Spring 2012 newsletter - Butterfly Conservation
Spring 2012 newsletter - Butterfly Conservation
Spring 2012 newsletter - Butterfly Conservation
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No 80 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2012</strong><br />
www.bedsnorthants-butterflies.org.uk<br />
ON THE WING<br />
<strong>Butterfly</strong><br />
<strong>Conservation</strong><br />
The <strong>newsletter</strong> of<br />
Bedfordshire & Northamptonshire <strong>Butterfly</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong>
Editorial Andy Wyldes<br />
The <strong>newsletter</strong> this time has been given a holiday<br />
feel to it, this being the time of year when we are<br />
all thinking of where to visit in the warmer months<br />
ahead, perhaps they will give you a few ideas !<br />
Thankyou to all contributors.<br />
This year’s field trips are advertised at the back of<br />
the <strong>newsletter</strong>, one or two favourite locations and<br />
a couple of new ones - all intended to give people<br />
a chance to see our counties butterflies in all their<br />
glory!<br />
The branch AGM & Member’s Day this year will<br />
be held in Bedfordshire at the Forest Centre at<br />
Marston Vale, south of Bedford. An afternoon start<br />
with a butterfly walk before the AGM has been<br />
planned, this site being good for a few of our rarer<br />
<strong>Spring</strong> species. Details can be found on page15.<br />
Two books on Northamptonshire butterflies are<br />
being published this spring. The first book on the<br />
We would like to issue a warm welcome to the following new members<br />
who have joined our Branch since the publication of the last <strong>newsletter</strong><br />
Richard Bayliss East Haddon<br />
Miss Louise Brooke Northampton<br />
Francis Buckle Dunstable<br />
Mrs Glynis Bultitude Northampton<br />
Mrs Alison Comery Grendon<br />
Craig Austin & Stephanie Deane Bozeat<br />
Garth Clarke Daventry<br />
Steven & Judith Codling Barton-le-Clay<br />
Jodie & Steven Coles & Family Maulden<br />
Daniel Doyle Kettering<br />
Bill Draper Scaldwell<br />
Mrs Jenny Driessen Edlesborough<br />
Andrew & Kim Exley & Family West Haddon<br />
Richard Goswell & Miss Harriet Graham Rushton<br />
Mrs Carol Kitchiner Lower Stondon<br />
Ms Emma Goodship Marston Mortaine<br />
Mrs Margaret Liddle Grendon<br />
Paul Osborn Hardingstone<br />
Robert & Sheila Pedder Luton<br />
Miss Dominic Rhoades Dunstable<br />
Frank Robertson Dunstable<br />
Mrs Anne Rogers Braunston<br />
Mrs Paula Rowlands Dunstable<br />
Andrew & Margaret Thorpe Sandy<br />
Peter Tomlinson Cranfield<br />
Miss Hazel Unsworth Stony Stratford<br />
Dr Rae Webster Little Houghton<br />
Mrs Jane Wilkinson Barton-le-Clay<br />
Mr T P Wood Polebrook<br />
We look forward to meeting you at some of our future events.<br />
Front cover: Doug Goddard with his award at the national AGM at Cheltenham<br />
History of <strong>Butterfly</strong> Recording in Northants from<br />
1820 - the present by Martin Izzard and is on<br />
sale now. The other book, a more comprehensive<br />
account of the Butterflies of Northamptonshire<br />
will be available in March. This will be the first<br />
book of its kind to be published in the county.<br />
More details about the two books will accompany<br />
this <strong>newsletter</strong>.<br />
Finally, I would like to congratulate Doug<br />
Goddard on the Outstanding Volunteer Award he<br />
has received from the national office of <strong>Butterfly</strong><br />
<strong>Conservation</strong>. This award is in recognition of his<br />
work within our branch over the last 25 years. He<br />
was presented with his award at the national AGM<br />
and member’s day at Cheltenham in November.<br />
Doug has waved the butterfly banner for the<br />
county almost single handed since the mid 1980’s,<br />
being the first point of contact in our area for<br />
anyone’s interest in butterflies, whether local or<br />
national.
<strong>Butterfly</strong>ing in the Pyrenees Greg Herbert<br />
It was about 25 years ago that three families from<br />
the branch camped in the Pyrenees for a week’s<br />
butterflying. On that trip we saw Camberwell<br />
Beauty, Apollo and Chapmans Blue among about<br />
seventy species. This year I went with Chris Lunn<br />
and some members of the European Interest Group<br />
from <strong>Butterfly</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong>.<br />
We started early on Wednesday 6th July with a<br />
drive to Paris where we left the car in the hands<br />
of the SNCF who were to take it to Narbonne<br />
for collection the following morning. While we<br />
travelled on a TGV express train to Narbonne<br />
arriving the same evening. We collected the car<br />
after a hot and airless night in a cheap French Hotel<br />
and drove the long way to the Pyrenees via the<br />
magnificent Millau Viaduct arriving at the campsite<br />
on Thursday evening. The rest of the group were to<br />
arrive on the following day.<br />
FRIDAY 8th July Weather 100% sunshine<br />
Today was a free day so we chose to visit the Circ de<br />
Truemouse, not as spectacular as the nearby Circ de<br />
Gavarnie but on the narrow road we saw numerous<br />
Apollo butterflies and large fritillaries, in a lay by<br />
we were met by Scarce Coppers, Mazarine Blue,<br />
Dark Green Fritillary and many Marbled Whites,<br />
Meadow Browns and Ringlets.<br />
SATURDAY 9th July South facing hillside above<br />
Bareges. Weather 60% sun<br />
Our party gathered in the village car park, where<br />
a dozen of us set off up a path through the wood<br />
to some open meadows above the village where<br />
in addition to numerous British species we saw<br />
Amandas and Echers Blue; Large Wall Brown,<br />
Pearly Heath and Woodland Grayling; Weavers<br />
Fritillary; Black-veined White; Marbled and<br />
Oberthur’s Grizzled Skipper. 32 species for the day,<br />
not a bad start.<br />
SUNDAY 10th July Col de Tourmallet. Weather<br />
AM 60%, PM 90% sun<br />
3<br />
Today we met the rarest of animals, a group of<br />
French <strong>Butterfly</strong> enthusiasts, who led us up a path<br />
off the main road up to the pass. Along this path<br />
were seen, in mixed sunshine Large and Turquoise<br />
Blues, Purple Edged and Scarce Coppers; Bright<br />
Eyed, Gavarnie, Mountain, Yellow Spotted,<br />
Pyrenees Brassy and Western Brassy Ringlets<br />
and Northern Wall Brown and; False Heath and<br />
Lesser Marbled Fritillary; Apollo, Clouded Apollo,<br />
Peacock, Mountain Dappled White, and in the<br />
afternoon in some meadows at the foot of the climb<br />
Map, Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra,<br />
Queen of Spain and Meadow Fritillaries, Large<br />
Grizzled, Olive, Marbled, Red Underwing and Rosy<br />
Grizzled Skippers 47 species.<br />
MONDAY 11th July Above the Circ de Gavarnie.<br />
Weather AM 70%, PM 55% sun.<br />
We drove through Gavarnie village, getting views<br />
of the famous Circ in the distance, to a road up<br />
towards the Spanish border, we stopped to survey<br />
some roadside meadows where numerous butterflies<br />
were flying in good sunny intervals these included<br />
Amandas, Mazarine and Large Blues; Mountain,<br />
Gavarnie, Yellow Spotted and Piedmont Ringlets;<br />
False Heath, Niobe, Lesser Marbled, Meadow and<br />
Spotted Fritillaries; Apollo and Swallowtail with<br />
Large Grizzled, Marbled, Olive and Rosy Grizzled<br />
Skipper. In the afternoon we drove to the top of the<br />
road not far from the Spannish Border. 46 species.<br />
Gavarnie Ringlet on Greg’s hand, the Circ de Gavarnie in<br />
the background.
