www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I have just come across some old records among the pages of an ancient butterfly book that I hadn’t looked at for years. The records are from the late 1960s/early 1970s

Bernwood Forest: SP612114 boasted no fewer than 30 species including Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Duke of Burgundy, Black and Brown Hairstreaks, Marbled White, Wall Brown, Purple Emperor, White Admiral, Pearl Bordered and Dark Green Fritillaries. My list doesn’t show Silver Washed Frit but I certainly saw them in the mid 1960s or Wood Whites, seen in the early 1970s. Marsh Frit was apparently there but I never saw any.

Little Rissington airfield: SP211188 (I was based there 1970-72) had Wall Brown. Not far away at Bould Wood: SP249207 had a strong colony of White Admirals and Wall Brown was along the paths at the edges of the wood.

How things have changed! But not all for the worse, eg spread of Marbled White, Comma, Essex Skipper.

Jack

Hi Jack,

I discovered Bernwood Forest this year thanks to Adrian Riley's book. I was blown away by the number of species I saw (compared to normal surburban locations) and went twice in the summer. I plan to go a lot next year too. I found a website this year that said you could see up to 40 species there but I can't seem to locate it easily to paste here.

It is a shame though as I would guess that at least 2 of the species you list are no longer there (Marsh Frit and Duke?) Does anyone have a list for Bernwood for these days?

Thanks

Lee

I had to go back to Oxford for a conference in June 2006. It was a great pleasure cycling out to (the now remnants of) Bernwood Forest and finding purple emperors still swooping about:



Whilst I didn't find marsh frits or (obviously) Dukes, I did see this sign, new since my own Oxford days, suggesting they are still believed to fly there:



Guy

PS - That was Shabbington, where I saw plenty of black hairstreaks, but none at rest for longer than a second or two. I cycled on to Whitecross Green, where the hairstreaks were far more accommodating:

Jim Asher’s “The Butterflies of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire” (1994) recorded PB and Marsh Frits just about hanging on in the Bernwood area but I am sure they have now gone. The Duke had probably already gone by 1994. Silver Washed Frit was absent immediately prior to 1994 but I believe has since returned.

After many years since previous visits, I returned to Bernwood in 2007 and found the habitat had changed surprisingly little. So the loss of the small fritillaries and the Duke can’t be simply put down to habitat loss; there must be more to it than that.

Going back very many years to my youth in Norfolk, I recall finding PB Frit in the woods near Sheringham (Pretty Corner) in the early 1950s. I was naturally excited but not all that surprised. Nor was I surprised to find High Brown Frits. I had little idea what to expect in those days. Amazingly though, I missed the Dark Green Frits at Winterton and Horsey although these localities were within cycling distance from my home in Great Yarmouth. I certainly found Graylings there so I have to wonder if the DG has colonised since the early 1950s.

Jack

I was lucky enough to see my first ever Purple Emperor on my first visit to Bernwood this year on 4th July (18 species seen that day including 24 Silver Washed Frits including 1 laying female).

2nd August at Bernwood and Water Perry yielded 19 species with 22 species over the 2 visits.

I'll keep an eye out next year for any more.

I can't wait for spring

Cheers

Lee

I recall seeing Wood White at Bernwood some 20 years ago, as well as Black Hairstreaks which I only saw with the aid of binoculars.

I believe Black Hairstreak may still be there as I met someone looking for them this year, didn't see one myself though. I missed the Wood White but be looking next year!

Cheers

Lee

Jack - me again ( see Pretty corner).

I actually started my interest in photographing butterflies while living in Oxford and Bernwood was one of the best sights around.

The Duke was present up to the time they opened the M40 - circa 1990ish. I had recorded one small colony and taken pics for about three years but sadly the years after the M40 opened they vanished. As for Marsh Frits I don't have any records of them there between 1988 - 1995. I first saw this species on Otmoor and they were large compared with the chalk downs version.

Mike

Is this photo, taken in June 1983, perhaps the last Marsh Fritillary photo taken in Bernwood (Oakley Wood)?

If I remember correctly, I took this photo at the verge of the main ride, close to the entrance gate (where the car-park is now). It is in rather tatty condition and seems to have lost all its body hair.
Mike