www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi
Apart from our hol's the wife and I intend to get as many long weekends in this year as we can. Hopefully raise the variety of butterflies that we have seen so far. Are'nt the butterfly months in a year too short! This has to be an impossible question but, are there any sites in the country where you would say if you havnt been there youve never lived (relating to butterflies obviously) a "mecca" maybe
Im willing to swap this info for an excellent bird watching site .
The second week in June is free . 3rd week in May were going to St Neots and Ive thought of "monk wood NNR" and Devil's Dyke.
Regards cjs.

Sorry just noticed I should have posted this in a different section.

Where are you currently based? That will help us know where you won't have been

Cheers,

- Pete

Oops I should have said I come from Mersyside.

I love the Isle of Purbeck, great place for a holiday. Durlston Country Park is none to shabby for butterflies, and birds.
lots of other stuff to do down there too.

That's my recommendation cjs. Click the link, and have a look for yourself.

http://www.durlston.co.uk/


Gruditch

Come to the Sussex/Surrey borders. Denbies Hillside is my favourite place to date.

Hi Gruditch,
Thanks for your suggestion. I was right confused for a while, I thought the Isle of Purbeck would be an island off the coast, but it’s so far down it might as well be. The “Lookout Café” sounds like it’s worth a visit too. What an array of species, looks like all of the Skippers are there, and a picture of the Essex by “Pete Eeles”. Thanks again.

Thanks Susie
Just googled the place, sounds great. I like the piece of description where it says “This is the place to see the dazzling Adonis and Chalkhill Blues, so dense in numbers you have to watch each step.
I have been to Guildford but that was in a past life, certainly worthy of a visit. Thank You.

We (the wife and I) are thinking that we would like to take Susies advice and visit Denbies Hillside, but would also like to have a list of other sites nearby.
Just noticed that there is a facility on this site to see what there is in a particular area. I was looking at grid square "TQ", there are a lot of sites near Denbies Hillside in fact so many they cannot be read. I did try to zoom in a bit but however cannot read the names of the other sites. Im a complete stranger to this part of the country so any advice would be helpful.
Intend to visit 12 to 16 June. Not sure my timeings right either!
Regards cjs.

Hi cjs - I know what you mean about seeing the sites, and it's on the list of enhancements

So one thing you can do is get hold of Google Earth as described here:

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/sites_googleearth.php

Where you can zoom in and out!

Cheers,

- Pete

Other sites near Denbies Hillside include. Oaken Wood, Noar Hill, Alice Holt Wood, Bentley Station Meadow, it's not to far to Old Winchester Hill.
I've been to all except Denbies Hillside, must check it out one day.

Gruditch

What about the Lleyn Peninsula, handy for a week-end. There are no offical sites as the Butterfly Conservation don't include the Pen Llyn for anything, on their map we are blank but there is lots out here, for example Common Blues, Walls, Greylings and I've noticed as I drove down to Aberdaron on the tip of the Peninsula because there are lots of streams and wet lands there are lots of Orange Tips, you can see them flying up and down the steams, very difficult to take a photo but very nice to watch. The Speckled Woods are numerous because of the ivy covered hedges and banks. They are so many sights of wild life down here but we are totally overlooked by the Society.
Shirley

Perhaps we should have a forum trip to Denbies Hillside, then stop off at the Vinyard at the bottom of the hill.

I was looking at my photographs from last year and I know that by the third week of June the hillside is a mass of flowers and particularly good for orchids. I don't know which butterflies will be on the wing (chances are you can guarantee there will be something about) but it is a good site for birds and day flying moths too.

Don't forget it is just a quick hop over to Box Hill which is another good site. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w- ... oxhill.htm

I also like Cissbury Ring, which is in Sussex. http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/si ... 0ring.html

I am sure there are loads of other good butterfly sites around here.

Do you have any idea where you may stay?

This is the view of Denbies vinyard last autumn from Box Hill.

Hi Shirley
I am aware that the Lleyn is a beautiful area; I have some friends that visit there regularly. I think it is an underrated part of Wales. I have been there in my younger days, Pwllheli Good ole Butlins. I’ve enjoyed so many trips into Wales, camping as well as day trips. I really need to go back that way again soon maybe I will try the Lleyn Peninsula. With that area being not too far from me we could stay just one night and still have two days out if you know what I mean. The South of England is a long drive and a day travelling is lost each way so when I have 3 or 4 days to spare we go a bit further. Still Thank you for your suggestion.

Susie, that’s a great pic lucky you. Just confirms to me what a marvellous country we live in. I will look at the other sites you mentioned after this. We haven’t been too happy with B&B’s in the past so we have been using Travelodge at least you know what you’re getting. The wife does the booking and she was looking at a Travelodge in Leatherhead it seems fairly local. Will hopefully post some pics from there in June.

Sorry guys - only just logged on.

I agree with Gary. Purbeck has it all. If you are going to Durlston, check out Ballard Down as well.

Shirley Roulston wrote:What about the Lleyn Peninsula, handy for a week-end. There are no offical sites as the Butterfly Conservation don't include the Pen Llyn for anything, on their map we are blank but there is lots out here, for example Common Blues, Walls, Greylings and I've noticed as I drove down to Aberdaron on the tip of the Peninsula because there are lots of streams and wet lands there are lots of Orange Tips, you can see them flying up and down the steams, very difficult to take a photo but very nice to watch. The Speckled Woods are numerous because of the ivy covered hedges and banks. They are so many sights of wild life down here but we are totally overlooked by the Society.
Shirley

Hi Shirley,

If the Transparent Burnet ssp.segontii can be rediscovered on the Lleyn I am sure Butterfly Conservation would be very interested in the area!

Shirley Roulston wrote:There are no offical sites as the Butterfly Conservation don't include the Pen Llyn for anything, on their map we are blank but there is lots out here ... They are so many sights of wild life down here but we are totally overlooked by the Society.

Hi Shirley,

Butterfly Conservation relies on contributions from its members since it has limited resources and cannot perform all of the recording itself. The reason that some areas are blank is simply because no records have been reported from there. Have you sent your sightings into BC? If not, I think they'd very much appreciate your input!

Cheers,

- Pete

Hello Pete,
I've sent to the local recorder all my sightings and he has acknowledge the email. What I meant is when you see a map with the BC and work is going on here and there, no work is being done on the Lleyn. When you say sites, do you mean that someone has given land to the BC and they work on that piece of land and keep it for the butterflies. That is what I mean when I said the map is blank on the Lleyn, I mean there is no offical sites. Has anyone got a photo of a Transparent Burnet and whilst I'm looking for the pupa of the Holly Blue I'll look for the Burnet. At this moment in time I'd settle for a tatty Small Tortoishell.
Shirley

Hi Shirley,

The "dots" on any maps are derived from data in the BC database. So hopefully you'll see a few dots turn up at some point

"no work is being done on the Lleyn ... I mean there is no offical sites"
There's no work being done in my area either by BC - since they have a limited funds and therefore a limited number of reserves (see http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/t ... erves.html). However, BC do work with other organisations (such as the Wildlife Trusts) and support their activities - providing advice and the like.

Cheers,

- Pete

Just a thought, as I enjoyed the photographic forum meeting so much I wondered if anyone would be interested in meet up at Denbies Hillside when the blues are about this coming summer?

David Newland listed it as his top 3rd site in his book Discover Butterflies in Britain.

Susie,
Pat & I would be interested in meeting up at Denbies. When were you thinking of?
Robin