Spring 2012 newsletter - Butterfly Conservation

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Spring Moths in Scotland Jan England Moths, Scotland & early April didn’t sound like an ideal combination at first glance. However, a friend and I set off by train to Pitlochry in an optimistic mood. Our course was held in the Field Studies Centre at Kindrogan, a former country mansion about ten miles outside Pitllochry. Set in extensive grounds with woods, river & moorland it offered a variety of habitats & spectacular scenery. We inspected the mothtraps after breakfast, had a coffee break halfway round the eight traps and set off before lunch to different sites to look for moths and butterflies. Each evening after slides and a discussion we tried to identify moths we had caught that morning. By the time that finished and the moths released we were all ready for a reviving drink in the bar! Target species for the week included Brindled Ochre, Rannoch Sprawler, Rannoch Brindled Beauty, Swordgrass & Orange Underwing. Finding these depended on the right weather conditions, no mean feat in a Scottish April. Despite some rain during one or two nights, each day was dry, sunny & unseasonably warm, 17-19 degrees. Nights were mild too so this produced good results in the traps our tutor ran each night. By the end of the course we had recorded good catches of 26 species in & around Kindrogan including Brindled Ochre, Early Toothed-striped, Oak Beauty, Swordgrass, Water Carpet, Satellite & Yellow Horned. Male Rannoch Brindled Beauty A female wingless Rannoch Brindled Beauty Photos by Jane Bowman 12 A trap was also run in birchwoods at Kincraig which produced 14 species with the RDB moth Rannoch Sprawler found on birch trunks in the garden thanks to the diligent searching of 13 course members. The moth our tutor was most keen to find was the Rannoch Brindled Beauty a Nationally Scarce A moth which rests by day on fenceposts & walls. The male is small, has a black furry body with a line of orange dots along the abdomen,grey semitransparent wings marked with a dark curved outer cross line & central crescent.The female’s body is the same but she is wingless.These moths are usually found low down on fenceposts so our group presented a strange sight to passers-by as we peered, bent double, at dozens of posts along the road to Struan.The sharp-eyed amongst us finally found 8 males and 13 females after two days searching.Back to the bar again that night! Our final target species was a day-flying moth called Orange Underwing usually seen flying around the top branches of birch trees in sunshine. Fortunately the exceptionally warm sunny weather in Scotland meant we found Orange Underwings on three days with over 20 being seen along the Old Military Road at Drumcroy Hill. Once more our group entertained passing traffic as we ran up & down desperately trying to net an Orange Underwing for detailed inspection. After a week of excellent mothing, good weather amid wonderful scenery we agreed our optimism had been well and truly rewarded.
Field Trips 2012 Northants Sunday, May 27 th Save our Butterflies Week/Springwatch Event Fineshade Wood, our book Butterflies of Northamptonshire will be on sale plus RSPB walk for butterflies (10.30 – 12.00), max. 20. Cost £3 adults, £1.50 children, half-price to RSPB and BC members. Meet at Top Lodge, Fineshade, in the centre courtyard SP976983. Car Park fee. To book, contact Chris Andrews, 07912 667734, email toplodge@rspb.org.uk Saturday, 9 th June Stanwick Lakes, General walk for butterflies and dragonflies, 10.30 – 12.30. Max. 20, cost £1 (free to Stanwick Lakes members). Meet at the entrance to the Visitor Centre, SP973713, just off the A45 at the Stanwick/Raunds roundabout. Car parking fee. To book, contact rangers Luke Johns or Geoff Watton, 01933 625522. Sunday, 17 th June Glapthorn Cow Pastures Black Hairstreak Open Day, 10.00 – 1.00, continuing p.m. with the Wildlife Trust. Park in the lane opposite the wood entrance, Grid Reference TL006903. Sunday, 24 th June Twywell Hills and Dales, joint meeting with Desborough Wildlife Group to look for Marbled Whites and other grassland species. Meet in the main car park Grid Ref. SP938772 10.30 a.m. Tuesday, 17 th July Fermyn Wood, joint meeting with Desborough Wildlife Group to look for woodland species: Purple Emperor, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Purple and White-letter Hairstreak. Meet at the entrance opposite the Welland Gliding Club 10.30 a.m. Grid Ref. SP964858 Sunday, July 29 th Fineshade Wood, RSPB walk for butterflies (10.30 – 12.00), max. 20. Cost £4 adults, £2 children, half-price to RSPB and BC members. Meet at Top Lodge, Fineshade, in the centre courtyard SP976983. Car Park fee.. To book, contact Chris Andrews, 07912 667734, email toplodge@rspb.org.uk Sunday, 5 th August Summer Leys, General walk for butterflies and dragonflies, 10.30 -12.30. Max. 20, Suggested minimum donation £2.50, half of which goes to Butterfly Conservation, half to The Friends of Summer Leys. Meet in the reserve car park, Grid Ref. SP887634. To book, contact Jon Collings, Chairman of The Friends of Summer Leys, jon.p.collings@live.co.uk. For further information, contact Doug Goddard, who is leading all of the trips above. Branch funds were recently boosted by £450 from the Waitrose Community Matters scheme. The scheme allows shoppers to choose three charitable causes each month to receive up to a £1,000 donation from their store by voting for one of them at the branch check-out. Martin Izzard (left) and Ian Kimsey are seen receiving the cheque outside the Waitrose Rushden store. 13
Page 1 and 2: No 80 Spring 2012 www.bedsnorthants
Page 3 and 4: Butterflying in the Pyrenees Greg H
Page 5 and 6: The weather cleared slightly and bu
Page 7 and 8: The White-letter Hairstreak eggs wi
Page 9 and 10: Silver-washed Fritillary Photo Doug
Page 11: Butterflies in Kefalonia David Chan
Page 15 and 16: November 13 th 2011 Sunday, January
Page 17 and 18: Butterflies of Northamptonshire The

Spring 2012 newsletter - Butterfly Conservation

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