www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi all,

As the website has gone from strength to strength, the list of jobs has gotten longer and longer, to the point that the current team (Guy, Gary, Vince and myself) is becoming overwhelmed with the requests we receive privately (e.g. images for identification). While we could remove our email addresses from the contacts page, we feel this would diminish the "service" that UKB provides, especially to those we want to encourage to become supporters of our common interest.

And so we've talked about a number of new "owners", and these are listed below. If you want to consider joining the team, then please contact me directly at pete@ukbutterflies.co.uk.

1. Site information
Adding sites from various websites and publications (e.g. local walks that are in the public domain) - you will be provided with various published sources.
Maintaining the currency of site information.

2. Identification requests
Acting as a first port of call for all ID requests.
Recommending UKB enhancements to make identification easier - especially of moths and their larvae (e.g. providing a chart of the most commonly-requested items for id).

Thanks in advance for any interest expressed

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I'm delighted to say that the roles (although I zapped one soon after posting!) have now been filled. And so welcome to the following UKB team members ... bios and mugshots will be provided in due course.

1. Mark Colvin
Mark will be coordinating all aspects of aberrations. I could wax lyrical about Mark's contribution, but he has always provided a solid sounding board over the years and is a regular and significant contributor - resulting in his editorial appointment of our sister website, Dispar.

2. David Moore
David (David M) will be handling all ID queries and act as the single initial point of contact, which will take a considerable load off the rest of the team! We hope to build up a picture of the most commonly-requested subjects and provide a simple self-service route to getting photos identified, and also provide a smooth vehicle for getting the unusual subjects identified, which should result in the number of direct requests reducing significantly.

3. Kevin Doyle
Kevin (Catteraxe) will be coordinating all site information and keep it current. The site information is an invaluable resource and I'm sure we all use it each year! We also be forming an opinion of how site information is balanced with the encouragement needed to visit unexplored areas.

Please join me in welcoming the new members on board!

Cheers,

- Pete

If only we could tempt Piers back! He is much missed and I'd love to see him back on here. Does anyone know how to grovel professionally?

Welcome aboard chaps, I look forward to not receiving the daily ID requests.

Regards Gruditch

David M wrote:If only we could tempt Piers back!

We've had several team members leave in the past - including Piers, but also Adrian Hoskins and Mike Young. An individual's interests can change over time, so I guess that's the natural order of things.

David M wrote:Does anyone know how to grovel professionally?

Sounds like an oxymoron to me

Cheers,

- Pete

Gruditch wrote:Welcome aboard chaps, I look forward to not receiving the daily ID requests.

Regards Gruditch

Oh God!! Is it really that bad, Gary?

Pete Eeles wrote:

Sounds like an oxymoron to me

Oxymoronic possibly, Pete, but I'd pay money to have him back on here. He was right up there in the panthaeaon as far as I'm concerned.

Is his return impossible? He's a great loss to this forum.

Welcome to the team Mark, David and Kevin .
It's good to have some new faces aboard to help move the website onwards and upwards.

On the matter of identification requests, I always found them enjoyable to deal with, because you never knew what was going to arrive (and in what form). Some of the requests were very quirky indeed, especially the sketches. They also came in waves, particularly the moth larvae. One thing I have noticed this year is the huge drop in questions about finding hibernating butterflies in the house. This corresponds with the low numbers of Small Tortoiseshells I have seen flying this season.

Vince

And welcome from me too. Thanks to all three of you for volunteering to help - I'm sure it will really enhance the site.

My own problem with ID requests is that I often get more than I can handle and some, unfortunately, end up unanswered - usually UK moth larvae that I would have to go and look up.

Guy

Many thanks for the warm welcome. Looking forward to making a positive contribution to UKB!

Kevin.

Welcome David as the i/d expert but I do wonder if you have taken on more than you had intended. This one is tricky:
Jack

A very warm welcome from me to the new team members

Jack Harrison wrote:Welcome David as the i/d expert but I do wonder if you have taken on more than you had intended. This one is tricky...

Thanks for adding to my angst, Jack!

I can confirm the above specimen is a very subtle bialbata.

Well spotted David.
--
Colin

Gruditch wrote:Welcome aboard chaps, I look forward to not receiving the daily ID requests.

Regards Gruditch

I think I will stop asking for ID's, I didn't realise it was such a "pain"

LancsRover wrote:

Gruditch wrote:Welcome aboard chaps, I look forward to not receiving the daily ID requests.

Regards Gruditch

I think I will stop asking for ID's, I didn't realise it was such a "pain"

We're not talking about requests on UKB - since we all chip in. It's those that the team members receive by email. I get hundreds of requests each year.

I intend to work with David to create a super-slick mechanism that minimises any personal requests. For example, building up a catalogue of most requested IDs would be a start, for the likes of Cinnabar moth and Elephant Hawk-moth larvae, for example

Cheers,

- Pete

Pete Eeles wrote: For example, building up a catalogue of most requested IDs would be a start, for the likes of Cinnabar moth and Elephant Hawk-moth larvae, for example
- Pete

I've got some fresh holes in my jerseys, can I send you some photos?