Bringing butterflies and moths back to Britain • www.westmidlands-butterflies.org.uk

Regional Magazine of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation

theCommaNo.91 Spring 2015

New book:Sponsorshiphits target

Hairstreak:Egg-huntmilestone

the Comma Spring 2015 3the Comma2

Our stunning front page picture ofa gorgeous Gatekeeper seen atWindmill Hill reserve, near Evesham, was taken by keen butterfly photographer NeilAvery, of Worcester, who alsohas a picture of a Peacock in our2015 calendar. Neil is one ofmore than 20 branch memberswho are contributing high-qualityimages for possible inclusion inour new Butterflies of the WestMidlands book. You can read anupdate about the book project onthe centre pages.

Cover story

Please send articles and imagesto the editor at: thecomma@btinternet.com. The opinions expressed in this newsletter arenot necessarily those of the WestMidlands Branch or ButterflyConservation.

Copy deadline

Contributions

Chairman’s Address Chairman’s Address

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)

The deadline for editorial contributions to the Autumn edition of The Comma is 28th September 2015.

First a big thank-you toall those who have

turned out to attend winterwork parties. Feedbackfrom monitoring these sites leaves me in nodoubt that in some casesit is making the differencebetween losing and

retaining the species we have set out to protect. Against a backdrop of lossesin butterfly populations, the evidenceshows that targeted action can work. (See pages 6, 14, 15)

Success storyHow about this for a success story? I was browsing through past Annualreviews (why, you may ask) to learn thatin 1993 Dr Jenny Joy identified aShropshire Grayling site under threat ofdevelopment. BC intervened and nowthat site boasts counts of 300 plus.We may have lost the fight insome cases but we know wecan make a difference.Against the national trendof decline in recent years,Pearl-bordered Fritillarynumbers are up at EwyasHarold and in the Wyre Forest.In Grafton Wood we hope our smallreintroduced population will prosper.Also the Dingy Skipper seems to havea hold in semi-urban areas and the workdone at Penny Hill landfill site is leadingto an increased population there.

One imponderable is the status ofsome of our commoner species. The2013 UKBMS report highlights a 67% decline over 10 years for the

Gatekeeper, a decline which John Tiltconfirms is reflected in our local Transectrecords. How can we address this, orhelp the Small Tortoiseshell? Thisspecies has experienced a resurgenceover the past two summers but is still notup to past levels.

Records Coordinator wanted!To help address this I would urgemembers to go out searching and submitrecords. The Committee is seekingsomeone to take on the role of RecordsCoordinator to be able to supportrecorders with their work on transects,casual sightings and the WiderCountryside Butterfly Survey, and tosummarize findings.

Regional emphasisThe national organisation is movingtowards a regional emphasis, somethingexplained to the Branch Committee

when we met with Sam Ellis andsubsequently confirmed byMartin Warren.

Sam has been promotedto Director of LandscapeConservation and Regions to

develop and oversee BC’sregional network. This is part of

the 2020 vision to establish a network of core funded regional staffwho can work closely with Branches todevelop projects and deliver effectiveconservation at local and regional level.The new structure will comprise fiveregions in England, each of which willhave their own Senior Regional Officer.

Within this the West MidlandsRegional Action Plan is to be reviewed,

with an emphasis on mappingLandscape Target Areas and reviewingthe status of butterfly and moth species.The Branch has through Mike Williamsand John Tilt been consulting on whatneeds to be included in these Areas,with key action areas from theStaffordshire Moorlands down to theMalvern Hills, being drawn on the map.

ThreatsAs well as initiatives to improve theprospects of our butterflies we need tobe alert to threats. The BranchCommittee discussed the potentialinstallation of a cable car on theMalvern Hills which would have adevastating effect on a number ofbutterfly species with specific habitatrequirements, in particular the Grayling,as it would be built adjacent to thisbutterfly’s core population area. It wouldundo the sustained efforts made by theConservators and volunteers and negatethe benefit of resources provided frompublic funds through Natural England forthe extension of scrub clearance activity.

The Branch expressed its opposition andI am pleased to report that at a publicmeeting the MH Conservators voted toreject the proposal.

Our new book “Butterflies of the WestMidlands” – led by Ian Duncan andwith proceeds to Branch funds – ismoving forward as we have beenpledged sufficient money to enter into acontract with the publisher. The book will include a section on gardening for butterflies with a local flavour. For example, I had a north-facinggarden for seven years and foundVerbena Bonariensis was a disaster butthat Buddliea, Forget-me-not, Nepeta,Echinops and Oxeye Daisies did attractbutterflies. Do please email me atpeterseal3@btinternet.com to let meknow of your gardening experiences.