TUESDAY 12th July Pibest Nature Reserve.<br />
Weather AM 20%, PM 60% sun.<br />
Our guide for the first week, Jude, a British lady<br />
who has lived in Luz St. Sauveur with her husband<br />
for the last 25 years running Borderline Holidays - a<br />
holiday firm offering Bird and <strong>Butterfly</strong> watching<br />
holidays, had made some phone calls and advised us<br />
to head away from the mountains to a local nature<br />
reserve some 15 kms on the way to Lourds. We<br />
parked by the entrance to the Pibest Nature Reserve<br />
and walked along a track through light scrub in a<br />
disused quarry area. Ilex Hairstreak was the first<br />
new species seen followed by Weavers Fritillary,<br />
Southern White Admiral, Scarce Swallowtail and<br />
Cinquefoil Skipper which was later confirmed to be<br />
Pyrgus malvoides a species thought by some to be a<br />
sub species of Grizzled Skipper, in Spain it receives<br />
full species status. In a book of Spanish butterflies it<br />
is called the Southern Grizzled Skipper. 43 species.<br />
Southern Grizzled Skipper<br />
WEDNESDAY 13th July Weather 100% rain<br />
We sat around the hotel most of the day reviewing<br />
what we had seen, I sent some post cards and watched<br />
the Tour de France on the TV, Pizza for lunch.<br />
THURSDAY 14th July Valley de Lys.<br />
Weather AM 70% PM 95% sun<br />
We had to go south from the village along a narrow<br />
dead end track as all other roads were closed due to<br />
the Tour de France. We drove about 8Kms along<br />
the track then parked and walked to the end of the<br />
road. We saw just three new species: Sooty Copper,<br />
Camberwell Beauty larvae (100) and Purple<br />
Emperor. 37 species.<br />
4<br />
FRIDAY 15th July Lac de Gloriette.<br />
Weather AM 60% PM 90% sun<br />
Walking around the lake, high in the mountains,<br />
in bright weather a Purple Shot Copper was flying<br />
with Large Blues, we then came across a group of<br />
blues and skippers mud-puddling on a patch of<br />
urine soaked earth; species seen included Turquoise,<br />
Adonis and Common Blues with Mallow, Marbled<br />
and Grizzled Skippers. Higher up amoung the scree<br />
we discovered Gavarnie Blue, one of two butterflies<br />
to have Gavarnie in their names. 39 Species.<br />
Marbled and Grizzled Skippers, a Turquoise Blue, and a<br />
Silver-studded Blue<br />
Gavarnie Blue<br />
SATURDAY 16th July Transfer to Ariege.<br />
Weather 100% sun<br />
We moved about 180 Km east to meet an old<br />
friend from my days on BC’s National Executive –<br />
Graham Hart an English Vet now established with<br />
a local veterinary practice. Graham was to be our<br />
guide for the second week.<br />
SUNDAY 17th July Porte Puymorens<br />
Weather AM 30% PM 75% sun<br />
The weather was overcast and showery so Graham<br />
suggested that we go south east towards the Spanish<br />
border to a valley into the mountains where Graham<br />
had done most of his studies on the Violet Copper.
The weather cleared slightly and butterflies came<br />
out in the thin sunshine. Bog, Lesser Marbled, Small<br />
Pearl-bordered, Spotted and Dark Green Fritillary;<br />
Chestnut Heath and Purple Edged, Sooty and Scarce<br />
Copper. After lunch we to the north side of the<br />
valley on the hillside where Iberian Marbled White,<br />
Piedmont and Large Ringlet with Weavers Fritillary.<br />
On the hillside, a scrubby patchwork of grazed grassy<br />
areas were a number of blues – Adonis, Amandas,<br />
Idas, Mazerine and Silver-studded. The only skippers<br />
seen were Small and Essex. 27 Species.<br />
MONDAY 18th July Above Caussou Village and<br />
Col de Marmare.<br />
Weather AM 70% PM 35% sun<br />
Walking alongside a stream into another scrubby<br />
hillside with plenty of butterflies flying in the warm<br />
sunshine Adonis, Amandas, Chalkhill, Eshers,<br />
Large, Common, Silver-studded and Small Blues,<br />
Purple, Sloe and Ilex Hairstreak; Woodland and<br />
Great Banded Grayling; Marbled and Lesser<br />
Marbled, Heath, Meadow, Spotted, Weavers, Silverwashed<br />
and Dark Green Fritillaries; Bergers and<br />
Clouded Yellow, Black and Green–veined, Wood<br />
Whites. Mallow, Marbled Large, Essex, Small,<br />
Dingy, Grizzled and Large Grizzed Skippers. After<br />
lunch we moved up to the Col de Marmare but the<br />
weather closed in few butterflies were seen but we<br />
found lots of Mountain Alcon Blue eggs on Cross<br />
Gentian. 44 species<br />
Mountain Alcon Blue eggs on Cross Gentian<br />
TUESDAY 19th July Barry d’en Haut, above<br />
Ussat-le-Bains and above Verdun.<br />
Weather 50% sun<br />
Changeable weather did not prevent us seeing<br />
Large Blue, Sooty Copper, False Ilex Hairstreak<br />
and Dryad in the morning and as the weather<br />
5<br />
deteriorated to a heavy shower in the afternoon<br />
after we saw High Brown, Silver-washed Fritillary,<br />
White Admiral and Holly Blue as we walked<br />
through the woods above our camp site in la<br />
Cabannes. About 30 species.<br />
WEDNESDAY 20th July Montsegur Lasset valley<br />
and Gorges de la Frau.<br />
Weather AM 60% PM 80% sun<br />
Poor weather in the Ariege Valley sent us north over<br />
the mountains in search of better weather which<br />
occurred as we walked along a track running out of<br />
the village of Montsegur. Here we found a splendid<br />
display of Dark Red Helleborine; Bright Eyed<br />
Ringlet, Heath and Dark Green and Silver-washed<br />
Frillary. After lunch we drove to the Gorges de la<br />
Frau I took a lot of photographs of two Apollos<br />
on Great Knapweed Flowers and more of Marbled<br />
Fritillary on Thistles as these insects posed before<br />
my camera. Many of the species seen here would<br />
normally be found in England but a few continental<br />
species were seen Weavers Fritillary, Woodland and<br />
Large Wall Brown, Pearly Heath, Ilex Hairstreak<br />
and Rosy Grizzled Skipper.<br />
THURSDAY 21st July Return to Narbonne.<br />
Weather 90% sun<br />
Just typical, as we took the tent down the clouds<br />
drifted away to reveal a blue sky and lots of sunshine<br />
to accompy us on our journey back to Narbonne.<br />
With memories of a great holiday, assisting the<br />
French with their butterfly survey, 106 species,<br />
including 21 new species for me. Thanks to our<br />
guides Jude Lock and Graham Hart and to Simon<br />
Spencer and B.C’s European Interests Group for<br />
arranging the tour.<br />
Shepherds Fritillary
The Trials of a White-letter Hairstreak Douglas Goddard<br />
The White-letter Hairstreak had a<br />
good season in 2011. Observers sent<br />
in records of larvae found on Wych<br />
Elm in Daventry and Boughton,<br />
the adults were seen from 10th June<br />
until 28th July, and several new sites<br />
were discovered, notably Wicksteed<br />
Park.<br />
In Fermyn Wood, there are a<br />
number of elm trees, some of which<br />
provide sightings of White-letters<br />
reliably each year. One lies at a ride intersection<br />
in Cherry Lap, and here, at the beginning of July,<br />
