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Channel Islands
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:10 pm
by millerd
I know that strictly speaking the Channel Islands are not part of the UK proper (Crown Dependencies?), but I would have thought there might be the odd posting on UKB on the subject of what is to be seen there. However, I can't seem to find anything, and scouring the internet doesn't actually come up with definitive species lists for any of the islands (though my search technique could well be at fault of course).
I may have the opportunity to visit Jersey at the end of May, and therefore wondered what might be seen and where. I have read that there are Glanvilles on Guernsey and Alderney, but don't know if that applies to Jersey as well.
Can anyone shed any light, or point me at any helpful websites? I always seem to end up faced with various colourful stamp issues from the Islands rather than anything directly useful...
Dave
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:00 pm
by Padfield
EDIT: I just noticed you didn't want stamps, but I'll leave my post anyway!! It is colourful, as you say...
In 1991 the 15p stamp issued on Jersey featured the Glanville fritillary:
http://butterflystamps.blogspot.com/201 ... ersey.html
Guy
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:27 pm
by millerd
Thanks, Guy - those are the ones.
I found an interesting piece of "information" about exports on the website at the end of this link...
http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/enc ... 11071.html
I wonder what they mean...
But a real dearth of any detailed information on the internet about what to look for and where.
Dave
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:35 pm
by David M
Are there really Glanvilles in the Channel Islands?
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:41 pm
by Wurzel
Alright there Millerd if you check out the website for Sark it has some details about Large Tortoiseshells and Swallowtails. I'll keep digging...
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:14 pm
by millerd
Thanks, Wurzel. That is certainly fascinating about Sark: Large Tortoiseshells described as thriving and a continental Swallowtail breeding there last year...
Dave
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:26 pm
by Wurzel
Birdforum opus suggests Les Landes in Jersey for Glanvilles, it's in the North West of the island North of St Ouen's Bay. Or try the other heathlands in the west, but la Societe Guernesiaise says that they're common on Alderney and Guernsey but extinct on Sark and Jesrsey
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:33 pm
by millerd
Well, if I do get to go, it must be worth a look since it's round about the right time of year...
Dave
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:02 am
by Matsukaze
Map may be colonising Jersey - there were a couple of photos of the butterfly from there in a recent issue of Atropos.
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:01 am
by MikeOxon
millerd wrote:point me at any helpful websites?
That wonderful site "
www.ukbutterflies.co.uk" has species lists for grid squares WA and WV (i.e.the Channel Islands) under the Species/Sites tab. Swallowtail is listed but not Large Tortoiseshell.
Perhaps Pete can shed light on when the list was last updated but, after your visit, you could perhaps provide additional info on sites!
Mike
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 4:55 pm
by millerd
Just had a look at that - Glanville Fritillary is not listed for square WV, despite that being a definite species for the Channel Islands. It would be interesting to know how recent the background info for the map actually is.
It is not definite that I'll go as yet - rather dependant on how essential my presence is deemed to be for a work-related trip.
Fingers crossed...
Dave
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:19 pm
by MikeOxon
It seems that grid references are a bit of a minefield in the Channel Islands so be wary, if using GPS there. I gleaned the following from the website
http://www.hills-database.co.uk/databas ... mapinfo_gb
Grid references are for UTM zone 30U and use the
WGS84 datum. Older maps use the
ED50 European datum. The two datums give differences of about 300 metres in grid reference. Garmin GPS units use the
WGS84 datum by default when set to UTM/UPS grid but return the absolute coordinates (shown in the xcoord, ycoord fields) rather than the lettered GRs. The same is true of GPS Utility. GPS Utility also offers the new
Guernsey Grid.
The grid letters are WA for Alderney and WV for the other islands. This grid is shown on the two "Official" paper maps although it is
not the primary grid on the States of Guernsey Official Map, which uses the
Guernsey Grid.
There is also a new
Jersey Grid, whose parameters can be found in a web search on "Jersey Transverse Mercator". This grid does
not appear on the States of Jersey Official Leisure Map.
Plenty of scope for getting lost!
Mike
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:46 pm
by Pete Eeles
millerd wrote:Just had a look at that - Glanville Fritillary is not listed for square WV, despite that being a definite species for the Channel Islands.
It's a bug. The correct distribution is shown here ok:
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/distribu ... ies=cinxia
Will look into it.
Cheers,
- Pete
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:37 pm
by millerd
Thanks, Pete - that appears to confirm Guernsey and Alderney, but not Jersey - despite what the philatelists think!
Dave
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:00 pm
by Pete Eeles
millerd wrote:Thanks, Pete - that appears to confirm Guernsey and Alderney, but not Jersey - despite what the philatelists think!
Dave
Indeed - looking at the Millennium Atlas, the data from which is used on this website for the most part, the butterfly was recorded between 1970 and 1982 (according to the map), and up to 1988 according to the text, but not thereafter.
Cheers,
- Pete
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:02 pm
by millerd
Matsukaze wrote:Map may be colonising Jersey - there were a couple of photos of the butterfly from there in a recent issue of Atropos.
I had a look at the Atropos website. The following from the July/August 2011 sightings page is interesting:
"...
On the Channel Islands Large Tortoiseshell Aglais polychloros put in a good showing with dozens seen on Sark, although on Alderney five were seen, which is about average..."
Sark appears to be
the place for those who'd like to see a British Isles Large Tortoiseshell, then.
Dave
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:34 pm
by Pete Eeles
All fixed. Another 122 records were missing!
Cheers,
- Pete
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:29 pm
by David M
millerd wrote:Sark appears to be the place for those who'd like to see a British Isles Large Tortoiseshell, then.
...or more likely a French one keen for a bit of exercise.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:55 pm
by millerd
More than one - the post said dozens were seen on Sark...
Local emergence sounds more likely than mass migration, or is that wishful thinking?
Dave
Re: Channel Islands
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:59 pm
by David M
millerd wrote:More than one - the post said dozens were seen on Sark...
Local emergence sounds more likely than mass migration, or is that wishful thinking?
Maybe they were refuelling on their way to the Isle of Wight.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)