can of worms?

Not at all - we need to be accurate. I need to dig up all of the sources of larval food plants and correlate them (since they're different) and ensure that there's a level of agreement between different authors. I think that would be the best place to start from. The current listing comes from a single source - for both larval food plants and nectar sources.

I'll add it to the list of things to do!

Cheers,

- Pete

TL - Cavenham Heath. I've been visiting regularly for 4 years and have never seen a Grayling here, despite being there all through the flight periods and spending a lot of time searching the (publicly accessible) heath. I have no idea about the closed off areas, but if any one has a record from the site for Grayling in the last couple of years I'd be interested to know.

I would take off Grayling and add Small Copper, Small Heath and Large Skipper. These are reliable at the Heath. In the woods on the western side (TL744725) there are Small Copper, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral.

Its a great site, lots of Dragonflies and interesting flies and wasps too.

I was wondering if there would be any way to show when the species list for any site was updated? Or even a last observed date next to each species entry?

Many thanks

Leo

I too never saw a Grayling at Cavenham in many visits. The star lep as far as I was concerned was Forester Moth.

Jack

Cavenham Heath now updated. Thanks for the feedback.

Kevin.