In spite of a benign late winter, therehave been few early sightings but by thetime you read this I hope the quality oflife will have been emboldened by thebright yellow of the Brimstone.

Thanks to our volunteers

The West MidlandsBranch AGM getsunderway at BirchesValley Forest Centre,Lady Hill, Rugeley,Staffordshire on 7th March (Mike Williams)

Peter Seal

The Committee is seeking

someone to take on the role of

Records Coordinator

the Comma4 Spring 2015 5

Stephen has been a memberof BC for 15 years and has

managed the flagship reserve,known for its good population ofSilver-studded Blue butterflies,since Butterfly Conservation pur-chased the site in 2006. Duringthis time he has led 124 volunteerwork parties, 101 guided walksand training events, and given 44illustrated talks, all concerningPrees Heath and its Silver-studdedBlues.

A near impossible taskThe highlight of Stephen’s career atPrees Heath has been the surpris-ingly effective heathland reversionprogramme on the former arableland. At the outset this was seen asa near impossible task, but with expert advice and the support ofstaff at BC’s Head Office for some radical and cutting-edgemeasures a great deal has beenachieved. Finding a Silver-studdedBlue caterpillar on top of an ants’

West Midlands branch committee member Stephen Lewis isdue to retire from Butterfly Conservation as The Commawas going to press, but he will continue as a voluntarywarden for the Prees Heath Common reserve.

nest on one of the reversion areaslast year was a truly revelatory moment. This important work is set to continue.

And, as reported in the lastedition of The Comma, part ofBBC Midlands Today programmewas broadcast live from thereserve in October, showinghibernating butterflies and mothsinside the control tower and agroup of people moth trapping in a downpour. The BBCsubsequently put the video onYoutube.

Busy, busy, busyStephen was delighted to report tothe branch committee in Februarythat work party volunteers have beenbusy on the reserve cutting birchsapling, treating stumps, harvestingbell heather seeds, planting gorseand wild privet, removing ragwortrosettes and cutting and burningdead gorse. The Meres & Mosses

project had carried out a mammalsurvey of the reserve and a reptilesurvey was ongoing.

Keeping up the good workOver the winter a contractormowed about two hectares ofheather on the Hangars Field witha disc harvester, collected the cuttings in a muck spreader andspread them on the Corner Fieldwhere heather germination hasbeen less successful thus far. Bellheather seed was also applied,and the tractor drove up and downthe corner field to compress theseed into the sand.

Finally, Stephen reported that hehad been invited to give a talkentitled ‘Robust Interventions: PreesHeath’ at the National HeathlandConference organised by NaturalEngland and Surrey Wildlife Trust inSurrey in March.

By The Editor

It’s business as usualas Stephen retires

Prees Heath volunteers (from left): Clive Dyer, Jacqui Dyer, Lucy Lewis, John Ridgway, Estelle Hughes, Allan Dawes,Mary Beard, Janet Vernon, Vera Roberts and Doug Hampson burning dead gorse (Stephen Lewis)

A fresh female Silver-studded Bluewarms up in thesun at Prees Heath (Lucy Lewis)

Carry on Stephen: Still much to dofor the warden of Prees Heath reserve (Lucy Lewis)

OS Grid Reference: SJ 557 363 OS Map number: Explorer 241The reserve lies between the A49 and the A41 two miles south ofWhitchurch. Access to the reserve can be gained via a track offthe A49 opposite the turning to Steel Heath. Parking is availableat the truckstop car park (pay & display) at the roundabout juntionof the A41 and A49, just north of the reserve. The short walk ontothe reserve involves crossing the busy A49.

Directions to Prees Heath Common Reserve

Brown Hairstreak eggs stolen – again!Branch member Dave Butlerwas horrified when he walkedthrough Trench Wood naturereserve on 26 February anddiscovered that someone has cut off and stolen all the marked Blackthorn bearingBrown Hairstreak eggs.

Trench Wood manager JohnHolder said: “All the eggs whichwe had found had been markedwith a coloured tape.”

Not surprisingly, the theftprovoked a fair amount ofoutrage among members on thebranch Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/westmidlandsbutterflyconservation.

