www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

UKB TV has been "in the works" for quite some time, and I'm pleased to announce the release of the first episode from Dr. Dan Danahar, focused on the High Brown Fritillary, which can be found at:

http://www.dispar.org/reference.php?id=123

And directly on YouTube at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1szkyxJqSvI

We'd really appreciate feedback (good and bad) to help us focus on what to retain or improve upon! Please post in this thread.

And ... Happy New Year!

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Pete - what a fantastic way to start the new year. It's really great to see some of the experts talking through the intricacies of the butterfly's requirements and particularly some of the historical context. Dan asked the questions that were springing to my mind and whilst the overall outlook for this particular butterfly seems a bit gloomy at present, it is fantastic to have recorded these views and thoughts along with footage of the butterflies themselves.
I couldnt help but think I would have loved to have seen something similar recorded in the early seventies with Jeremy Thomas and his thoughts about the struggles of the Large Blue - let's hope the mystery of the HBF requirements are solved before it's too late?
All of the presenters coped with the hoards of flies very well
Roll on episode 2
Kind regards
Mark.

Hi! Pete, I just want to say that I really enjoyed the video's, also to add when I've seen the High Brown at Gait Barrow it's always being hassled by quite big Dragon Flies which attack it every time it takes flight, this year was the same, ( no photos unfortunately), I've wondered if this as any thing to do with their decline at GB.

At Arnside Knot they're doing much better with lots of Bracken on the slopes and no Dragon Flies to hassle them and I think the cattle placed on the slopes also helps. At Gait Barrow the cattle are in the fields only.

Deer are present at GB but barriers have been placed to keep the Deer out of certain area's, area's where the
HBF's were plentiful,( too much damaged caused by the Deer I'm told ) trouble is I've not seen the HB there for a couple of years now.

The program was very informative I thought , for some one like me who's still learning about Butterflies, it made me think about the causes and reasons for the HB's decline. Goldie

The video is seriously excellent. Well done to all involved in making it. The footage with the vivid blues and greens of English summertime were so evocative. Worthy of a BBC4 series in my opinion. Have you considered offering the full series to the BBC?

Excellent, informative but easily digestible and you did well to get some positivity in its story at the end. Looking forward to more

Really good stuff. Informative and interesting
As described by Nick Baker (who communicates well on TV), the caterpillar like to or need to warm up in a sunny micro climate in the spring before munching on violets which grow in the shade when it gets hot in the summer.
Described here:
http://butterfly-conservation.org/679-9 ... llary.html
by Butterfly Conservation as "Britain's most endangered butterfly".
This species is large and beautiful and its sad that not many people in the UK from my generation will see it flapping around a local wood.
I think that the 2014 distribution map is "very scary" considering it was once widespread in England. Educating the public regarding landscape management techniques to provide habitat diversity is important for many UK butterflies including this species. The two great things about butterflies generally is that the general public love to see them and managing landscapes for them helps other loved creatures higher up the food chain.
Knowing that too many pheasants could be a local problem for the species is only properly resolved by better educating land owners to make better management decisions.

Kind Regards

I've just caught up with episode 1 and am really impressed! This is very well put together and full of anecdotes, facts and figures and beautiful shots of habitat. Well done to all involved and I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

The obvious delight in watching a butterfly, even someone else watching a butterfly, is in stark contrast with the sad decline of this species that the episode documents. Hopefully, the episode will add to the information available to anyone making landscape level decisions. Exciting news at the end, though.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Dr Dan Danahar, and he was great company while looking for Dukes and Pearls.

Best wishes,

Lee