pupae were to be found under the leaves and good<br />
numbers of the adults were emerging and laying<br />
eggs. Commas also use the tree as a foodplant and<br />
their larvae were also easy to find here.<br />
The dark pupa<br />
While searching and photographing Comma<br />
larvae on 4th July, a White-letter pupa was still to<br />
be seen, long after the emergence of others. Dark<br />
brown in colour, it had clearly been parasitized<br />
and was not going to hatch. I decided to take it<br />
home to note further developments. A<br />
week later, sure enough, a small wasp<br />
emerged from the pupa, sawing off<br />
the end to make its exit. I photographed<br />
the specimen and sent it to Mark Shaw at<br />
Edinburgh. He identified it as a female of<br />
Virgichneumon tergenus (right), a known,<br />
6<br />
but rarely collected, parasitoid<br />
of the White-letter. It attacks the<br />
host in the pupal or prepupal state,<br />
so is only found in pupae. It has<br />
been reared from Black Hairstreak<br />
(Perkins’ Royal Entomological<br />
Society Handbook), and the<br />
National Museum of Scotland has<br />
specimens from Silver-studded<br />
Blue, Common Blue, satyrium<br />
esculi (from Spain) and three from<br />
White-letter Hairstreak, including<br />
mine. The hibernating strategy of this wasp is<br />
not known; if it, presumably, over-winters as an<br />
adult, only the female will do this, having mated<br />
beforehand.<br />
On 1st October, Andy Wyldes and I visited the wood<br />
again, looking (unsuccessfully!) for Purple Emperor<br />
larvae. As we walked through Cherry lap, the work<br />
of the Forestry Commission was much in evidence,<br />
the lower branches of sallows and other trees having<br />
been hacked away by mechanical cutters to make the<br />
route clear for lorry access. Our favourite elm had<br />
not been spared this destruction, several of the lower<br />
branches lying in a heap on the ground. We searched<br />
the branches and found a couple of eggs and cleared<br />
the remaining ones into a heap to look through<br />
later. That evening I took a few of them home and<br />
searched them, discovering eight more eggs. Closer<br />
inspection revealed that three of these had exit holes<br />
made by another parasitoid, a tiny wasp. The rest<br />
will be kept and hopefully reared in the spring to<br />
be released as adults, along with any others we find<br />
among the remaining branches later on.<br />
Predation of butterflies in their early stages is<br />
widespread, and these discoveries serve to remind<br />
us that it can be extensive in some years. Of a<br />
hundred eggs laid by a female butterfly, only<br />
two must survive to adulthood, to replace the<br />
original pair which mated and keep the<br />
population level stable, so normally species
The White-letter Hairstreak eggs with exit holes<br />
can cope with these natural enemies. Occasionally,<br />
as in the case of the Small Tortoiseshell and the<br />
arrival of Sturmia bella, the balance can be changed<br />
7<br />
dramatically. The population cycle of the Holly Blue<br />
is well documented, determined by a host-specific<br />
parasitoid.<br />
The destruction of habitat is another matter<br />
altogether. Perfectly healthy eggs were lost by flailing<br />
the branches of this elm in Fermyn Wood and,<br />
although the higher reaches of the tree were not<br />
affected, the lower levels are no longer available for<br />
egg-laying White-letters and Commas and for us<br />
to see the early stages within reach. The potential<br />
survival rate of the eggs collected should be higher<br />
than in the wild, at least addressing the balance for<br />
this year, but here is a reminder of how precarious<br />
life is for our butterflies.<br />
Wider Countryside<br />
<strong>Butterfly</strong> survey<br />
Clare Topping, a member who lives in Daventry, has kindly<br />
agreed to co-ordinate the WCBS for Beds and Northants, a<br />
position which has been vacant for the past year since Julian<br />
Bull left to live in Norfolk.<br />
We extend many thanks to those members who recorded a<br />
square last year. Branch participation in the scheme was down<br />
in 2011 compared with previous years, so we are looking for<br />
more people to take part this summer. Please contact Clare<br />
by email: ctopping@ratfox.net for more information and to<br />
allocate a square near where you live.<br />
Clare will be contacting previous participants shortly. Please<br />
let her know if you are willing and able to survey your square<br />
again, indicating the Grid Reference.
Northamptonshire Butterflies 2011 Douglas Goddard<br />
There were very few records in the early part of the<br />
year, none at all in January and only four in February,<br />
consisting of Red Admiral and Brimstone (8 th ),<br />
Small Tortoiseshell (the same specimen 9 th -11 th ,<br />
found dead on 12 th ) and Peacock (24 th ). Comma<br />
(7 th ) and Small White (21 st ) appeared in March,<br />
but of species hibernating as adults there were few<br />
sightings, fifty Brimstones across the county on<br />
23 rd being a notable exception.<br />
As the warmest <strong>Spring</strong> on record began, Orangetip<br />
(27 th March) and Holly Blue (29 th ) set the<br />
trend for exceptionally early emergences which<br />
continued into the summer. Twelve species were<br />
on the wing on 6 th April, including an early<br />
Painted Lady, and by the end of the month<br />
twenty had already appeared. Green Hairstreak<br />
(16 th ) and Grizzled and Dingy Skippers (20 th )<br />
were on the wing early and all three species did<br />
well. Forty-nine Green Hairstreaks counted on<br />
the transect at Twywell was the biggest tally for<br />
decades. 25 th April saw the earliest-ever Brown<br />
Argus and Small Heath, plus the county’s firstever<br />
April Wood Whites. This species enjoyed its<br />
best season since the 1990s, a count of ninety in<br />
Salcey Forest on 19 th May bringing a peak which<br />
was a welcome echo of days past.<br />
8<br />
The Black Hairstreak was another record-breaker,<br />
emerging in May (28 th ) for the first time. It was<br />
also seen in better numbers this year. The other<br />
hairstreaks, the Purple and White-letter, enjoyed<br />
a good season, and were reported from new<br />
localities, notably Wicksteed Park.<br />
It was not all good news, however. The lack of<br />
rainfall and the cool July and August had an<br />
adverse impact on those species whose larvae feed<br />
on grasses. Although the Large Skipper<br />
and Gatekeeper fared reasonably well,<br />
populations of Small and Essex Skippers,<br />
Ringlet and Meadow Brown were depleted,<br />
as were those of the Marbled White,<br />
although individuals of the latter continued<br />
to be seen in new localities.<br />
The Small Heath<br />
thrives on shorter<br />
turf growth and its<br />
numbers grew in<br />
late summer. Eightyseven<br />
were counted at<br />
Bradlaugh Fields on<br />
24 th August and a record<br />
