regional magazine of west midlands butterfly conservation€¦ · and a warm welcome to marian....

Regional Magazine of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation

theCommaNo.101 Autumn 2018

Day-flying moths: speciesto be seen in the Malverns

BioBlitz: Chris Packhamvisits Prees Heath

the Comma2 Autumn 2018 3

Branch News Branch News

Cover photograph of Buff-tip mothcaterpillars was taken by LucyLewis. You can read more about themoths to be seen by day in theMalvern Hills on pages 12–15.

Butterfly of the Year 2018I’ve heard people discussing whichspecies will be Butterfly of the Year in2018. Apart from the joys of a successfulWood White season, my favouredsightings were 13 White Admirals inMonkwood, and 11 Peacocks in TrenchWood (after seeing ones and twos forover a year). I wish Small Tortoiseshellwere a candidate but, sadly, this speciescontinues to struggle – maybe there aremore where you live? Do send yournominations to [email protected]– winners (and losers) will be announcedin the next Comma.

Wood White updateTo expand on the Wood White story,the re-introductions have proved verysuccessful. On the strength of this, theBranch is supporting a Head Office bidto extend the life of the Making a Stand for the Wood White project. Ifsuccessful, this will enable ButterflyConservation to further enhance knownsites and bring neighbouring woodsinto suitable condition to help this frailbutterfly to spread, either by naturalcolonisation or planned introductions. (Isay ‘frail’ but it’s quite capable of flyingin marginal conditions.)

I’d like to thank all the volunteerswho’ve worked through the winter, andthose who’ve participated in transectwalks, casual record submissions and

egg searches. Oh, and those who’veposted such evocative photos onFacebook. The Wood White hasresponded to all this encouragement,providing hard evidence to support thebid for more money.

New magazine editorPerhaps the main Branch news is thatMarian Newell has taken over fromStephen Lewis as Magazine Editor. Thisis her first issue but she brings previousexperience to the role. Our sincerethanks to Stephen for his stint, whilecontinuing as warden of Prees Heath,and a warm welcome to Marian.

Save Mortimer ForestAn issue brought to our attention inearly summer was the setting up of theSave Mortimer Forest campaign groupin response to a plan to build up to 68luxury chalets in the Forest – well knownto us as a prime site for Wood Whites.More than 130,000 people haveobjected to the proposals and signedpetitions against the scheme. Thecampaign has been broadened to linkwith other campaigns nationally.

In Parliament on 12 July, PhilipDunne, local MP and national SpeciesChampion for the Wood White, raisedthe proposal with the EnvironmentMinister, asking if she was satisfied withthe arrangements between Forest

Cover story

Please send articles and images tothe Editor. Photographs should beas high-resolution as possible andsent as separate files (not embed-ded in a document).

Our copy deadlines are Spring - 28 February, Autumn - 31 August and Winter - 30 November (early submissions are welcome). Contact the Editor for more information.Editor: Marian Newell, [email protected]

Branch website address www.westmidlands-butterflies.org.uk

Butterfly Conservation West MidlandsBranch. The opinions expressed inthis magazine are not necessarilythose of the Branch or of ButterflyConservation.

Contributions

Publisher

BC West Midlands Butterflies and Moths Butterfly Conservation West Midlands

@WestMidlands_BC

Holidays and the ForestryCommission, which is a publicbody. In response, the Ministerannounced that the deal – whichdid not involve a tendering process– is to be investigated by herDepartment. The Branch will registerits concern that any proposal musttake fully into account the need toprotect this historic and sensitiveenvironment.

Online moth atlasAnother project that’s beenbubbling away is an online mothatlas for the West Midlands.Progress is slow but sure. We’veidentified someone who can set upa database with an atlas for eachcounty and a separate file forphenology. County recorders willthen have to undertake the processof checking or entering verifiedrecords – a sizeable task. The atlaswill eventually be linked to our ownWest Midlands website, with someintroductory notes.

A future phase might involve aphoto gallery and, eventually,species accounts with details of lifestages, habitats, food plants and soon. However, we’ll have to decidewhether this website is the bestplace for it.

Related to this, I read in theButterfly magazine of a plan topublish next year a Macro MothAtlas for Great Britain and Ireland. You can pre-order it fromwww.naturebureau.co.uk/bookshop,saving £10 on the published price.As this is also the publisher of our own Butterflies of the WestMidlands, you can order a copy of

that at the same time if you don’t yethave one.

Management strategiesI recently half-heard a debate aboutwhether some reserves aremanaged for one species only, andbutterflies were given as anexample. This is an interesting issueand one that’s covered in a newbook, The Nature of the Malverns(see page 32).

It is true that some work, sayclearing scrub to benefit plants andinsects, may not suit birds ordormice. However, I’d contendthat, in most cases, work done forbutterflies benefits other species. Asan example, the Making a Stand for the Wood White project identifiessecondary target species, not only other butterflies (White-letterHairstreak and Dingy Skipper)but also Slow-worms, Grass Snakesand Lizards. That’s quite differentfrom single-species strategies suchas rearing Pheasants.

Also, as we tend to operate in

partnership with other conservationbodies, clearance work andplanting are scheduled within abroader management plan. Anexample that I know about isrecently funded contractor work (andsupporting volunteer activity) to cleartrees, scrub and alien vegetationfrom a series of woodland rides: thisonly indirectly benefits butterflies – itsdirect effect is to create lighterconditions in which plants growmore freely, thus increasing nectarsources for a range of insects.

Finally, what about urbanbutterflies and moths? If this topicinterests you, I hope to see you atour Branch AGM on 24 November(see page 29). Dr Phil Sterlingwill talk about his role as BuildingSites for Butterflies ProgrammeManager, engaging with relevantlocal planners to enhance the builtenvironment.

Peter Seal Branch Chair

Chairman's AddressPeter Seal The Editor speaks

I have some experience of editing a magazine, as Peter

has said, but I’m a butterfly novice and a moth non-starter

so I hope you’ll forgive any early mistakes. I’ve inherited

an established team and hope we’ll be able to go from strength to strength

together. I’ll be looking for articles of around 500–750 words, supported

by high-resolution images sent as separate files without editing or resizing.

I’d like to reflect as wide a range of interests as possible, so please send

suggestions to [email protected].

An idea from me is for someone to write about identifying butterflies on the

wing. I find this difficult for the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey.

Marian Newell, Comma Editor

Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468)

Registered office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QP.

Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268)

Marian Newell


Celebrating our successesNext year will mark our Branch’s40th anniversary. The first regionalbranch of Butterfly Conservation tobe established, back in 1979,we’re now one of the charity’slargest and most active branches.

With partner organisations,we’re responsible for managingfive fantastic nature reserves which,largely thanks to our volunteers, arebrilliant places to see butterflies andmoths. Every year, we undertakepractical conservation work at sitesthroughout our region to ensure thebest possible habitats for our morevulnerable species.

We produce a regional maga-

zine three times a year, which ishighly valued by our members andhas just passed its 100th issue.We’ve run and supported campaigns to secure better man-agement of hedgerows, roadverges and public open spaces,and encouraged other groups toconsider the needs of butterflies andother insects through our Places forPollinators initiative. Two yearsago, we produced the first everbook on the butterflies of the WestMidlands, which has sold very welland been extremely well received.

We can point to a number ofconservation successes over theyears (many documented in our

book) where, as a result of a lot ofeffort often working alongside Butterfly Conservation’s regionalstaff and in partnership with other organisations, we’ve successfullystemmed the tide of loss and decline. We’ve been able to in-crease population and distribution insome cases, such as Brown Hair-streak in Worcestershire, Pearl-bor-dered Fritillary in the Wyre Forest,Silver-studded Blue in Shropshireand more recently Wood White.

.Seeking your helpAs we enter our 40th year, we’rekeen to involve you all in our cele-brations. We recognise, of course,

We welcome news that John has been awarded the WorcestershireWildlife Medal for ‘dedicated services to nature conservation’. TheTrust’s statement pays tribute to his longstanding commitment to prac-tical conservation and to recording. This includes John’s work as But-terfly Conservation Transect Coordinator and leading creator of theCounty’s Ancient Tree Recording scheme. It goes without saying that,with his 21 years as Grafton Wood Reserve Manager, time asBranch Chairman and involvement in our book, John fully deservesthis award. He’s not bad with a camera either – this photo of a pairof Wood Whites taken by him reveals his more delicate side!

By Peter Seal Branch Chair

West Midlands Branch nears 40th anniversary John Tilt receivesWildlife Trust Award

Branch News Branch News

that some butterfly and moth speciesare decreasing in both number andrange, and we clearly need tomaintain our efforts to arrest thesedeclines. Nevertheless, we want tostress the positives and highlighthow Butterfly Conservation, throughits regional staff and its volunteers,can really make a difference.

