North Norfolk

[Jack Harrison]

At a field trip on Sunday I met an old boy (well, similar age as me) and we got chatting about the good old days. He would see dozens of Pearl bordered Fritillaries near Holt (Holt Lowes); I came across them not too far away at Sheringham Pretty Corner. But we did agree that it wasn’t all bad news. No Speckled Woods in the late 1940s/1950s.

He recalled Chalkhill Blues at Ringstead Downs near Hunstanton (so not just one of those stories usually discarded as a myth). There was a short discussion about the CH Blue colony at Warham Camp near Wells. Even the redoubtable *Mandy Gluth* couldn’t throw any light on their origin. I remain sceptical that they must be an introduction. There are strong colonies at Barnack Hills and Holes and Devil’s Dyke Cambridgeshire. Surely with such large numbers of butterflies at these two sites, there must be some instinct to emigrate to find new territory? CH Blue is after all a well noted vagrant. (I believe that in the Netherlands, CH Blue only occurs as a vagrant).

*redoubtable [rɪˈdaʊtəbəl]
adj
1. to be feared; formidable
2. worthy of respect

Jack’s note: both apply.

Has any thought been given to re-introducing PB Frits to North Norfolk? There is plenty of woodland in the area which would seem to be in much more favourable state than when huge conifer plantations were the norm in the latter part of the 20th century

Jack