thirty-seven on the Twywell<br />
transect on 2 nd September. Good<br />
numbers of second-brood Brown<br />
Argus were reported, but the summer generation<br />
of Holly Blues was disappointing and Common<br />
Blue numbers crashed.<br />
April Wood Whites in courtship display 2nd brood Dingy Skipper on 14th August at Twywell
Silver-washed Fritillary Photo Douglas Goddard<br />
Two species, Wood White and Dingy Skipper,<br />
had uncustomary (at least for Northants)<br />
second broods for the second successive<br />
year. The Wood White was seen in nine<br />
woods across its county range: Sywell,<br />
Hazelborough South Block, Salcey, Bucknell<br />
and five sections of Yardley Chase. The<br />
emergence comprised at least 38<br />
butterflies between 22 nd<br />
July and 19 th August.<br />
A single Dingy<br />
Skipper was found<br />
at Twywell on 5 th<br />
August, followed by six<br />
on both14 th and 15 th . This<br />
is the first multiple count of the<br />
second brood recorded in the county.<br />
Above left: Comma ab. suffusa Photo Matthew Oates<br />
Below: Purple Emperor ab. afflicta Photo Andy Wyldes<br />
9<br />
The number of sightings of Silver-washed<br />
Fritillary increased again in 2011, with sixteen<br />
locations recorded to date. This species seems<br />
to be well established again in the north of the<br />
county in Wakerley and Fineshade woods, in<br />
the Salcey and Yardley Chase area and in the<br />
Silverstone woods. The Purple Emperor was<br />
seen from 23 rd June in Fermyn Wood, reached<br />
a peak by the end of the month and had largely<br />
disappeared by mid-July. Eggs and caterpillars<br />
were very difficult to find this year in Northants<br />
and elsewhere (Matthew Oates et al.) and we<br />
may be in for a poor iris season next year. A<br />
stunning aberrant afflicta was photographed in<br />
Fermyn between 29 th June and 1 st July. The White<br />
Admiral had a poor year in 2011 though one<br />
obliterae specimen was seen in Fermyn Wood.<br />
Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells and Commas<br />
were also in short supply in late summer. Matthew<br />
Oates photographed an aberration suffusa of<br />
the Comma in Fermyn Wood on 1 st July and I<br />
found another, obscura, at Stanwick Lakes on 25 th<br />
September.<br />
It was not a good year for migrants. Despite<br />
its early appearance, Painted Lady sightings<br />
were few and scattered, and it was not seen by<br />
many observers. Only three confirmed records<br />
of Clouded Yellows have been received to date.<br />
There was an influx of Red Admirals in late<br />
July, allowing local breeding and an increase in<br />
numbers seen on ivy blossom and in gardens<br />
through a warm October into November. The last<br />
record of the year came on 27th December in a<br />
Duston garden.<br />
A second successive warm <strong>Spring</strong> benefited some<br />
of our rarer and most threatened species, but<br />
the prolonged drought and cool summer may<br />
well have an detrimental impact on survival of<br />
the early stages and a decline in <strong>2012</strong>. Some<br />
multi-brooded species were able to build up their<br />
populations, but our more common ones which<br />
rely on grass growth for their caterpillars have<br />
declined for the second successive year and need<br />
to recover next time around. Overall, numbers of<br />
butterflies were low this year and it will go down<br />
as a poor one in general terms.
A Purple Hairstreak Summer Judith Barnard<br />
Ever since I started butterfly hunting, there have<br />
been some which have been more elusive than<br />
others. Take the Hairstreaks, for example. It’s not<br />
too difficult, if you know the right places, to find<br />
the Green and Black Hairstreaks as they tend to<br />
perform their daily business at human height.<br />
However there are two Hairstreaks, the Purple and<br />
White-letter, that spend much of their time high<br />
up in tree canopies, only coming down briefly to a<br />
height where we can see them.<br />
I hoped this year to spot<br />
one of these more elusive<br />
Hairstreaks as I had never<br />
seen a Purple or White-letter<br />
Hairstreak before.<br />
Near where we live in<br />
Northampton is Harlestone<br />
Woods and opposite it is the<br />
Wyevale garden centre. At the<br />
back of the garden centre is<br />
a smaller wood (which was<br />
possibly part of the main<br />
wood at some point in time).<br />
It contains many deciduous<br />
trees, including oak. Next to<br />
the wood is a filled-in quarry<br />
which is fenced off for safety<br />
reasons. However if you are<br />
careful you can climb the fence<br />
and walk down the outer edge<br />
of the wood. The previous year I had found an<br />
Elephant Hawk moth caterpillar here so I knew it<br />
was a good area for wildlife.<br />
Towards the end of July this year we decided to<br />
walk the edge of the wood, on the quarry side, to<br />
see if anything was around. We weren’t looking for<br />
anything in particular so was delighted when my<br />
eye caught something small fluttering about in the<br />
lower branches of a tree. It landed with its wings<br />
open and I saw a shimmering patch of purple<br />
Top: The Northampton Purple Hairstreak<br />
Below: Its French counterpart feeds on an<br />
apple. Photos J. Barnard<br />
10<br />
on its wings. At last, the Purple Hairstreak! We<br />
returned the same time on subsequent evenings<br />
(around 6pm) to get more photos; it was always<br />
quite windy but they clung on tight to the leaves!<br />
The Purple Hairstreak favours oak as its habitat<br />
and egg laying location. It is interesting to read<br />
that it lays its eggs on the branches of oak but<br />
at some point during their transformation they<br />
find themselves, in chrysalis<br />
form, deep within an ants<br />
nest under the ground. It<br />
appears that ants climb the<br />
trees and carry the caterpillar<br />
or chrysalis down to safety in<br />
their nest! Once the butterfly<br />
emerges from the chrysalis<br />
it flies back up into the oak<br />
canopy.<br />
That wasn’t the end of our<br />
Purple Hairstreak sightings.<br />
A few weeks later, at the<br />
end of August, we were off<br />
to the Dordogne in France,<br />
staying in a gîte known for<br />
its excellent butterfly habitat,<br />
right on its doorstep. It was<br />
good to see many species<br />
there which often proved too<br />
hard to find in the UK. So I<br />
was delighted to see my first<br />
Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow and Large Blue as<br />
well as discovering new species from that area such<br />
as the Weaver’s Fritillary, Sooty Copper and my<br />
favourite, the Dryad.<br />
Just metres form the gîte was a clump of apple<br />
trees bearing fruit. Here we spotted our second<br />
Purple Hairstreak habitat. This time they appeared<br />
to be feeding on rotten apples! They weren’t as<br />
brightly coloured as their UK counterparts; not<br />
surprising as it was over 40 C that week!