Not the first time!This is not the first time BrownHairstreak eggs have been takenfrom reserves in the WestMidlands. John Tilt, GraftonWood nature reserve manager,said: “We found eggs cut off on14 March 2010. We were notsure if it was an egg stealer or justvandalism as a seat was cut inhalf at the same time. Since thenwe have not marked any eggs.”

Please contact a member ofthe Committee if you have anyinformation about the theft.

An egg was cut off from thisBlackthorn at Grafton Wood in2010 (John Tilt)

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Weather wise, 2014 was a good one forbutterflies, with 11 species seeing animprovement on the previous year’s sightings.Common Blue and Small Skipper just aboutdoubled their numbers but, surprisingly, fourcommon butterflies – Meadow Brown, LargeWhite, Ringlet and Green-veined White – all saw a fall!

Total sightings for both years were similar and therewere some reductions. Total species seen in 2014

went up to 25, an increase of two, but absent fora second year was Purple Hairstreak and themigratory Painted Lady, but a CloudedYellow did call in on Papermill Meadowfor two weeks running.

In the early part of the season Brimstoneand Peacocks were seen regularly but not repeated in the last couple of months. As it isthe male Brimstone that accounts for most sightingsin the spring, possibly having hibernated locally, it isodd that very few are ever seen in the autumn lookingfor a hibernation site.

It was a good year for Orange-tip(Helen Burnett)

Knapp has good year for butterflies

It was pleasing to record White Admiral again afterseeing none at all in 2014, and a single Silver-washed Fritillary was a welcome record. There wasonly one Brown Argus seen, down on the previous

year, but it was good to see an increase in SmallCoppers. It was sad to record only a solitary Holly Blue. This butterfly is subject to fluctuations depending on thenumbers of its parasitic wasp, with someprevious years recording none at all, but not since 1995. An increase in

Red Admiral numbers was a good improvement, most of these being seen on the

fermenting fallen apples in the orchard. Perhapsnot such good news is looking back at the numbersthat they have reached in earlier years. The Peacockshowed a slight improvement but again, lookingback, this has been quite a consistent performer over recent years in terms of numbers.

Another regular, the Orange-tip, increased andafter seven years finally got back up to its previous goodnumbers. It was pleasing to see Small Tortoiseshelldouble its figure, but is still way below historic levels.

The last month of butterfly recording was Septemberand proved to be an excellent one weather wise, withtemperatures near or well above 20ºC on most days,and only just over half-an-inch of rain.

By Garth Lowe

It is the male Brimstone

that accounts for most sightings

in the spring

Purple Hairstreak was absent for the secondyear (Lucy Lewis)

West Midlands branch tran-sects co-ordinator John Tilt

said there had been a transect onthe hill for years to monitor the fritillary and other butterflies.

John said: “After talking to thetransect walker, Wendy Innis, weagreed to do some bracken management to improve conditionsfor violets – the larval food plantof the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

“Four years ago we started

brush-cutting the bracken, raking itto leave bare ground and pilingthe bracken into windrows. This is the method perfected by GarryPilkington in Devon.

“The hill is owned by the community and we always get a good response. When we arrive to do the work partyWendy organises the locals todo the raking. This year Here-fordshire Nature Trust came too

A creditable 35 people turned out for a work party on CoppettHill at Goodrich, near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. This wasthe annual bracken management work carried out to supportthe colony of Pearl-bordered Fritillary found on the hill.

so we had eight brush-cutters and35 people raking.”

John has now asked Wendy ifshe would organise all the branch’swork parties! Meanwhile, Wendycontinues to walk the transect andalso does timed counts to monitorthe progress.

Local nature reserve statusThe site earned local nature reservestatus in 2000 after 15 years ofconservation management. It isowned by Trustees, who live in theparish, and conservation work is supported by the Friends of Coppett Hill. It is a mix of wood-land and open hillside and a goodsite for butterflies, deer, birdlife and fungi.

Permissive paths give access tothe reserve as well as offeringviews stretching from the BreconBeacons and Black Mountains tothe Clee Hills in Shropshire and the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire.The reserve is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty.

By The Editor

Big turn out at Coppett Hill

Volunteers cut back thebracken on Coppett Hill (John Tilt)

Pearl-bordered Fritillary(Rosemary Winnall)

the Comma8 Spring 2015 9

Iwould like to thank and congratulate everyone whohas turned out in often freezing weather conditions tosearch for the tiny eggs of this rare butterfly which hasits stronghold right here on our patch.