Nationally, we sometimes sellourselves short by giving the falseimpression that we’re only monitor-ing declines. Recording and surveywork is important but, more impor-tant still, is the conservation actionthat follows. Always our Branch'stop priority, this is what attracts newmembers.

With this in mind, we’re planninga series of events during 2019 thatwill help to showcase our work andbring Butterfly Conservation to awider audience. Look out for detailsin future issues of The Comma.

However, we’re also looking forhelp from our members. Could youperhaps hold a garden open day tohighlight what people can do forpollinating insects by selecting goodnectar-producing plants? Could youraise funds for our Branch through asponsored walk, run, slim or cycleride? How about setting yourself thechallenge of seeing all 39 speciesof butterflies that occur in our re-gion, seeking sponsorship for thenumber you see? Could you offer aguided walk around one of yourfavourite places for butterflies? Doyou know of an area that, with oursupport, could become another

Place for Pollinators? Could you runa stall on behalf of Butterfly Conser-vation at a local show or fête? Wenow have our own marquee withlogo that members can borrow, plusleaflets and supporting material.

All ideas and suggestions arewelcome and, with your help, we’llup our game in 2019 and achieveeven more. Meanwhile, keep aneye on our website for updates onour anniversary plans.

By Mike Williams Publicity &Marketing Officer

We’ve produced an anniversarybadge featuring a Comma, freeto Branch members. If you’d likeone, send a stamped addressedenvelope to BCWM, Annesbrook,2 Dewberry Close, Stourport-on-Severn, DY13 8TB.

Our anniversary calendar isnow on sale and we hope allBranch members will want to buyone – it’ll make a great Christmaspresent for friends and family.It’s film-wrapped and includessome stunning images of butter-flies and moths found in our region including Brown Argus,Clouded Yellow, Scarlet Tiger

and Silver-washed Fritillary.Thanks to John Devries, who co-ordinated production, and toeveryone who contributed photos.

The calendar is priced at £8including postage (£15 for two).To order, send a cheque madeout to Butterfly Conservation West Midlands Branch, with yourname and address, to BCWM,Annesbrook, 2 Dewberry Close,Stourport-on-Severn, DY13 8TB. It’ll also be available at our AGMin Shrewsbury in November.

We have a range of other an-niversary-branded goods (includ-ing a mug, T-shirt, tote bag and

Anniversary commemorative items

FREE Membership

greeting card) on sale atwww.butterflyartshopuk.com.

Proceeds from sales of all commemorative items willsupport the conservation of but-terflies and moths in our region.

By Mike Williams Publicity &Marketing Officer

Finally, we’re continuing to

promote one-year free

membership of Butterfly

Conservation using the

promotional code

FREEBRANCH (WM).

This is a great way of

encouraging people to join.


In the last Comma, we announcedplans to support 10 Places forPollinators in the region over thenext two years. Pollinating insects,including butterflies and moths, are indecline in Britain and need all the help they can get. The idea is tocreate a series of sites across ourregion which provide nectar andpollen but also, where possible,opportunities to breed and over-winter.

Progress and plansThis summer has seen majorprogress and we are already overhalfway towards our target. Inaddition to the new garden atSevern Valley Country Park (seeopposite), we’ve successfullycreated another Pollinators Gardenat Wychavon Civic Centre, workedwith a community group in Telfordon a wildflower seed-sowingproject and supported thedevelopment of a new wildflower

meadow at Little Lakes Golf Courseoutside Bewdley.

We’re grateful to all thevolunteers, businesses and sponsorswho have supported this project sofar but, with your help, we canachieve still more. We’re nowactively looking for new Places forPollinators and we’d be pleased tohear your suggestions for locations.To qualify and receive support fromWest Midlands Butterfly Conservation,

including a Places for Pollinatorsinformation board, sites must be ina prominent position, be open tothe public and have sufficientresources (volunteer or paid) tocreate and maintain the habitat.

Article and photos by Mike Williams

Our campaign to create new sources of nectar and pollen is off to a great start.

Planting team at Wychavon Civic Centre

Places for PollinatorsVolunteers have been awarded

£500 from Veolia's Make aDifference Awards to create aButterfly Garden at Severn ValleyCountry Park. A further £50 wasdonated by entomologist, KeithFowler, of Shropshire InvertebrateGroup and £55 from Mrs ShirleyFenwick, daughter of one of thevolunteers. A bird-bath, donated byTom and Joyce Roberts in memoryof their little dog, Jenny, has beenpositioned in the garden to providea source of water for birds, bees andbutterflies.

Having chosen this project as oneof those to celebrate 40 years of Butterfly Conservation in the WestMidlands, our Branch has preparedan interpretation board to be put in the garden to highlight theimportance of butterflies, moths andbees. The chosen site is in the carpark, in front of the Visitor Centre.

During the Spring of 2018, anarea of vegetation and scrub was

cleared and some topsoil deliveredand levelled. A range of plantsknown for their value to insects was planted, including Buddleia,Honeysuckle and Alder Buckthorn. Inaddition, Ashwood Nurseries ofKingswinford kindly donated nativewildflowers, such as Ox-eye Daisy,Field Scabious, Cowslips, RedCampion, Bird's-foot Trefoil andMeadow Cranesbill, which are vitalto many butterflies. Pollinator-friendlyherbaceous garden perennials, such as Hellebores, Hebes, Sedums,Marjoram, Thyme, Salvias andErysimum were supplied by Cook'sNursery of Stourport-on-Severn andAshwood Nurseries.

Seeds of colourful annuals weresown to provide a spectacle ofcolour, as well as nectar for beesand butterflies.

Redundant railway sleepers weresecured around the edge to containthe soil. Images of insects wereengraved on the surface of the

railway sleepers by the volunteers,and then painted by Shirley Fenwickusing acrylic paints.

As the garden matures, more plantson which pollinators depend will beadded in a bid to help theseimportant insects to increase andthrive. As humans, we rely on them topollinate many of our crops. They alsoplay a vital role in the food chain, asprey for birds and other wildlife.

Those of us who enjoy the thrill ofseeing these wonderful insects asthey move from flower to flower, oras they bask in the sunshine, willderive much pleasure andsatisfaction from being close tonature. If we care for them, they willcare for us in return. You, too, canmake a difference by doingsomething similar in your owngarden.

Article and photos by Bill WatkinsVolunteer and Treasurer of SevernValley Country Park Supporters Group

Bill Watkins reports on a new Place for Pollinatorsat Severn Valley Country Park.

Bee and Butterfly Bonanza

Places for Pollinators information board

If you know of somewhere suitablefor a Pollinator board, contact

[email protected]

Decorated railway sleepers

Information board

Pollinator-friendly planting

One of the exciting things about moving into a new

house is to discover the wildlife in the garden. When I moved to Edgton, South Shropshire, Iexpected Kites, Redstarts andFlycatchers, but not Wall butterflies.What a lovely surprise! I thendiscovered several of myneighbours saw them too. It’s a very scattered community, so how do these insects travel fromone garden to another?

Our aimMost of us are keengardeners and growplants recommended asbeneficial for pollinators,but can we enable bees,butterflies and other insects totravel between different nectarsources? Hedge banks and verges are natural ready-maderoutes, especially if we leave theirtrimming until later in the year. Notonly is this useful to wildlife but,

when carefully managed, it can bevery attractive.

Our problemIn the Spring of 2017, the vergesaround the village looked splendid.I was especially pleased with the lane leading to my cottage. As I drove home in the evenings,my headlights illuminated manycolourful moths, as in the ‘oldendays’, but then, on 30 June,disaster! I arrived home to find all

the flowers and foliagestrewn across the lane androtting. No chance forblooms to set seed andincrease, instead nettlesand hogweed would

take over. Fortunately many other

residents, including the parish clerk,felt the same, believing verges werean asset that, if managed well,would still be safe for motorists andother road users.

A voluntary verge group was

formed and many householdersjoined enthusiastically. Sisterprojects in neighbouring villagesprovided the opportunity to work inpartnership and, with botanicalexperts, the group set off to surveythe lanes. They were delighted withthe number of species they found,proving that the verges were wellworth preserving.

Our solutionA plan was formed. All vergeswould receive a late summer cutand the trimmings would beremoved. This would encouragethe spread of wild flowers, whichsupport the pollinators that havedramatically declined in recentyears.

There’s a lot of work still to do,and a lot to learn, but hopefully thiswill be the start of a flowery, buzzyrevival.

