www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

This article from Gardening News was given to me by one of my clients. Not sure that all the facts are correct.

Regards Gruditch

the painted lady invasion of last year probably made it appear butterflys were very numerous, must say i have probably only seen a dozen ladies this year and very few red admirals/ orange tips up here in cheshire/shropshire. but other species especially small coppers/ brimstones in very high numbers.

i guess different regions/sites will have totally different species numbers this year after a hard winter

phil

the painted lady invasion of last year probably made it appear butterflys were very numerous, must say i have probably only seen a dozen ladies this year and very few red admirals/ orange tips up here in cheshire/shropshire. but other species especially small coppers/ brimstones in very high numbers.

Yes I agree, Last year we had abundance of red admirals and Painted Ladies here, lower numbers of other natives like small tortoiseshell and Peacocks and few small coppers and hardly any holly blue around here. Also had hundreds of small and large whites last year, never seen so many, was clouds of white butterflies around here. Doesn't matter so much if we don't see many painted ladies as they are migrants here, its how many of the natives we see but there are many factors that govern this

This year I have only seen one painted lady, with 2-3 reported elsewhere, also Holly blue numbers were up again, lower last year with myself only finding 3 for the year and very few large and small whites but more common blues than last year. At the time of the small tortoiseshells were being parasited by the fly, I was seeing 50+ here, small tortoiseshells were the most abundant here I have ever seen. Since then their numbers seem few and far between with 30 or so, the most I have seen this year.

Just because one species seems numerous doesn't mean all butterfly species are generally that way. Species have good and bad years, some down to human activities, others down to predators and some to do with weather, just have to have all the facts.

This would have probably been a more reliable source of information than a national newspaper...

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/a ... inues.html

Dave

I have to wonder which five species have become extinct since the 1970s? And three quarters of....the remaining 51 Poor article.

But of course Gary, you might have to humour your clients and say "Yes, Yes! Of course" in a tone that doesn't commit you one way or the other but won't lose you their custom

Jack

i did read this when Gary first put it on and thought the same as you Jack, poor article. and i also have now read the butterfly conservation link also. the last paragraph re the documentary made me laugh but that has already been covered in other threads so i'll leave that bit. but i have to say having read the other threads it makes me look at this article in a whole new light. with phrases like "new colonies" and "extinct colonies reappeared" now raising suspicions as opposed to hopes.

Chris

"new colonies" and "extinct colonies reappeared"

Do I detect some cynicism here?

Unpublicised re-introductions? Best not to go down that route again

But if an "extinct" colony has indeed "reappeared" without any re-introduction, that certainly reinforces one of my earlier comments in another thread (about Black Hairstreaks in Surrey) that two years without sightings is hardly convincing proof that the butterfly has become extinct in that locality.

Jack

Taken from the Nature Notes section of the Daily Telegraph - 28/12/10



Farmers to get extra cash for wildflowers


Bees' chances of survival have been given a boost by extra funding for wildlife-friendly farming.

The Higher Level Stewardship scheme is to receive a funding increase of more than 80% by 2014. This will increase money paid to farmers for leaving margins for wildflowers around fields from £84 million this financial year to £118 million next year.

Matt Shardlow, The chief executive of Buglife, welcomed the move saying, "bees, hoverflies, butterflies and other pollinators are vital for our crops and food supply but are in decline. The new Higher Level Stewardship scheme funding should be used to create and restore vast areas of wildflower meadows."

Britain has lost more than 3 million hectares of flower-rich grassland since World War 2 and only 100,000 hectares remain. The loss has been linked to the decline of bumblebees, butterflies, moths and other pollinators.

Thanks for that 59 Species.
but it all depends on who you believe, from Natural englands website and just following links i came accross this one
http://greenreview.blogspot.com/2010/09 ... -ever.html which states that where birds are concerned the scheme isn't working. also looking at a couple of case studies here http://www.cfeonline.org.uk/ (natural england partner) it would seem that instead of planting maize to give cover to pheasants for shooting, farmers plant bird food mixes and nectar plants around difficult areas, one stated around the bases of pylons. i'm getting too cynical where conservation is concerned i think. i know it can't be easy but who decides what species to conserve and at what cost to others. Also this money goes towards preserving buildings and archeology. the more i read the worse it gets.

Even when i comes to the garden. Feeding the birds year round keeps the populations artificially high, so come summer, more chicks to feed, more caterpillars required and by some surprise moth populations are falling. Is the food pyramid becoming more of an egg timer shape?

Don't get me wrong, i appreciate every penny spent on conservation but i just wonder if the right things are being conserved.
Happy new year to all by the way
Chris