It seems only a few weeks ago that I wrote an articlefor the last edition of The Comma magazine saying wewere quickly closing in on 1,000 eggs for this winter,but here I am now, looking at a record-breaking2,000 eggs for the season!

‘Official’ searchesRather a lot has happened since I sent outmy first e-bulletin back in November! The finalinstalment of our annual three Grafton Wood‘official’ searches turned up slightly fewer eggsthan last year on the core hedges outside the wood.But searches of two key areas within the wood broughtnumbers to a fairly similar total to last winter.

Out and about in Worcestershire, the pictureappears slightly different and numbers of eggs beingfound seem to be slightly up on last year. Nowhere isthis more so than the Shurnock area (east of Feckenham

village) where Geoff Thompson has, on his own,admirably (and tirelessly!) carried out an extensivesearch of the area north of the Salt Way. His total of491 eggs marks a very large increase on last year’sfigure. Part of this increase is undoubtedly due to somemanagement work we did last winter to cut down old blackthorn growth to promote suckering. These

resultant suckers have in turn supported plentyof eggs this season.

InvitationWe were also invited to visit a farm tothe west of Feckenham in order to advise

the very enthusiastic Brown Hairstreak‘supporter’ owners on the best areas to

conduct some overdue hedge flailing, whichhadn’t been carried out for two or three years. Wedecided the best approach was to do a full egg searchof all the hedgerows that were in the area to beconsidered for flailing. The results were extraordinaryand over 400 eggs were found on these fewhedgerows and it enabled us to advise our friends

which hedges were the best ones to leave alone,which to simply cut the tops off, and which to fully flail.

Brilliant illustration This farm is a brilliant illustration of how farmingstrategy can be implemented alongside detailedBrown Hairstreak conservation and this area,together with Shurnock – where a similar approachto conservation exists – represent the two strongestWorcestershire hot-spots for the butterfly, away fromGrafton Wood. Meanwhile, Jenny Tonry and PaulMeers have been busy searching at FeckenhamWylde Moor Nature Reserve and have so far foundjust under 100 eggs there.

Visits elsewhereWe have also had time over the last couple ofmonths to make a few visits elsewhere in the countyand the best results we’ve achieved in that respectare a record find of 67 eggs in Morton Stanley Parkin Redditch (up from 23 last winter), including six onnewly-grown suckers in an area where oldBlackthorn had been cut down by the park volunteergroup, in response to our requests.

We also looked at another area in Redditch (in Oakenshaw) where we’ve unsuccessfully searchedfor eggs during previous winters, and this time came up trumps! Three eggs were found at the east end of Granger’s Lane confirming our hopes, asmentioned in my previous e-bulletin, that the butterfly will continue its spread through Redditch using the green corridors of the ring road system.

A few were also found at two of our smallerWorcestershire Wildlife Trust reserves: three at Humpy Meadow and seven at the new BaynhallMeadows site.

At the area around the known assembly tree atCowsden, we recorded 49 eggs there. This wasslightly up on the last time we searched this area, acouple of winters ago.

For the first time ever, we have found a single egg inthe elusive SO 9650 1Km grid square. Also for the firsttime ever we found eggs in the additional new 1Kmsquares SP0266; SO9748; and SO9848 - whichrepresent both the most northerly, and southerly egglocations we’ve ever found in Worcestershire.

By Simon PrimroseBrown Hairstreak Species Champion

Brown Hairstreak egg-huntersreach 2,000 milestoneVolunteers from across the West Midlands branch area have found a record-breaking 2,000Brown Hairstreak eggs in Worcestershire this winter.

His total of 491 eggs marks

a very large increase on lastyear’s figure.

This beautiful image of a female BrownHairstreak has been short-listed for aplace in the new West Midlands butterfly book (David Williams)

A tiny Brown Hairstreak eggfound in Grafton Wood(Antony Moore)

Volunteers searching for eggs in a Blackthornhedgerow at Grafton Wood this winter (Mike Williams)

Please contact me if you wish to receive the Brown Hairstreak e-bulletin or you can log on to: http://betulae.blogspot.com

‘Thursday Streakers’

Don't forget that the ‘Thursday

Streakers’ who carry out much

of this valuable work meet

every Thursday during the

winter and assemble at 10am

in Grafton Church car park.