Article by Carol Wood

Making the Most of our VergesMaking the

Sister projectsin neighbouring villages provided the opportunity to work in partnership

Wall butterfly(Geoff Hall)

Verge photographs(Janet Cobb)


Carol Wood describes howshe and her neighbours aretaking care of their patch.


Wood White Wood White thrives in new locationsThe great news is that Wood Whites have been

recorded in good numbers this summer at severalsites where reintroductions were made as part of theMaking a Stand for the Wood White project.

MonkwoodAt this Worcestershire reintroduction site, jointlymanaged by Butterfly Conservation and WorcestershireWildlife Trust, almost 300 individuals were seen in justone day, along with two peak transect counts of 93and 70 on 28 May. It’s remarkable that the WoodWhite population has expanded from just 20 adults in2016 (the year they were reintroduced) to almost 300in 2018! Adults have also been seen in LittleMonkwood, Monkwood Green and a local garden.Nearly 180 eggs were found at Monkwood duringthree egg-monitoring visits – thanks to all who helpedwith these essential searches (see page 19 for anaccount of one of these days).

Over 30 volunteers assisted with a number of‘Melilot-pulling’ days at Monkwood this summer.

Volunteer effort over the last three summers to controlthis plant has had a huge impact: ride edge habitathas improved considerably since 2016.

Blakeridge WoodAt this Shropshire reintroduction site managed byForestry Commission, Wood White emergence alsoexceeded our expectations, with a peak transect countof 34 adults on 3 June and a total of 40 eggs foundduring two egg-monitoring visits.

Other butterfly species appear to be doing well atBlakeridge too. Dave Green saw six Dark GreenFritillaries, along with one egg-laying female, and anumber of Silver-washed Fritillaries this summer. Inlate May, I was lucky enough to see a Wall, only mythird individual in ten years!

During several site visits this summer, I’ve seen more Wood Whites using shady woodland rides than I expected. Ride-side vegetation, especially underbracken, appeared to be in better condition than theparched plants adjacent to the tracks. Both may be

results of the very hot summer we’ve just had.These are only observations but, if hot summers areto become more frequent, more variation withinwoodlands may be required in future to ensure thesurvival of Wood Whites and other key butterflyspecies.

Other sitesWood Whites were again seen utilising areas ofbreeding habitat in the scallops created at bothWigmore Rolls and Bury Ditches in 2017. Although Ihaven’t seen Wood Whites using the new scallopscreated this winter, the clearance has really improvedthe adjacent ride-side vegetation. In fact, over 30Wood Whites were recorded in just half an hour atBury Ditches.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few new sites this summer and, although I didn’t see any WoodWhites, I did find areas of suitable habitat, great flower-rich margins and hedgerows, along with planted

pollinator mixes that were supporting avariety of butterfly species.

In summaryThe initial Making a Stand for theWood White project, which wasmade possible by a grant fromthe Heritage Lottery Fund alongwith contributions from partners and supporters, endsnext March but this is by no means the end of our workto conserve the Wood White. Much has beenachieved over the past three years and there’s a strongcommitment on the part of our Branch to sustain andcontinue this work. Further funding bids are in thepipeline and, if successful, we hope to extend our workto cover more sites. I’d like to thank everyone for theirsupport so far and remind people to submit all WoodWhite sightings using iRecord.

Article by Rhona Goddard Wood White Project Officer

Rhona Goddard reports some excellent numbersseen this summer,after several successful reintroductions.

Wood Whites have been recorded at:

• Six sites in South Shropshire,

including Walcot Wood (Forestry

Commission) where a number of eggs

and adults were found along with 25

Wall butterflies.

• Twelve sites in Herefordshire, including

Haugh Wood where almost 200 Wood

Whites were seen in just one survey

day organised by Kate Wollen and

others (thank you).

• Four sites in Worcestershire, one of which

is a very recent reintroduction and I’m

pleased to report that early observations

are very encouraging – we’ll know

more next year.Wood White at Monkwood (Dave Butler)

Wood White pair at Blakeridge (Janet Turnbull)

Wall at Blakeridge (Janet Turnbull)

I’d like to remind people tosubmit all WoodWhite sightings using iRecord


Mel Mason advises on thespecies you may see, whenand where.

There is no clear distinctionbetween day- and night-flying

moths. Many night-flying moths arealso considered to be day-flying ifthey are easily disturbed from theirroosting sites during the day. Thereare up to 100 local species of day-flying moths reported around theMalverns, compared with just 33local species of butterflies, but mostare typically under-recorded. Theyrepresent only a third of the casualsightings of butterflies and day-flyingmoths submitted to the MalvernButterfly Group each year – and lessthan a tenth of the number of butterflytransect records.

Tigers on the HillsIn 1994, a Malvern Hills Trust reportof an attractive day-flying moth[Simpson T. et al, Lepidoptera on theMalvern Hills] illustrates a distinct

change over the last 25 years.Four Scarlet Tigers were ‘…recorded by English Nature’s PeterHolmes from his garden at MalvernWells…the only other record for thisspectacular moth was one swattedby a tennis racket and given to the late Jack Greenin the 1960s’. Today, thismoth is locally common,seemingly associatedwith the spread of a newlarval food plant, alkanet.This garden escape nowcovers significant areas alongsidethe paths of the lower slopes of the Hills, where large numbers oftheir caterpillars feed in spring. Ruby Tiger is also common,whereas Garden Tiger and WoodTiger are now far less common thanin the past.

In contrast, Drab Looper is a veryrare moth, restricted to isolatedcolonies in south-west Britain. Thelocal population is small and in someyears no sightings are recorded,possibly due to variable weatherconditions or insufficient monitoring.However, over recent years, therehas been a determined effort to

manage their known habitats in theMalverns. Removing excessive scruband trees has encouraged woodspurge, the larval food plant, andother herbaceous plants to flourish on the western balcony overlooking

Gullet Quarry, with asubsequent increase insightings. The westernslopes of Chase EndHill are another goodsite. Here regular

habitat managementproduces a succession of

spring flora, starting with wilddaffodils, then wood anemone,dog violets, bluebells and, finally,bracken and wood spurge.

Spring mothsDuring March and April OrangeUnderwing flies high in the canopyof birch trees along the woodlandedges of the hilly slopes, andoccasionally comes down to drinkfrom muddy puddles. They appear ingood numbers at the same time ashibernating butterflies are justemerging and are sometimesmistakenly identified as SmallCoppers. A little later in the spring,

Small Yellow Underwing occurs inmore open grassy areas whereCommon and Field Mouse-ear thrive.

In spring, day-flying mothssometimes outnumber butterflies on the Hills. Speckled Yellow, adistinctively patterned moth, is easilydisturbed on the grassy slopes in May, with sightings every fewmetres. Like Speckled Yellow,Yellow Shell and the BrimstoneMoth are attractive yellow mothscommonly found around the Hillsand easily mistaken for butterflies.More difficult to identify from adistance, and often overlooked,Brown Silver-line is easily disturbedfrom bracken, while Treble-bar andLesser Treble-bar fly low over the

grasses and scrub. Some nocturnalmoths, such as Cream Wave, fly outfrequently from the undergrowth togive the impression of even greaternumbers of day-flying species.

While the darker male MuslinMoth is nocturnal, the moreattractive female often flies in sunnyweather on the scrub covered slopesduring May. Its white dotted wingsmake it easy to see when resting inthe undergrowth. The similar, thoughslightly larger, White Ermine andBuff Ermine are also common. TheGhost Moth is another eye-catching, cream-coloured mothworth searching for in open spaces,especially on the commons. Seldomrecorded, but one of the largest and

most spectacular spring moths mustbe the Emperor Moth. Its prominentwing eyespots make it unmistakable.A pheromone lure readily attractsany males hiding in the surroundingscrubby vegetation.