Butterflies in Kefalonia David Chandler<br />
In July 2011 Kathryn & I took our annual summer<br />
holiday in Kefalonia. The island is found in the<br />
Ionian Sea, further south down the Greek mainland<br />
from Corfu. A large number of tourists visit<br />
Kefalonia during the holiday season but, as one of<br />
the bigger Greek islands, its economy is geared to<br />
comfortably handle sun-seeking visitors.<br />
Most tourists stay in or around Lassi, a popular<br />
resort for Britons a few kilometres from Argostoli<br />
and in the villages Skala and Katelios to the south<br />
of the island where there are sandy beaches. Tourist<br />
numbers have increased since the best-seller,<br />
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, was made into a film<br />
in 2001 and was shot on the island in and around<br />
the port of Sami. We enjoyed finding by chance<br />
some of the film’s locations.<br />
Many people from all over Greece and the world<br />
visit Kefalonia but most foreign tourists we saw<br />
came from Italy possibly because of its close<br />
proximity. We stayed at a hotel in the village of<br />
Karavomilos near Sami on the quieter, greener<br />
eastern side of the island, which proved a good<br />
choice for the variety of the butterflies I found.<br />
There were gardens full of flowers surrounding<br />
the pool in the Ionian Emerald, the hotel we were<br />
staying in, and, without too much effort after<br />
breakfast, I could find at least a dozen different<br />
species flying there at any one time. The most<br />
commonly found butterfly, inappropriately named<br />
in this case, was the Scarce Swallowtail.<br />
Also found around the pool were: European<br />
Swallowtail, Wall, Meadow Brown, Common Blue,<br />
Long-tailed Blue, Short-tailed Blue, Brown Argus,<br />
Chapman’s Blue, Idas Blue, Small Copper, Large<br />
White, Small White, Clouded Yellow, Painted Lady<br />
& Southern White Admiral.<br />
What was different from home in the UK,<br />
however, was the butterflies’ behaviour.<br />
11<br />
Perhaps it was a function of the heat for I’ve only<br />
seen this behaviour before in similar hot places<br />
like Qua-Zulu Natal in South Africa, because the<br />
butterflies were up and flying around at breakfast<br />
time but by lunch-time and into the heat of the<br />
afternoon many had disappeared for the rest of<br />
the day. By tea-time, in what I would call ideal<br />
conditions for your typical British butterfly, very<br />
few could be seen.<br />
We hired a car for a few days and toured the<br />
island, often on steep winding, twisting roads and<br />
found the island to be quiet for high season; one<br />
taverna owner said that business was slack because<br />
of the Greek financial crisis and pressure on the<br />
Euro. Different other species seen on our tours<br />
around the island were: Bath White, Cleopatra,<br />
Grass Jewell, Pale Clouded Yellow, Tufted/<br />
Marbled Skipper, Small Heath (Karavomilos). Ilex<br />
Hairstreak (Myrtos). Southern Comma, Two-tailed<br />
Pasha (Assos). Eastern Wood White, Large Wall<br />
Brown, Rock Grayling, (Moni Agrillo). Silver<br />
Washed Fritillary, Mountain Small White, Bergers<br />
Clouded Yellow (Mount Ainos). Langs Short-tailed<br />
Blue (Fiskardo). Holly Blue, Southern Gatekeeper<br />
(Poros).<br />
Kefalonia is a good island for butterflies and well<br />
worth the trouble of getting there.<br />
A European Swallowtail perched on David’s cap!
<strong>Spring</strong> Moths in Scotland Jan England<br />
Moths, Scotland & early April didn’t<br />
sound like an ideal combination at<br />
first glance. However, a friend and<br />
I set off by train to Pitlochry in an<br />
optimistic mood.<br />
Our course was held in the Field<br />
Studies Centre at Kindrogan, a<br />
former country mansion about<br />
ten miles outside Pitllochry. Set in<br />
extensive grounds with woods, river<br />
& moorland it offered a variety of<br />
habitats & spectacular scenery. We inspected<br />
the mothtraps after breakfast, had a coffee<br />
break halfway round the eight traps and set off<br />
before lunch to different sites to look for moths<br />
and butterflies. Each evening after slides and a<br />
discussion we tried to identify moths we had<br />
caught that morning. By the time that finished<br />
and the moths released we were all ready for a<br />
reviving drink in the bar!<br />
Target species for the week included Brindled<br />
Ochre, Rannoch Sprawler, Rannoch Brindled<br />
Beauty, Swordgrass & Orange Underwing.<br />
Finding these depended on the right weather<br />
conditions, no mean feat in a Scottish April.<br />
Despite some rain during one or two nights, each<br />
day was dry, sunny & unseasonably warm, 17-19<br />
degrees. Nights were mild too so<br />
this produced good results in the<br />
traps our tutor ran each night.<br />
By the end of the course we had<br />
recorded good catches of 26<br />
species in & around Kindrogan<br />
including Brindled Ochre, Early<br />
Toothed-striped, Oak Beauty,<br />
Swordgrass, Water Carpet, Satellite<br />
& Yellow Horned.<br />
Male Rannoch Brindled Beauty<br />
A female wingless Rannoch Brindled Beauty Photos by Jane Bowman<br />
12<br />
A trap was also run in birchwoods<br />
at Kincraig which produced 14<br />
species with the RDB moth Rannoch<br />
Sprawler found on birch trunks in<br />
the garden thanks to the diligent<br />
searching of 13 course members.<br />
The moth our tutor was most keen<br />
to find was the Rannoch Brindled<br />
Beauty a Nationally Scarce A moth<br />
which rests by day on fenceposts &<br />
walls.<br />
The male is small, has a black furry body with a<br />
line of orange dots along the abdomen,grey semitransparent<br />
wings marked with a dark curved<br />
outer cross line & central crescent.The female’s<br />
body is the same but she is wingless.These moths<br />
are usually found low down on fenceposts so our<br />
group presented a strange sight to passers-by as we<br />
peered, bent double, at dozens of posts along the<br />
road to Struan.The sharp-eyed amongst us finally<br />
found 8 males and 13 females after two days<br />
searching.Back to the bar again that night!<br />
Our final target species was a day-flying moth<br />
called Orange Underwing usually seen flying<br />
around the top branches of birch trees in<br />
sunshine.<br />
Fortunately the exceptionally warm sunny weather<br />
in Scotland meant we found Orange<br />
Underwings on three days with over 20<br />
being seen along the Old Military Road<br />
at Drumcroy Hill. Once more our group<br />
entertained passing traffic as we ran up &<br />
down desperately trying to net an Orange<br />
Underwing for detailed inspection.<br />
After a week of excellent mothing, good<br />
weather amid wonderful scenery we agreed<br />
our optimism had been well and truly<br />
rewarded.