Summer mothsSilver-ground Carpet, GardenCarpet and Common Carpet arecommon around the lower slopes,and similar in appearance in flightover low vegetation. While thesethree vary in shading and show acentral dark band, the Blue-bordered Carpet is much lighterand more distinctive, but found inlower numbers. Lead Belle (mid-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

In spring,day-flying

moths sometimes outnumber butterflies on the Hills

Six-spot Burnets(Roger Wasley)

Day-flying Larger Moths around the Malverns Garden Tiger (Lucy Lewis)Ruby Tiger (Lucy Lewis) Small Yellow Underwing (Gavin Woodman) Speckled Yellow (Stephen Lewis)

Blue-bordered Carpet (Lucy Lewis) Muslin moth (Stephen Lewis)Yellow Shell (Lucy Lewis)

the Comma14 Autumn 2018 15Pearl-bordered Fritillary (MikeWilliams)

May to mid-June) and July Belle(mid-June onwards) prefer scrubbyplaces, including the quarries. Asboth rest displaying delta-shapedwings with brown-coloured cross-lines, they are best distinguished bythe time of year when they areseen. Grass Rivulet is oneof the most common mothsseen in June. Pale andlightly patterned, it is foundin large grassy sites, suchas Malvern Common,Woodford’s Common and StWulstan’s Local Nature Reserve.Smaller but more striking, Straw Dotis difficult to miss during a stroll acrossthese meadows in summer.Conversely Satyr Pug, which flies fora short time in May and June, is notoften reported but was recently seenin Tank Quarry.Mother Shipton is an attractive

moth, displaying the image on bothwings supposedly of the profile of anugly16th century prophetess. It flies inopen grasslands in late spring andearly summer along with BurnetCompanion, which shares the samelarval food plants – Clovers and

Bird’s-foot Trefoil. These twomoths are easily mistaken for themuch less common Dingy Skipperbutterfly. The black and crimsonCinnabar is unmistakable flyingaround grassy sites. Unfortunately, itslarval food plant – Ragwort – isconsidered harmful to grazinganimals and is therefore heavilycontrolled. Where this plant is left togrow in isolated locations around theHills, large numbers of distinctive

black-and-yellow stripedCinnabar caterpillarsstrip the foliage. Oftenseen during the dayin June feeding onBuddleia in gardens,

the large caterpillar ofthe night-flying Mullein is

also easily recognised by itscharacteristic yellow, black andwhite markings.

The migrant moths include Silver-Y and HummingbirdHawkmoth. Their numbers fluctuatedependent on prevailing weatherconditions in their continentalbreeding sites. However, Silver-Y isone of the most widely seen andeasy to recognise species, regularlyrecorded on butterfly transectsaround the Malverns in summer,feeding on low-growing plants.Hummingbird Hawkmoth looksmore exotic as it hovers like its

namesake, taking nectar from avariety of flowers. While oftenspotted in gardens, many alsocongregate around the upper cragson the Hills where they seem to circlearound endlessly, probing but neversettling, perhaps in search of mates.The caterpillars feed on Bedstrawsthat also cover large areas of the Hills.

Many night-flying moths are oftenseen during the day or flutteringaround a porch light, particularlyFlame Shoulder. This small mothlooks unremarkable from a distancebut closer inspection reveals moreintricate patterns and colours linkedto its imaginative name. OrangeSwift is a vibrant orange brownmoth with whitish diagonal lines,often seen roosting during the day inhouses and local gardens. SmallPhoenix is an attractively patternedsmall moth, easily disturbed from theWillow Herbs that cover large areasof the Hills. While Buff-tip isoccasionally found at rest by day, its large, yellow-black caterpillar is conspicuous when found onvegetation in the local quarries in latesummer. (see front cover)

In July, Six-spot Burnets competewith Meadow Brown butterflies tobe the most numerous species on thelower grasslands, such as PoolbrookCommon. At the height of summer,

the commons and grassy roadsideverges burst with colourful displays oftheir greenish black and red wings.The papery cocoon of the pupa isalso easy to spot on tall grass stemsbefore the adult moth emerges in July.Narrow-bordered Five-spotBurnets are seen in much lowernumbers on the same sites.

Many moths use camouflage evenmore effectively than butterflies.During July and August, the Annuletis almost invisible with wingsflattened on an exposed crag, whereGrayling butterfly also can befound, both closely imitating thepatterns of the surrounding igneousrocks on North Hill.

Late summer and autumn mothsTwo night-flying noctuids are oftenseen during the day in late summer.Large Yellow Underwing flies outfrom vegetation to reveal the orangeflash of its underwings. RedUnderwing is a larger moth,sometimes seen resting on a treetrunk but more often noticed on thewalls of houses sometimes just belowthe guttering, perfectly camouflageduntil its eye-catching red-and-blackunderwings are displayed. Antlerappears in the grassy commons inAugust. Seen feeding on the top ofa thistle flower, it resembles aminiature ancient chieftain wearing

a fur collar above the brown antler-patterned cloak of its wings. OakEggar is a large brown and golden moth occasionally recordedon Castlemorton Common. Themale flies very fast during the daybut the female seems to fly moreslowly and low over vegetation atdusk, perhaps heavy with herburden of eggs. The nine residentspecies of Hawkmoths include ourlargest moths but they are mainlynocturnal. However, the caterpillarof the Elephant Hawkmoth isregularly seen in local gardensfeeding on Fuschia or RosebayWillowherb in late summer. Its largesize and prominent eye markingsmake it very conspicuous.

The Vapourer moth flies in latesummer and autumn. During anunusually warm period in November2015, a flightless female was

photographed high up in a tree onthe western slopes of WorcestershireBeacon with several males flyingnearby, before one successfullymated. The female lays eggs on herrecently evacuated cocoon. Attractivecaterpillars with tufts of yellow-brownhairs emerge the following May,dispersing on silken threads, perhapswindblown, to nearby vegetationand trees.

Some species have not beenreported in recent years. GrassEmerald is an attractive green moththat becomes grey with age, whichmight explain why few of thiscommon moth are recorded duringthe day, even though its food plantsof Gorse and Broom are plentiful.Six-belted Clearwing and CurrantClearwing are nationally scarce anddifficult to find without luck and theuse of a pheromone lure in the rightlocation. They are both on the edgeof their north-westerly range in theMalverns.

The day moths are as fascinatingas the butterflies and it is not difficultto find the most common ones on andaround the Malvern Hills. A casualstroll on the Hills, across a meadow,or into a quarry may disturb many ofthe species described.

Article by Mel Mason `

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

Many mothsuse camouflage even more

effectively than butterflies

Silver Y(Lucy Lewis)

Antler Moth (Lucy Lewis) Mullein Caterpillars (Lucy Lewis) Straw Dot (Roger Wasley) Currant Clearwing (Roger Wasley)

Vapourer (Roger Wasley) Vapourer caterpillar (Roger Wasley)


Visiting 50 nature reserves in 10days across the UK, wildlife

broadcaster and writer ChrisPackham and his support teamcertainly had their work cut out. Onthe last stop of Day 6, he arrived atPrees Heath at 5pm and stayed fortwo hours. He spotted a Silver-studded Blue, gave an inspiringspeech to the assembled crowd,learned about the reserve and the restoration of former arable landback to heathland, spent time witheveryone who wanted to meet him, talked to several children, didlive interviews on BBC MidlandsToday and posed for innumerablephotographs. He was very generouswith his time, interest and attention.

The BioBlitz projectThe project, however, was not aboutsome celebrity sideshow. Before hearrived we’d held a BioBlitz startingat 8am, the purpose of which wasto record as many different species

Stephen Lewis, VolunteerWarden, describes the visit.

So what was the point of allthis? Chris had outlined twomain aims of his whistle-stoptour. One was to acknowledgeand praise all the work ofpeople who spend hours andhours recording our oftensadly diminishing wildlife.Without individuals going outand monitoring what lives inthe countryside, we would notknow what’s out there. Hissecond theme, however, wasthat nature reserves themselvesare not enough, as there ismuch to be concerned aboutin the wider countryside withthe decline of many speciesand habitats. The BioBlitz tourwas an attempt to highlight theneed for new initiatives andaction to halt and reversethese declines – a long-term,challenging but vital ambition.

Main aims

as possible from all groups on thereserve in one day. We had severalcounty experts present to help withidentifications, and we had somerecords that were not only firsts for thereserve, such as the plant SmallScabious (Scabiosa columbaria), butalso probable firsts for the county,such as a Lacebug (Dictyonotafuliginosa). Over 500 species wererecorded on a laptop in the marquee.

So much to doIn addition to all this effort, anumber of guided walks and eventswere held, including opening mothand small mammal traps from thenight before, a bird walk, agrasshopper and cricket walk, alook at life in the reserve’s largepond, and a butterfly and day-flyingmoth walk. All were well attendedand great fun. Many thanks to allthe walk leaders.

By Stephen Lewis Volunteer Warden,Prees Heath Common Reserve

Chris Packham’s UK BioBlitz Tour comes to Prees Heath

Not everyone gave Chris's speechtheir full attention (©Mike Ashtonwww.macreative.co.uk)

Chris Packham (Clive Dyer)

Small Scabious (Janet Vernon)

Bank Vole (John Harding)

Chris Packham inspires everyone to campaign for wildlife (Stephen Lewis)

Poplar Hawkmoth and Dave Grundy (Stephen Barlow)Grasshopper Walk (Clive Dyer)

A young recorder's top work(Stephen Lewis)

So it was that your correspondent went toMonkwood near Hallow to join a Butterfly

Conservation walk and survey on 14 June this year.The leader was Rhona Goddard and about a dozeneager volunteers attended.

The Wood White was reintroduced into Monkwoodin 2016 and its progress in recolonisation has been closely monitored since. It is a nationallyendangered species and we are lucky in the WestMidlands in having several of the remainingcolonies, including one in the Wyre Forest. AtMonkwood, the Wood White has alreadycolonised the adjacent Little Monkwood and wefound further butterflies and eggs there.

What were we looking for?The term ‘needle in a haystack’ applies very readily tolooking for butterfly eggs. You are essentially lookingfor a bottle-shaped fleck of dust, although you do havesome clues to go on. For a start, according to my book,the Wood White only lays its eggs on certain plants –yellow Meadow Vetchling, Bitter--vetch, Tufted Vetch,and Greater and Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil.Complication – Monkwood has loads of similar plants,which the Wood White shuns!

Next, is the egg white or yellow? My understandingis that it’s white when laid, but then changes colourbefore the caterpillar emerges.

Where were we looking?We spread out along the woodland ride and, avoidingdog muck, peered under the leaves of the larval foodplant looking for and counting eggs. I found it easiestto watch for an egg-laying female then, having seenher ovipositing, quickly count the egg(s). As this methodhas the benefit of minimising disturbance to food plants

and key areas of habitat, it is recommended by Rhona.It enabled me to count three of the 80 eggs found thatday. Not too bad for a beginner, I suppose, althoughone young lady had microscopes for eyes – I wasenvious.

One of the great ironies was that two of the threebutterflies seen most often that day were the rare WoodWhite and uncommon White Admiral. I’ve never seenso many of either.

As the Wood White has two broods a year, I bookedimmediately to go on another egg hunt a month later. And I made a note to take a magnifying glassand kneeler!(From the Editor: The second hunt found 120 eggs.)

Article by Richard Woolley


Richard Woolley describes a search forWood White eggs.

Roger Littleover records this stunning migrant on a reserve near Shrewsbury.

Venus Pool Nature Reserve is a hidden treasure justoff the busy Bridgnorth to Shrewsbury road (A458)

and is mostly frequented by birders equipped withbinoculars and cameras who may hopefully 'tick andclick' rare migrating waders or wildfowl passing throughthe Severn Valley Wildlife Corridor. One of my personalexperiences last year was to see and photograph amigrating juvenile Osprey as it was passing through,which was a childhood dream come true.

General sightingsShropshire Ornithological Society has acquired 28 acres surrounding the pool, including marshland andmeadowland that attracts dragonflies and butterflies,often in good numbers. With the recent heatwave, Venus Pool Meadow has been a regular late-afternoon stop for me as I drive home from a busy day inShrewsbury. Green-winged Orchids and emergingOrange-tips are always a delight to see in May.

During June and July, the meadow was alive withbutterflies – Peacock and Comma nectaring on BlackKnapweed; Large, Small and Green-veined Whites

feasting on Purple Milk-vetch.There were record numbers of first-brood Brown Argus, with secondbroods of Common Blue and Brown Argus alsodoing very well.

Big Butterfly CountReports of Clouded Yellow being spotted this year onthe reserve excited me to make a few more visits than Iusually do, as it’d been three years since I'd last seen aClouded Yellow in Shropshire. I decided to do my BigButterfly Count on the meadow one Saturday morning.

The warmth from the early morning sun woke PaintedLady and Red Admiral to make a show, and Peacockand Common Blue were soon ticked off my list. Then,suddenly, a flash of gold and a Clouded Yellow settledclose enough for me to photograph! I counted at leastfive more that day.

I was thrilled to see and photograph these stunningmigrants and to record both male and female on themeadow. Now, we’ll wait and watch to see if they’vemated. Hopefully, we’ll have some home-grownspecimens on the wing.

Article and photos by Roger Littleover

Clouded Yellow at Venus Pool

During June and July, the meadow was alive with butterflies

Clouded Yellow

Clouded Yellow on Purple Milk-Vetch

We’ve been onan egg hunt

Wood White egg (Dave Emley)

Wood White laying eggs (Dave James)

Mel Mason reviews butterfly sightings around the Malvern Hillsin the Age of Queen Victoria.

Not surprisingly, when we look back over the past twocenturies we find many more species in much greater

numbers. Imagine finding a Camberwell Beauty in yourgarden, Purple Emperor in Park Wood, Mazarine Bluein West Malvern, Small Blue around the lime pits nearCroft Farm, or Duke of Burgundy at the foot of Berrow

PART 1A Flutter in the Past

The prize collectionof specimens at theWorcester Museum:although collected by local recorders,precise locationshave often been lost with the labelsover time. The species are, however, recordedin the historical references cited.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22the Comma20

Autumn 2018 23

Hill. These are just a few of the exciting species recordedby the Malvern Field Club [R2] in 1870. There werealso records of Queen of Spain Fritillary, Chalk-hillBlue and Black Hairstreak in the region. Even Silver-studded Blue was recorded by the editor in 1870 butlater denied by the recorder in 1899 [R5–p5]. However,much earlier in 1834 [R1–pp136–146], Silver-studdedBlue was among the rarer insects found further afield inWorcestershire along with Swallowtail, Large Copperand Clouded Sulphur.

We might doubt the accuracy of these records, butthe editor in 1870 writes ‘Every insect therein named astaken in Worcestershire was captured by myself or bysomeone on whose veracity I can rely. Nothing is putdown to hearsay’ [R2–p174]. (Of course ‘capture’ forthe Victorian enthusiast did not mean capture on film orphoto – it is more likely the specimen ended up pinnedto a board.)

In the 1886 calendar [R3], Green Hairstreak isshown in both June and August. Although it is more oftenseen in April and May in southern Britain, sightingsaround Malvern tend to be later, in June and early July(with several in August in recent history). An unsurprisingomission from the Calendar is the Essex Skipper, whichwas to arrive in Malvern well over a century later – in2001. It is the newest species to colonise the MalvernHills and nowadays is very common. The ChequeredSkipper is not shown in the Calendar of sightings,

perhaps because it was locally already extinct by thistime. In a publication of 1899, the author states for theChequered Skipper: ‘as I have taken no specimennearer than at the Berrow Hill, Martley, we are obligedto exclude it’ from the list of Malvern species [R5–p5].

The Victoria County History also lists several interestingspecies recorded around the Malvern Hills includingCamberwell Beauty, Duke of Burgundy Fritillary,Greasy (Marsh) Fritillary and Large Tortoiseshell[R4–pp123–124].

We tend to think that the loss of habitat andassociated species is a modern phenomenon but theeditor in 1870 reflects on these same concerns almost150 years ago:

‘Next to the woods, flowery meadows, and cloverfields in this neighbourhood, rough commons, heathsand marsh are dear to the entomologist, dearer alas! asgreed or necessity yearly diminishes the number of ourwild places; and thus our peculiar Flora and Faunaperishes, and all the smaller distinctive features of ourcountry are reduced to one dead level by the invadingplough’ [R2-–p174].

The lepidopterists of the 19th century could not haveforeseen that this problem would be greatly exacerbatedduring the 20th century by agricultural intensification andwidespread use of fertilisers and insecticides.

Article and photo by Mel Mason WMBC MalvernRepresentative Malvern Butterfly Group Recorder

January, February andMarch – None, except in hibernation

April – Small Copper, WoodArgus (Speckled Wood)

April and May – Large, Smalland Green-veined Whites; Orange Tip, Holly or Azure Blue

May – Wood White, Bath White,Brimstone or Sulphur, Wall, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper

May and June – Black-veinedWhite, Pearl-bordered Fritillary,Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary,Greasy (Marsh) Fritillary, BrownArgus, Common Blue, Little orBedford (Small) Blue, Small Heath

June – Green Hairstreak, LargeSkipper

June and July – Silver-washedFritillary, Dark Green Fritillary,High Brown Fritillary, Comma,Small Tortoiseshell, White

Admiral, Meadow Brown, Ringlet,White-letter Hairstreak, Small Copper

July – Purple Emperor, MarbledWhite, Purple Hairstreak, SmallSkipper, Grayling, Gatekeeper or Large Heath

July and August – Large,Small and Green-veined Whites,Brimstone or Sulphur, Large Tortoiseshell, Camberwell Beauty,Peacock, Painted Lady, Wood

Argus (Speckled Wood), Small Heath, Brown Hairstreak

August – Wood White, BathWhite, Clouded Yellow, PaleClouded Yellow, Pearl-borderedFritillary, Small Pearl-borderedFritillary, Red Admiral, Wall,Green Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Holly or Azure Blue,Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Large Skipper

August and September –Small White, Small Heath, Small Copper, Common Blue,Holly or Azure Blue

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 Thanks

Thanks to all past recorders, MalvernHills Trust, Ian Duncan for collectingmany of the historical reports, Worcester Museum and the ArchiveCollections, Malvern and Worcester Library Archive Publications.