Field Trips <strong>2012</strong> Northants<br />
Sunday, May 27 th Save our Butterflies Week/<strong>Spring</strong>watch Event Fineshade Wood, our book<br />
Butterflies of Northamptonshire will be on sale plus RSPB walk for butterflies (10.30 – 12.00), max. 20.<br />
Cost £3 adults, £1.50 children, half-price to RSPB and BC members. Meet at Top Lodge, Fineshade,<br />
in the centre courtyard SP976983. Car Park fee. To book, contact Chris Andrews, 07912 667734,<br />
email toplodge@rspb.org.uk<br />
Saturday, 9 th June Stanwick Lakes, General walk for butterflies and dragonflies, 10.30 – 12.30. Max.<br />
20, cost £1 (free to Stanwick Lakes members). Meet at the entrance to the Visitor Centre, SP973713,<br />
just off the A45 at the Stanwick/Raunds roundabout. Car parking fee. To book, contact rangers Luke<br />
Johns or Geoff Watton, 01933 625522.<br />
Sunday, 17 th June Glapthorn Cow Pastures Black Hairstreak Open Day, 10.00 – 1.00, continuing<br />
p.m. with the Wildlife Trust. Park in the lane opposite the wood entrance, Grid Reference TL006903.<br />
Sunday, 24 th June Twywell Hills and Dales, joint meeting with Desborough Wildlife Group to look for<br />
Marbled Whites and other grassland species. Meet in the main car park Grid Ref. SP938772 10.30 a.m.<br />
Tuesday, 17 th July Fermyn Wood, joint meeting with Desborough Wildlife Group to look for<br />
woodland species: Purple Emperor, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Purple and White-letter<br />
Hairstreak. Meet at the entrance opposite the Welland Gliding Club 10.30 a.m. Grid Ref. SP964858<br />
Sunday, July 29 th Fineshade Wood, RSPB walk for butterflies (10.30 – 12.00), max. 20. Cost £4<br />
adults, £2 children, half-price to RSPB and BC members. Meet at Top Lodge, Fineshade, in the<br />
centre courtyard SP976983. Car Park fee.. To book, contact Chris Andrews, 07912 667734, email<br />
toplodge@rspb.org.uk<br />
Sunday, 5 th August Summer Leys, General walk for butterflies and dragonflies, 10.30 -12.30. Max.<br />
20, Suggested minimum donation £2.50, half of which goes to <strong>Butterfly</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong>, half to The<br />
Friends of Summer Leys. Meet in the reserve car park, Grid Ref. SP887634. To book, contact Jon<br />
Collings, Chairman of The Friends of Summer Leys, jon.p.collings@live.co.uk.<br />
For further information, contact Doug Goddard, who is leading all of the trips above.<br />
Branch funds were recently boosted by £450 from the Waitrose<br />
Community Matters scheme. The scheme allows shoppers to<br />
choose three charitable causes each month to receive up to a<br />
£1,000 donation from their store by voting for one of them at<br />
the branch check-out.<br />
Martin Izzard (left) and Ian Kimsey are seen receiving the cheque<br />
outside the Waitrose Rushden store.<br />
13
Field Trips <strong>2012</strong> Bedfordshire<br />
Saturday 5 th May Branch AGM, Photographic Competition & Members Day at the Forest<br />
Centre at Marston Vale in Bedfordshire. (see p15 for details)<br />
Sunday 13 th May Event title: For spring butterflies including Duke of Burgundy, Grizzled Skipper,<br />
and Green Hairstreak.<br />
Venue/Site Whipsnade Downs / Bison Hill near Whipsnade Beds.<br />
Grid reference approx. TL000185<br />
Meet in the NT public car park at 10.30am<br />
Saturday 9 th June Sewell Cutting 10.30am Meet at first bend in road, park in French’s Avenue. Grid<br />
Ref: TL009226. The walk is through Sewell Cutting and into the old quarries in the Totternhoe Area<br />
to see Small Blues and other late spring butterflies Leader Greg Herbert.<br />
Saturday 30 th June Event title: For early summer chalk downland butterflies especially Dark Green<br />
Fritillary.<br />
Venue/Site Sharpenhoe Clappers & Moleskin near Sharpenhoe Beds.<br />
Grid reference approx. TL064296<br />
Meet in the NT public car park at 10.30am<br />
Saturday14 th July, West Wood, Souldrop. Walk in West Wood for butterflies, White Admiral, Silverwashed<br />
Fritillary. Joint meeting with BNHS & <strong>Butterfly</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong>. Park along the track past<br />
Hurst Cottages, Grid Ref: SP992620, off the A6, at 10.30am. Probable visit to another site for the<br />
afternoon. Leader Tony Smith<br />
Friday 3 rd August Event title: For high summer butterflies including the elusive Wall.<br />
Venue/Site Benfleet Downs, nr Hadleigh Essex [adjacent to the Olympic mountain bike venue].<br />
Grid reference approx. TQ785858 - northern end of St Mary’s Road in South Benfleet.<br />
Meet at the top of the steps by the entrance to the park at 11.00am<br />
(NB subsequent impromptu afternoon Wall walk on Canvey Island if the butterfly is not found).<br />
(Meeting at the Lobster Smack Inn car park, Haven Road, Canvey Island after lunch).<br />
The History of <strong>Butterfly</strong> Recording<br />
in Northamptonshire<br />
1820-2011<br />
Martin J Izzard<br />
Out now and available to Branch Members price £6<br />
including post and packaging, non members £8.99 from<br />
the author, izzard.martin@yahoo.co.uk or 01933 355688<br />
or through www.bedsnorthants-butterflies.org.uk<br />
14
November 13 th<br />
2011<br />
Sunday, January<br />
15 th <strong>2012</strong><br />
Sunday,<br />
February 19 th<br />
<strong>2012</strong><br />
Sunday, March<br />
18 th Sunday,<br />
January 8<br />
<strong>2012</strong><br />
th<br />
<strong>2012</strong><br />
Sunday,<br />
February 12 th<br />
<strong>2012</strong><br />
Sunday,<br />
March 11 th<br />
4 p.m. To Scrub be Clearance confirmed on the Meet in the Goddard 408670<br />
See Transect branch website for main car park<br />
10 a.m. – updated Fermyn Woods details Country Park SP952848 Doug 01604<br />
4 10.30 p.m. Sharpenhoe Work on the Thicket for TL064296 Park behind the David Goddard 01923 408670<br />
a.m.<br />
10 a.m. –<br />
4 10.30 p.m.<br />
a.m.<br />
Black Hairstreaks<br />
Twywell Hills and Dales<br />
Toernhoe Scrub Clearance on the<br />
Transect<br />
Meet Skylark in Cafe the<br />
main SP938772 car park<br />
SP986224 Meet in the<br />
main car park<br />
Chandler<br />
Doug<br />
Greg Goddard<br />
Herbert<br />
253793<br />
01604<br />
01582 408670<br />
663784<br />
10 a.m. – Fermyn Woods Country Park SP952848 Doug 01604<br />
4 p.m. Scrub Clearance in the Main Park behind the Goddard 408670<br />
Park<br />
Skylark Cafe<br />
Winter Work Party Dates 2011/12<br />
Please ring before 9 a.m. on the day if weather conditions are looking unsuitable. If unable to attend all day, your participation<br />
for a morning or even a couple of hours would be welcome. Where car parking charges normally apply, free parking will be<br />
arranged with the wardens.<br />
Saturday 5 th May AGM & Member’s Day<br />
The branch AGM, Photographic Competition & Member’s Day this year will be held at the Forest Centre at<br />
Marston Vale in Bedfordshire. Proceedings will commence at 2.00pm with a guided walk (about an hour) in the<br />
vicinity of the venue to see <strong>Spring</strong> butterflies which will hopefully include Grizzled & Dingy Skippers and Green<br />
Hairstreaks. The AGM will start at 3.45pm followed by our guest speaker and the photographic competition,<br />
aiming to finish by 6.00pm. Refreshments will be available from the centre’s cafe.<br />
The Speakers this year will be Andy & Melissa Banthorpe who will be talking about recording day-flying<br />
moths and about a survey they have just completed in Maulden Wood which was part of a joint BC / Forestry<br />
Commission project.<br />
The venue is situated off the A421 at Marston Moretaine, from the M1, Junction 13, and along the A421 towards<br />
Bedford. From Bedford take the A421 towards Milton Keynes, the venue is signposted from the A421. Grid<br />
Ref:TL004417<br />
Entries for the photographic competition (prints only) may be submitted in advance to any committee member<br />
(see back page) or submitted on the day. Entry is open to all branch members.<br />
Could last years trophy winners please contact Stuart Pittman regarding return /engraving arrangements.<br />
There will be four categories:<br />
• The Chairman’s Shield The Best British <strong>Butterfly</strong> in the wild.<br />
• The Don Askew Memorial Shield This includes Branch Activities, Field Trips, Winter Work parties, Sales<br />