References

1.Illustrations of the Natural History ofWorcestershire – Rarer Lepidopterous

Insects found in Worcestershire (1834)

Charles Hastings

2.Transactions of the Malvern FieldClub 1870 – List of Malvern

Lepidoptera: the Arrangement from

Guenèe, Stainton and others

3.The Malvern Field Handbook of1886 – Butterfly Calendar &

Complete List of Local Butterflies

4.Victoria County History – A

History of Worcestershire (1901)

5.The Butterflies and Moths ofMalvern, W. Edwards and R.F.

Towndrow, printed in 1899

It started with a trickle butnow the flood gates haveopened – in a summerfrom which water wasconspicuously absent! Thefirst recorded sighting ofSilver-washed Fritillaryin Staffordshire was in1890 at Swynnerton OldPark; at the time of writing,the latest was on 6 Augustin the woodland aroundKeele University.

Last year, two records from gardens in the Lichfield area and 'several'at Hall Dale in The Peak District gave an indication that something washappening. That’s been well and truly confirmed this year: Silver-washedFritillary is on the move and, it seems, in significant numbers.

Most sightings were at the start of this species’ flight period, whichcoincided with probably the warmest period of this year's heatwave, sothey were forced to search for nectar sources that were in scarce supply,with Buddleia once again proving its worth.

Males were recorded at Sutton Park (Birmingham and BlackCountry), Eccleshall, Stone, Swynnerton Old Park (again), KeeleUniversity, Chasewater and Wolseley Bridge, and breeding wasconfirmed at Hall Dale. Two females were also recorded, one in agarden in Codsall and the other at the Birmingham Institute of ForestResearch just outside Norbury.

Many others would have passed through unnoticed, and thusunrecorded, but the sightings raise a question as to the origin of thisyear's travelling population. Dispersal of this kind can be a result of'stress' being experienced in the butterflies’ present habitat. The summerheat scorched many larval food plants and nectar sources, with the latterprobably being the catalyst.

Time will tell if the exodus will affect existing populations, but theforests and woods of Staffordshire could soon have burgeoning newpopulations of this magnificent butterfly.

And next season's project? Get yourselves out and about, from late Juneto late August, find a good stand of bramble (a particular favourite of thisspecies) and wait for them to come to you. You never know, if you godown to the woods next year, you may be in for a big surprise.

Article by John Bryan

John Bryan notes an increase in Silver-Washed Fritillaryin Staffordshire.

Forests Awashwith Frit’s?

The Malvern Field Handbook of 1886 lists 47 local species [R3–pp3–4]. All of these, except Chequered Skipper,are illustrated in a Butterfly Calendar [R3–pp1–2] of expected sightings, showing many familiar species along with those that are now extinct around the Malvern Hills:

Recycling and SWF: not your usual combo? (Warren Griffiths)

Autumn 2018 25the Comma24

a good appetite for bananas! We travelled for fourhours to Ankarana Lodge. Our driver spotted anOustalet’s Chameleon in the scrub on the journey. Inthe nearby reserve, we saw Crowned Lemur close to.The next day was a wonderful day spent atAnkarana National Park. We walked throughdry forest, admiring the Baobab trees,before we reached the Tsingy – sharplimestone pinnacles, the result of an erodedcoral reef system laid down 250 millionyears ago. We spotted Sportive Lemurs restingin a tree cavity, as they are nocturnal.

Back to the capitalWe returned to the capital for one night, where wevisited a botanical park and lake. Thousands of birdsgreeted us in this green oasis: Egrets, Squacco Herons,Red-billed Terns and the Madagascar MalachiteKingfisher. There were plenty of fish, too, to feed allthese hungry predators.

We were pleased to leave Pave Hotel for thesecond time, as we now headed east to Perinet, pastmarkets, rice fields and brickworks. At a brief stop, we

saw Strabena mandraka and Borbo rattek, a Skipper.We stopped for longer at a wonderful reptile house,where we saw Geckos, Frogs, Chameleons, Snakesand even a Nile Crocodile. The butterflies included the

Madagascar Dotted Border (Mylothris phileris),Charaxes Anambolou (one of nine speciesof Charaxes), the Madagascan BrownPansy (Junonia goudotii) and an enormouspupal case of the Comet Moth (Argemamittrel). Wonderful frogs were seen: Golden

Mantella, Baron’s Mantella and the aptlynamed Tomato Frog. A Giant Millipede dwarfed

the Golden Mantella. Meanwhile, Tony and Ann hadfound a group of endangered Coquerel’s Sifaka justoutside the museum. Predominantly white, these areamong the biggest and best known of the island’s lemurs.

Andasibe-Mantadia National ParkOur accommodation for the next three nights was atIndri Lodge in Andasibe. On our way there, we passedmuch non-native woodland, mainly Eucalyptus, planted


Bob Hall shares highlights of his October 2017 trip.

Mocker Swallowtail Malagasy White Lady Madagascan Brown Pansy

Seven of us met at Heathrow. We had an overnightflight to Nairobi and a connecting flight to Tana

(Antananarivo - the capital of Madagascar), where wewere met by Bakoly, our Malagasy guide, and Safi,our Hungarian entomologist. We took an early morningflight to Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) in the extreme northof the country.

Our drivers then took us to Amber Mountain, wherewe stopped to look for butterflies in a boggy area justoutside the reserve. Spotted Sailers (Neptis saclava)were seen on wet mud, as well as Strabena mandraka,one of the 37 species of Madagascar Satyrs, whileMocker Swallowtail (Papilio dardanus), Cream-linedSwallowtails (Papilio delalandei) and Banded BlueSwallowtail (Papilio oribazus) appeared at times.

Amber Mountain National ParkWe then went into the National Park. Mossy Leaf- TailedGeckos were found, thanks to our local guides. Thegeckos are nocturnal and sleep on tree trunks duringthe day – they are wonderfully camouflaged. Some of

the world’s smallest reptiles belong to the endemicgenus Brookesia, the smallest less than 3 cm long. Ourguides found the Montagne d’Ambre Leaf Chameleon(Brookesia tuberculate). This is uniformly brown andfound only on Amber Mountain. At least five species ofLeaf Chameleon occur there. Other highlights were agood sighting of the Madagascan Malachite Kingfisher,Madagascan Blue Pigeon, Forest Rock Thrush andMadagascar Crested Ibis. We saw our first lemur,Sanford’s Brown Lemur, high in the forest canopy andalso Crowned Lemur; both of these species are confinedto the dry and humid forest of northern Madagascar. Atame Ring-tailed Vontsira appeared by the picnic table.

Ankarana National ParkOur overnight accommodation at Joffreville wasdelightful. Next morning our German host, Carlos,offered to show us his Giant Tortoise. The tortoise wasoriginally from Aldabra, one of the Seychelles, and wasestimated to be close to 200 years old. It had lived atLe Domaine de Fontenay at least since 1904, and had

Madagascar Forest Nymph

Madagascar’s natural history treasures

Thousands of birds greeted us in this green oasis


in place of the indigenous rainforest. On our first day,we explored a small part of Mantadia National Park.The roads were awful, it was raining and thetemperature was low – welcome to the rainforest! Wehad views of Black and White Ruffed Lemur and a GreyBamboo Lemur. The rainforest lived up to its name,as we trudged along tracks in steady rain, butwe saw plenty of tree ferns, an astonishingview of the Giraffe-necked Weevil, PrayingMantis and then Acreas, a group of long-winged butterflies with red-and-orangemarkings and semi-transparent wings. GreenPillbugs, Satyrids, Ants’ nests and plenty of theubiquitous Pandanus species of tree all added to theinterest. After lunch, the sun appeared, as did SpottedSailers (Neptis saclava), Acrea masamba and theCream-lined Swallowtail (Papilio delalandei).

The next day, we took a short journey to the popularAndasibe National Park. The car park was jammed byeco-tourists and their vehicles. At first we heard Indri,one of Madagascar’s iconic and best-known animals,before we caught up with an athletic group of grey,gold and white Diademed Sifaka. Later, our guidefound us a group of Indri in a much quieter spot wherewe had a magical half-hour in their company; theymake huge leaps in the canopy and also a lot of noise.The group included a mother and her all-black five-

month-old baby. We also saw a Collared Nightjarnesting in a small palm about two metres above theforest floor. The camouflage effect of its feathers, whichappear as dead leaves, was astonishing. Yellow andwhite orchids shone in the forest gloom. A large termitenest was seen, as was a stunning Metalmark (Saribiaperrottii). We also saw the nocturnal Woolly Lemur,asleep and just like a ball of wool.

Palmarium ReserveWe left Indri Lodge after two memorabledays and travelled east: three hours in aminibus, then a transfer to a 4WD for abumpy 30 minutes, then a boat for 1.5hours on an inland lake to reach Palmarium,

close to the Indian Ocean. On the boat trip,we saw Black Kite, Madagascar Pratincole,

Frances’ Sparrowhawk and Madagascan Kestrel.Some of us took a walk along the beach to see a groveof Pitcher plants. Later, at night, we crossed the lake toa special site where a coconut had been put in the forkof a tree. There was the legendary Aye-Aye, anendangered species of lemur. Features included a thin,elongated middle finger used to extract larvae fromdead wood or, in our case, coconut flesh. This is a shyand nocturnal creature. On our return, we found aDwarf Mouse Lemur, another nocturnal lemur. Aspectacular tiger-moth lookalike was seen (Daphuenurafasciata). The next morning, our breakfast was spent inthe company of a female Black Lemur, which was intent

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 on stealing fruit from the table. At Palmarium, we hadwonderful views of Red-bellied and Red-ruffed Lemurs,the majestic Black and White Ruffed Lemur, CrownedLemur and Brown Lemur. Some of these had been reintroduced, and so close-up views were guaranteed.Before we left the idyllic Palmarium, we walked a shortdistance to a pineapple plantation serenaded by adescending series of hoots from the MadagascarCoucal. We then retraced our steps to Manombato tojoin our minibus and driver, whodrove us to Hotel Neptune inTomasina, a large, bustling seaport on the Indian Ocean.

Masoala National ParkThe next day, we continued ourjourney to Maronsetra withanother early morning flight. Aftera bumpy ride in a bright yellowminibus, we boarded two high-speed boats for anexhilarating journey across the bay to Masoalapeninsular. The first rainforest walk was hot, humid anddark. A Madagascan Tree Boa put in an appearancein the kitchen of our lodge in the evening, leading tocelebrity status with all the party. A Short-leggedGround Roller was seen at Masoala, and PiedKingfisher and Helmeted Vanga the next morning.Another boat journey to the idyllic island of NosyMangabe followed for our last night, where we sleptin tents, surrounded on the one side by rainforest, and

on the other by the Indian Ocean. Walks revealedplenty of Madagascar Forest Nymphs (Atericarabena), quite often settled on the forest paths. Otherhighlights included a good view of Climbing Mantella(a green-and-black frog), White-fronted Brown Lemurand a mating pair of Skippers. Land crabs were alsoseen in the rainforest. Also more Leaf-Tailed Geckos ona night walk and a Plated Lizard in the day.

The younger members of the party cooled off on ourlast afternoon with a delightful swimin the Indian Ocean, while the twooldest and most intrepid members ofthe group again went out exploring.Our last day was spent travellingback to Tana in three stages: boat,minibus and flight. We had a lovelyend-of-trip meal out with Bakoly atthe Vanilla Restaurant, serenaded bysome traditional Malagasy music –

a fitting end to a superb trip. In summary, the grouprecorded over 80 bird species, 16 lemur species andover 100 butterfly species.

Our thanks to all of our local guides for theirexpertise, to our drivers for safe travel, to Bakoly whowas a tower of strength and showed goodorganisation in putting together a tricky itinerary, to Safifor his knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise, and toMike Williams, for organising an unforgettable trip.

Article and photographs by Bob Hall

... a female Black Lemur, which was intent on stealing fruitfrom the table.

Acrea Masamba Charaxes sp. Metalmark sp.

Black and White Ruffed Lemur

Ewyas Harold Reserve and Common Work PartiesSaturdays: 20 Oct, 17 Nov, 15 DecContact Sue Young: 01981 240776,[email protected]: 2 Oct, 23 Oct, 6 Nov, 27 Nov, 18 DecContact Lucy Morton: 07503 220191 [email protected] at the northern Cwm Hill end of EwyasHarold Common, adjacent to the top cattle grid(SO382302). Approach from Abbey Dore off theB4347 (SO384306). Some hand tools will beprovided but, if you have your own, do bring them.

Grafton Wood Brown Hairstreak EggSearchesSaturdays: 8 Dec, 29 Dec (New Year mince pieand mulled wine special), 26 Jan

10am at Grafton Flyford churchContact Simon Primrose: 07952 260153 [email protected]

Grafton Wood Work PartiesEvery Wednesday except 3 Oct10am at Grafton Flyford ChurchContact John Tilt: 01386 792458 [email protected]

Haugh Wood Work PartiesSaturdays: 3 Nov, 1 Dec, 5 Jan, 2 Feb, 2 Mar10am in the reserve car park on minor road fromMordiford to Woolhope (SO592365)Contact Kate Wollen (07786 526280) or RobinHemming (07501 020605)

the Comma28 29the Comma Autumn 2018

Dates for your diaryWest Midlands Branch AGM11am to 3pm on Saturday 24 November 2018Shropshire Wildlife Trust: Abbeygate Hall, 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH

Lift access from ground floor, 15-min walk from station, parking in Abbey Foregate car parkDirections from A5: At the first roundabout (Preston Boats), take filter round to the left. Whenapproaching the next roundabout (Emstrey) as you cross the River Severn, get over to the right andtake the 4th exit, signposted Shrewsbury A5064. At the next roundabout (Column), take the 3rdexit onto Abbey Foregate. After about 0.6 miles, turn left (brown Shropshire Wildlife Trust sign) intothe Pay & Display car park. Venue is at far end of car park.

Tea and coffee from 10.30am, food from caterers at 1pm

Business (annual reports and Branch updates) start at 11am

2017 minutes available at www.westmidlands-butterflies.org.uk/news/meeting-minutes

Main Speaker: Dr Phil Sterling, editor of The Field Guide to the Micro-moths of Great Britain andIreland will talk about Butterfly Conservation’s Building Sites for Butterflies project. Our regionprovides many opportunities for this project and we look forward to learning more.

Butterfly Conservation 50th Anniversary AGM, Members’ Day and Celebratory Dinner9.30am on Saturday 10 November 2018The Nottingham Belfry, Mellors Way, Off Woodhouse Way, Nottingham, NG8 6PY

Lunch and refreshments available (£10 and £3, respectively), free car parking

More information at www.butterfly-conservation.org


iRecordStatistics for casual recording on iRecord for 2018, upto 18 August, show:• 22,219 records• 481 recorders• 42 species

The chart below shows the number of speciesrecorded in each 10 km square of the OS grid forour region, ranging from 36 to one. We'd expect at least 20 species, so squares with fewer are notbeing covered adequately. Similarly, some squares

have over 2000 records and others none. We needrecorders to help us improve coverage of theseunder-recorded squares.

FacebookPlease note that putting records on Facebook doesnot contribute to Branch Recording. The records mustbe entered onto iRecord or the UKBMS system for usto analyse and conserve butterflies. At present, goodrecords are being entered onto Facebook but theynever find their way onto our systems.

Please use iRecord.

Article by John Tilt Transects and Web Coordinator

John Tilt highlights uneven coverage andunrecorded sightings.