Events, Members etc.<br />
• The <strong>Butterfly</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Shield The Best Picture of a <strong>Butterfly</strong> or Moth in it’s early stages (egg,<br />
caterpillar, pupa etc)<br />
• Best British Moth Shield Best Picture of a British Moth.<br />
Rules for the photographic competition<br />
• No more than 6 entries per category per entrant.<br />
• All pictures to have been taken in the last year.<br />
• An entry fee of £0.50p will be charged per picture entered and no larger than A4 in size.<br />
• Every entry must show name/initials of entrant on the reverse.<br />
• Digital images must not be enhanced by computer manipulation.<br />
• Committee accepts no liability for loss or damage to entries.<br />
• Winning entries are to be available for publication on the branch website and in the Branch Newsletter.<br />
15
Butterflies<br />
of<br />
Northamptonshire<br />
Order your<br />
copy now!<br />
Details of content, publication<br />
date, price and how to order<br />
are given overleaf<br />
e buery habitats of Northamptonshire<br />
Details of ten important sites with public access to see the bueries of the county<br />
Descriptions, life cycles, trends and distribution maps of the 36 species resident in the county<br />
Historical summaries of rare migrants and extinct species<br />
300 photographs in full colour<br />
Features on the work of Buery <strong>Conservation</strong> and management for key species, Gardening<br />
for Bueries, ‘BB’ and the Purple Emperor<br />
UK Price £11.99<br />
ISBN 978-0-9520291-3-7<br />
Orange-tip<br />
Anthocharis cardamines<br />
Male (wingspan 46mm.)<br />
e Orange-tip is a well distributed and common buery in our area<br />
and its conspicuous markings and tendency to roam over a wide area<br />
mean that it is well recorded, though the vagaries of the s pring weather<br />
ensure that there are uctuations in the population of the adults and the<br />
number of observations from year to year. It would have been much more<br />
numerous in the past but the destruction of hedgerows, drainage of wet<br />
meadows, and intensive agricultural practices have changed the scale of<br />
abundance.<br />
Local Distribution and Status<br />
00<br />
90<br />
80<br />
70<br />
60<br />
50<br />
50<br />
40<br />
e delicate male Orange-tip cannot be confused with any other species,<br />
the orange tips to the forewings being visible from some distance when<br />
the species is in ight. On closer inspection these can be seen to have a<br />
black edge and a clear, black discal spot. e female can be confused with<br />
other Whites unless observed closely; it possesses similar markings to<br />
the male but lacks the orange markings. When at rest with wings closed<br />
both sexes have a moled green appearance on the hindwings created<br />
by an arrangement of yellow and black scales. Male Orange-tips are very<br />
photogenic when on Bluebells or Bugle owers.<br />
30<br />
50 60 70 80 90 00 10<br />
e appearance of the Orange-Tip in spring marks the true arrival of the<br />
buery season. Its principal habitats are lanes, hedgerows, river banks,<br />
damp meadows, roadside verges and woodland rides where its great<br />
mobility makes it a common species. May is the usual month to look<br />
for it though in recent years the rst specimens have begun to appear<br />
consistently in April. ere is a single generation and by June few are seen,<br />
except in late springs when it can be on the wing even into July. Breeding<br />
success is determined by the weather since the buery only ies in<br />
bright sunshine. If conditions are warm, it can still be on the wing into the<br />
evening. As soon as the sun disappears behind a cloud it closes its wings.<br />
Cow Parsley and Garlic Mustard are common roosts and the cryptic<br />
underside colouring creates an excellent camouage. As the sun returns,<br />
it slowly opens its wings before resuming the steady, undulating ight<br />
which takes this mobile lile buery over a wide area. Males will patrol<br />
endlessly up and down a set area looking for females. Days of intermient<br />
sun and cloud are ideal for photographing this prey insect.<br />
e beautiful underside markings of the male<br />
L i f e C y c l e<br />
<strong>Butterfly</strong><br />
<strong>Conservation</strong><br />
A number of foodplants of the crucifer family are used for egg-laying. By<br />
far the most successful is Garlic Mustard, but Hedge Mustard provides a<br />
good substitute while in damper areas and woodland rides Lady’s Smock<br />
is also utilised. All three of these are also readily accepted as nectar plants<br />
though the species will feed from a wide variety of owers. Caterpillars<br />
have also been found on Tower Mustard, Bastard Cabbage, Honesty,<br />
Garlic Mustard and even Oilseed Rape. Eggs have been recorded<br />
on Shepherd’s Purse, but without success. When rst laid, the egg is<br />
translucent but turns a bright orange within a few days and is the most<br />
conspicuous of any buery species as it is laid on the stalk of a plant just<br />
below the ower head. Several eggs found on the same plant stalk will<br />
be the product of dierent females. e caterpillars of the Orange-tip are<br />
renowned for their cannibalism when young.<br />
e caterpillar usually feeds on the seedpods of its chosen plant. When<br />
it rst hatches, it is orange with black spines and a black head. Later it<br />
becomes greener, until when fully grown it exhibits a ne example of<br />
counter-shading, lighter above and dark green below. is prevents it from<br />
casting a shadow which would betray its presence as it rests alongside<br />
the stalks or seedpods, a position which makes it quite dicult to spot.<br />
Even so, many are eaten by birds. e chrysalis is extremely dicult<br />
to nd in the wild and the buery spends around ten months in this<br />
stage, including the winter. e mustard oil which it has derived from the<br />
A mating pair, male above, female below<br />
foodplants of the caterpillar makes the adult buery unpalatable to birds<br />
and the bright orange of the male advertises this, an example of warning<br />
colouration.<br />
Over-enthusiastic trimming of roadside verges destroys the species in its<br />
early stages but cutbacks in Local Authority spending have arrested this<br />
trend and the buery has actually extended its range in Britain in recent<br />
years. A few more wild patches le here and there in parks and gardens<br />
would assist it further. Long may we continue to see this harbinger of<br />
spring.<br />
F e m a l e<br />
E g g<br />
Caterpillar<br />
Chrysalis<br />
<strong>Butterfly</strong><br />
Douglas Goddard & Andy Wyldes<br />
e egg is easy to nd on Lady’s Smock<br />
Butterflies of Northamptonshire<br />
e caterpillar feeds on the developing seed pods of its foodplant<br />
Jan F e b Mar Apr M a y Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec<br />
51<br />
Buerflies<br />
Northamptonshire<br />
Douglas Goddard & Andy Wyldes<br />
‘BB’ and the Purple Emperor<br />
Denys Watkins-Pitchford, who wrote under the pseudonym ‘BB’, was an eminent naturalist-writer who was born in<br />
Northamptonshire and spent his life here. His fascination for the Purple Emperor (Apatura iris) began when he was young<br />
-“I used to spend hours reading about it in my Frohawk’s British Bueries, looking longingly at the colour plate which<br />
showed the insect in all its regal purple sheen, and I used to think that the outside of its wings was even more beautiful,<br />
with its greenish whorls and marblings and the rich coloured eye on the forewing tips.” ‘BB’ began a persistent search for it,<br />
when he found that it was ‘most frequent in Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire.’<br />
Old sites for the buery were Barnwell Wold and the woods around<br />
In his book Ramblings of a Sportsman-Naturalist, ‘BB’ describes the life<br />
Polebrook, while in Geddington Chase in 1878, a man had captured over cycle of this beautiful insect in great detail and reveals what a marvellous<br />
a dozen in a single day. ‘BB’ also mentions newspaper cuings referring observer and entomologist he was. On hatching the caterpillar eats the<br />
to an Emperor being seen and captured at Yardley Chase. A well-known eggshell and then moves to the leaf tip where few predators explore and<br />