Casual Recording in the West Midlands 2018

065432109876543210

SJSJ

SJS0

SOSO

0

0

1

1

2

127

25

1191

2

3

2

9152741519232129

3

4

231201915151719122089

4

5

723101721246161521182910275

6

1513263311117151611

6

7

116817105983623273026

7

8

132114561324262828252524

8

991418192111915282625322925

9

016162521514192224192132211

SP0

1

2536201317142021

172

1

2

9

1620821

2

SKSK

SKSP1211

SP3 4

SJ SKSO SP

Area coveragechart


Chairman Peter Seal [email protected] 01905 426398

Vice Chairman & Conservation Officer Mike Southall [email protected] 01299 251467

Treasurer Lucy Lewis [email protected] 07840 530270

Branch Secretary Vacant If you can help in this important role please contact Peter Seal

Regional Officers Dr Jenny Joy (Senior Regional Officer) [email protected] 01952 249325Rhona Goddard (& Wood White Project Officer) [email protected] 01746 762364

Records Branch Recording Co-ordinator – John Tilt [email protected] 01386 792458– Birmingham & Black Country - Richard Southwell [email protected] 01384 397066– Herefordshire – Bob Hall & Ian Draycott [email protected] 01432 850623– Shropshire – Tony Jacques [email protected] 01952 882096– Staffordshire – John Bryan [email protected] – Worcestershire – Mike Williams & Mel Mason [email protected] 01299 824860

Transects John Tilt [email protected] 01386 792458

Reserve ManagersEwyas Harold - Ian Hart [email protected] 01981 510259Grafton Wood - John Tilt [email protected] 01386 792458Monkwood - George Groves [email protected] 01905 620721Prees Heath - Stephen Lewis [email protected] 07900 886809Trench Wood - John Holder [email protected] 01905 794854

Conservation OfficersWorcestershire - Trevor Bucknall [email protected] 01905 755757Herefordshire - Ian Hart [email protected] 01981 510259

Moth OfficersBham & the Black Country - David Jackson [email protected] 01902 344716Herefordshire - Robin Hemming [email protected] 01568 797351Worcestershire - Mike Southall [email protected] 01299 251467

County LeadersNorth Staffordshire - John Bryan [email protected] 01782 541870Central Staffordshire - Robert Winstanley [email protected] 01889 576768South Staffordshire - David Jackson [email protected] 01902 344716Herefordshire - Dean Fenton [email protected] 01568 611575Malvern Hills - Mel Mason [email protected] 01684 565700

Brown Hairstreak Champion Simon Primrose [email protected] 07952 260153

Committee MembersSteven Williams [email protected] 07974 152081

Publicity and Marketing Officer Mike Williams [email protected] 01299 824860

Magazine Editor Marian Newell [email protected] 01746 765287

Magazine Design and Production Trish Connolly Morgan [email protected] 01939 220776

Website coordinator John Tilt [email protected] 01386 792458

Wider Countryside Butterfly Count Co-ordinator Philip Nunn [email protected] 07931 488624Link Trustee To be confirmed

Committee Members and Officers

Malvern Grayling Work PartiesMondays: 22 Oct, 12 Nov, 14 Jan, 11 Feb10am in North Hill Quarry car park, WR14 4LT (SO 771847)Tea and coffee provided but bring your own lunchif staying all dayContact Mel Mason: 01684 565700 [email protected]

Monkwood Work Parties1st Sundays: 7 Oct, 4 Nov, 2 Dec, 6 Jan, 3 Feb, 3 MarContact George Groves: 01905 620721,[email protected] Thursdays: 18 Oct, 15 Nov, 20 Dec, 17 Jan, 21 Feb, 21 MarContact Phil Adams: 01905 610830 [email protected] in the reserve car park (SO803603)

Penny Hill Landfill Site Work PartiesSundays: 14 Oct, 21 Oct, 4 Nov10am at the site entrance off Pudford Lane, Hillside,Martley (SO752613)Contact Mike Williams: 01299 824860 [email protected]

Prees Heath Common Work PartiesWednesdays: 17 Oct, 14 Nov, 12 Dec (half-dayonly), 16 Jan, 13 Feb10.30am on the access track opposite the SteelHeath turning off the A49 (SJ557363)Contact Stephen Lewis: 07900 886809 [email protected]

Scarlet Tiger Project Work Parties,StourbridgeEvery 3rd Friday: 19 Oct, 16 Nov, 21 Dec, 18 Jan, 15 Feb, 15 Mar10am at a location posted on the notice board at the northern (crematorium) end of Roman RoadContact Joy Stevens: 01384 372397 [email protected]

Trench Wood Work Parties4th Sundays: 28 Oct, 25 Nov, Dec (TBC), 27 Jan, 24 Feb, 24 /31 Mar (TBC)10am in the reserve car park (SO930588)Contact John Holder: 01905 794854 [email protected]

Wyre Forest Work PartiesSundays: 11 Nov, 13 Jan, 10 Feb10am in Earnwood Copse car park on the B4194Bewdley to Kinlet road (SO744784)Mid-week: Tue 23 Oct, Tue 27 Nov, Wed 12 Dec, Tue 22 Jan, Tue 26 FebThe mid-week dates are joint events with NaturalEngland – tea and coffee provided23 Oct and 26 Feb: 10am in Earnwood Copse car park as above27 Nov, 12 Dec and 22 Jan: 10am in Dry MillLane car park, Bewdley, at the start of the disused railway lineContact Mike Williams: 01299 824860 [email protected]

Wood White Project Work PartiesIf you plan to come to any of these, please contactRhona Goddard: 01746 762364 [email protected]• Siege Wood, Herefordshire: 10am - 3pm, Thu 22 Nov and Thu 10 Jan, Siege Wood car park (SO605343)• Onny Meadows: 10am - 1pm, Sun 2 Dec,Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Craven Arms(SO435825)• Blakeridge Wood, Shropshire: 10am - 3pm,Sun 20 Jan, Blakeridge Wood car park(SO295866)• Joint work party with Herefordshire Wildlife Trust:10am - 3pm, Tue 5 Feb, meeting point TBC• Bury Ditches, Shropshire: 10am - 3pm, Sun 17 Feb, Bury Ditches car park (SO331837)

Dingy Skipper Work Parties at CannockChase (Council-led)11am - 3pm on Sun 4 Nov and Sun 11 NovCannock Chase Visitor Centre, Marquis Drive,Hednesford, Staffs, WS12 SPWContact Rob Taylor, Countryside Ranger, 01543 370737, 07817 122760 [email protected]

Dates for your diary cont’dCONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

the Comma32

Having lived in the Malverns forseven years, I read this book

with great anticipation and, likeother recent Pisces publications, itdid not disappoint. The range ofinformation is impressive, evenreferring to lost species such as CirlBunting and Wood White.

Scope of the book Ten chapters cover different aspectsof the Hills’ wildlife, with others onhistory, geology and future issues.The insect chapter includes 18pages on butterflies and moths, witha descriptive overview of the speciesfound on the Malverns anddiscussion of future considerationssuch as the potential to reintroduceFritillaries.

Themes explored by the authors Some themes recur at intervalsthrough the book, such as managingconflict between the needs ofdifferent species and habitats. Inparticular, we in insect conservationmust acknowledge the need toadjust plans to take into account theneeds of other types of wildlife.

However, we do know that scrubclearance (and indeed planting) tobenefit butterflies and moths helpsother insects, and the birds and batsthat feed on them. Hence the authorof the insect chapter speaks of the‘much welcomed management thathas started over the last few years,and the return to more open andwarmer grassland swards’. It’snoted, for example, that the MottledGrasshopper has benefitted fromrecent scrub clearance as it prefersshort turf, exposed soil and rock.

A close reading of the bookillustrates why different wildlifeinterests have to be taken intoaccount in any given conservationmanagement plan. So, while insect-lovers will be concerned about scrubencroachment, the mammals chaptertalks of the need for very particularhabitats – thick grass tussocks forvoles and dense scrub and brambleon lower slopes for dormice. Thepoint is made that, with their mix ofwoodland, scrub and grassy areas,the Hills are in better condition tosupport a variety of creatures thanthey were a hundred years ago,when the slopes were more heavilygrazed.

Work of the Malvern Hills TrustMy experience and observationsover the last ten years support thisview. The Conservators – nowMalvern Hills Trust – have adopted

a much stronger focus on managingfor wildlife and, indeed, our Branchhas a very productive volunteerarrangement with the Trust to improveGrayling habitat.

The impact of human pressures isacknowledged but presented in apositive manner. The final chapteroutlines what the Trust is doing toaccommodate demands from dog-walkers and mountain-bikers, and toencourage sensitive use of the land.

ConclusionAnother strand within the book is thatthere is much yet to discover,especially within the insect world. Itoffers a good overview for thosewho lack detailed knowledge and,all in all, I certainly have nohesitation in recommending it.

It inspired me to revisit the Hills tolook for things I’d not yet found. It’smore wide-ranging than a handbookand yet it does help with knowingwhat to look for and where. Forexample, the picture of the Hairy-footed Flower Bee enabled me toidentify an all-black creature I usedto see on my Pulmonaria.

As a final aside, transect walkersand other observers will bedelighted to see a photo of an oldfriend, the Notch-horned Cleg,whose capacity to draw blood isrenowned!

Article by Peter Seal Branch Chair

The Nature of the Malverns – an ancient landscape steeped in wildlife

Desig

ned

by m

orga

ncre

ativ

e.ca

rbon

mad

e.co

m 0

1939

220

776

Book Review

• ISBN: 978-1-874357-83-4 • Authors: Ian Duncan, Peter Garner

and Peter Creed • Cost: £34.50 + £4 postage and can be ordered

from www.naturebureau.co.uk/bookshop

regional magazine of west midlands butterfly conservation€¦ · and a warm welcome to marian....

Documents