Victorian entomologist, the Rev. William Bree, rector of Polebrook, once where the moisture drains o to protect it. He describes the minute beetle<br />
caught a specimen in his hat down a riding in Ashton Wold. On a visit Anthocoris nemorum and its devouring of the tiny caterpillars. Much skill is<br />
to his church, ‘BB’ surmised that he must have preached on many a hot needed to protect them from other enemies, such as spiders and earwigs,<br />
summer aernoon, his mind no doubt wandering to the rides of the<br />
and to tend them so that they survive the winter.<br />
adjacent woods where the Purple Emperor was found. He tells us the<br />
buery was still at Ashton in 1943, but only as a rarity.<br />
In 1973, ‘BB’ tells us that he released 25 adult Purple Emperors into ‘the<br />
Chase’. It is not clear exactly where he means, but this was most probably<br />
‘BB’s early searches for the Purple Emperor found much of the habitat<br />
the ride in Fermyn Wood known as ‘Emperor Ride’, a few minutes’ walk<br />
unsuitable. In 1940 while wandering round Monk’s Wood, a former good from his home. e following year, he found eggs to conrm that they<br />
site for it, he describes meeting an entomologist of the old school with his had indeed bred there. On July 28th 1978 he found 18 eggs and a female<br />
Emperor net 15 high, and he was amused by his pretended ignorance, intent on laying. In 1980, he refers to them as, “the Purple Emperors of<br />
while ‘his sly thirst for information suggested he was a professional<br />
mine (they really were mine, of my own stocking, for as far as I know, iris<br />
collector.’ Aer a brief view of his long sought aer prize in Salcey Forest, did not occur in this forest in recent years).”<br />
‘BB’ nally ‘came face to antennae with iris’ properly for the rst time in<br />
1946. He accompanied Stuart Humfries, an eminent eye-surgeon, to a<br />
wood in Oxfordshire. Having seen a Purple Emperor sele high up on<br />
an oak leaf, he and Humfries seeing a timber truck with wheels nearby<br />
dragged it under the tree, so that ‘BB’ could reach with his net. He made<br />
a sweep for it but it had vanished into thin air. e same day a worn male<br />
circled twice round his head and seled on his knee.<br />
It is clear from his writing that oak woodland was ‘BB’s favourite habitat,<br />
and he extols the wide rides bathed in hot sunlight on a July aernoon,<br />
the cool shadows banding the rides, the sound of the turtle doves<br />
and bullnches, humming ies and the smell of the Meadowsweet.<br />
Subsequent visits to Salcey Forest brought many happy sightings of the<br />
Purple Emperor before spraying to eliminate Oak Tortrix moths led to<br />
its extinction in the 1960s. In 1948, he saw a female laying an egg and<br />
plunged into a ditch to pull down a sprig of Sallow to inspect it. Salcey<br />
also inspired his book Brendon Chase and here in a shady ride one day, he<br />
encountered John Phillips, a Keering surgeon who taught him how to<br />
nd the buery’s eggs successfully.<br />
Eggs can be found on the lower branches of large Sallows but climbing<br />
high into the upper branches may yield even more. One eminent<br />
entomologist, a very big and heavy man, fell and injured himself so badly<br />
that he died later. ‘BB’ regarded the death of a well-known collector, killed<br />
aer falling in a ditch while searching for eggs, as a ing end, and was<br />
prepared to take the risk on many occasions. Once able to gather eggs, he<br />
admied that the ‘iris bug’ had bien even deeper and he vowed to tend<br />
the caterpillars through the winter. It became his mission to reintroduce<br />
the Purple Emperor to its ancient stronghold.<br />
BB watches the release of his bueries into “Emperor Ride” in the mid 1980’s<br />
photographed by Jack Steward<br />
78<br />
of<br />
In the 1982 season, he only found two eggs as the vision in his right eye<br />
had become impaired to the extent that locating them was becoming<br />
too dicult. By then, however, his labours had begun to bear fruit.<br />
Ian Flinders’ survey of the bueries of Northamptonshire 1976-81<br />
had deemed the Purple Emperor extinct but subsequent to this, local<br />
enthusiasts had begun to nd it again in the woods around Brigstock.<br />
It could be seen only a few hundred yards from the Round House in<br />
Sudborough. During the 1990s it had begun to appear regularly and<br />
extended its range here so that it is now found throughout most of the<br />
old Rockingham Forest. In the current millennium Purple Emperors<br />
have been seen regularly in the Silverstone area, particularly Bucknell<br />
and Hazelborough Woods and, on one occasion, Whistley Wood. e<br />
species was recorded again in Yardley Chase from 2009 and a discovery of<br />
a caterpillar by a Northants Wildlife Trust worker conrmed its breeding<br />
there in 2011. is year also saw its return to Salcey Forest aer half a<br />
century with two separate sightings.<br />
Above: A male and female Emperor raised by ‘BB’ are released into ‘Emperor Ride’ in the mid 1980s. Photograph by Jack Steward<br />
Right: e Round House at Sudborough, ‘BB’s home for a number of years, right on Fermyn’s doorstep<br />
Below: ‘Emperor Ride’ in Fermyn as it is today<br />
As a result of climate change the Purple Emperor is extending its range<br />
nationally. It has become widespread in Oxfordshire, another old haunt,<br />
and has been recorded in Warwickshire, Suolk and Cambridgeshire in<br />
recent years. Sallow regenerates quickly on the clay soils of our county and<br />
Fermyn Wood has the perfect conditions for it, the habitat developing<br />
particularly aer ‘BB’s death in 1990. What role the writer played in its<br />
current expansion is dicult to establish. It may be that the buery was<br />
there all along and his intervention helped the population to reach the<br />
level where it began to be seen more readily. It is nonetheless a source<br />
of great pleasure to feel that current buery enthusiasts are treading in<br />
the same woodland rides into which he ventured and to reect that his<br />
cherished dream of seeing ‘His Imperial Majesty’ ying there again is now<br />
an ongoing success, a ing monument to this great naturalist.<br />
By Douglas Goddard & Andy Wyldes<br />
79
Butterflies<br />
of<br />
Northamptonshire<br />
The first book exclusively on the butterflies<br />
of the county, 112 pages, 300 photographs<br />
in full colour<br />
Descriptions of the butterfly habitats of<br />
Northamptonshire with details of ten<br />
important sites with public access to see<br />
the butterflies of the county<br />
Descriptions, life cycles, trends and<br />
distribution maps of the 36 species resident<br />
in the county plus historical summaries of<br />
rare migrants and extinct species<br />
Features on the work of <strong>Butterfly</strong><br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> and management for key<br />
species, Gardening for Butterflies,<br />
‘BB’ and the Purple Emperor<br />
Publication price is £9.99 plus £3.00 postage and packing<br />
e buery habitats of Northamptonshire<br />
Details of ten important sites with public access to see the bueries of the county<br />
Descriptions, life cycles, trends and distribution maps of the 36 species resident in the county<br />
Historical summaries of rare migrants and extinct species<br />
300 photographs in full colour<br />
Features on the work of Buery <strong>Conservation</strong> and management for key species, Gardening<br />
for Bueries, ‘BB’ and the Purple Emperor<br />
UK Price £11.99<br />
ISBN 978-0-9520291-4-4<br />
To order your copy now, send cheque (payable to ‘Beds and Northants<br />
Branch <strong>Butterfly</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong>’) with your name and address, contact<br />
details (phone and email) to Doug Goddard, 34 Ashley Way, Westone,<br />
Northampton NN3 3DZ or arrange to meet Doug to collect if within 15<br />
miles of Northampton. (Tel. 01604 408670, goddarddouglas@hotmail.com)<br />
<strong>Butterfly</strong><br />
<strong>Conservation</strong><br />
Douglas Goddard & Andy Wyldes<br />
Butterflies of Northamptonshire<br />
Bu<br />
No<br />
Dougl
B&N Branch Committee<br />
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