The egging season is now over

but we are looking for new

‘Streakers' to join us in the

autumn. If you would like to

come searching, then get in

touch now or speak to me at

the Brown Hairstreak Open

Day on 30 August.

the Comma10

L ocal member Tony Moore has spent a life-timestudying butterflies and moths, and volunteered to

share some of his knowledge. The aim of the exercisewas to find the tiny overwintering eggs of the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly. As Tony explained,it is more difficult to find the adult butterfly than the pin-head sized eggs, which are often the first indicationthat this Hairstreak is present in an area. He had walked

A hardy bunch of West Midlands branchmembers stormed the car park of StaffordCastle in mid-winter for a short training course.

Two White-letter Hairstreak eggs near the leaf bud (Stephen Lewis)

the paths around Stafford Castle for over 20 years andhad only seen two adult butterflies!

Locating an Elm treeAfter showing everyone some of his close-up photographsof the target, the group set off around the castle grounds.First thing was to locate an Elm tree big enough to haveflower buds (the larva’s first meal on hatching), but not yet affected by the dreaded Dutch Elm Disease. Thecaterpillars are fully formed within the egg all through thewinter and finally eat their way out in March to beginfeeding on the developing buds and flowers.

When about half-grown the larvae also consume theyounger leaves, and rest on the undersides. Around thethird week of May most larvae are nearly fully grown.The pupal stage lasts about three weeks with the adults

Hairstreak egg-hunt trainingpays dividends

Spring 2015 11

The White-letter Hairstreak iswidely distributedacross the West Midlandsarea but is notoften seen because it stays high up in Elm trees (David Williams)

Here’s one: TonyMoore shows aWhite-letter Hairstreak egg to,from left, MikeWilliams, CarolDent, StephenLewis, Tony, MikeDent, Carol Wood,Hugh Glennie andLucy Lewis(Roger Wasley)

Close-up of an egg(Tony Moore)

Golden couplesponsor butterflyWorcestershire Wildlife Trust has become a‘species champion’ of the Brown Hairstreakand Wood White butterflies.

The announcement comes in support of WestMidlands Butterfly Conservation’s first book onbutterflies of the area (see centre pages).

Mervyn Needham, Trustee of WWT,explained: “Of all the butterflies that can befound in Worcestershire, it was only natural thatwe become champions for the Brown Hairstreakand Wood White.

Success story“The amazing conservation success story of theBrown Hairstreak is centred on our GraftonWood nature reserve, jointly owned withButterfly Conservation.

“At the other end of the scale, the WoodWhite is hanging on in the region, but is nowextinct in the county. It’s only with bettermanagement and the help of volunteers fromorganisations like the Trust and ButterflyConservation that this delicate butterfly can returnto Worcestershire.”

Meanwhile, Mervyn and his wife RoseNeedham are sponsoring the Clouded Yellowin honour of their Golden Wedding in June.

Clouded Yellow (Roger Wasley)

You can now follow West Midlands Butterfly Conservation onboth Facebook (https://www.facebook.com /groups/west-midlandsbutterflyconservation and https://www.facebook.com/butterflyconservationwestmidlands) and Twitter

(@WestMidlands_BC).

Keep up to date with all the news

emerging during late June and July.It takes a while to get your eye in looking for the tiny

eggs so Tony took everyone to a pre-marked branchwhere even he had difficulty in finding the egg again! Itwas only then that the group appreciated why theseeggs are so tough to locate.

Duddas WoodAfter finding half a dozen eggs, the group drove toDuddas Wood on the edge of nearby Derringtonvillage. Tony took the group to a single Elm tree on theslopes of the M6 motorway and to everyone’sastonishment, another half dozen or so eggs were foundon the lower branches. Many more eggs were likely tohave been laid on higher branches well out of reach.

The group thanked Tony for sharing his experienceand dispersed to put their new found training to the test.

Lucy Lewis, wife of Prees Heath reserve wardenStephen, said later: “We really enjoyed the egg hunt;it was lovely to find the eggs.

“And in addition to that, we called in at AbbeyWood near home on the way back, had a look at apromising Elm, which Stephen found last summer, andfound two White-letter Hairstreak eggs – putting Tony’straining into practice straight away!”

Report by Roger Wasley

Apomyelois bistriatella (George Davis)

the Comma12

The wettest winter on record caused widespread flooding in the county in February 2014 but once the waters had subsided the rest of the year’s weather was fairly unremarkable. Areasonable summer ended rather abruptly at the end of August giving way to a long autumn.

VC37 databaseAt time of writing we have received some 17,000records for the VC37 database involving 1,020species. This is somewhat lower, on both counts, thanin recent years but there were still some excellent mothsseen in the county.

There were four new species recorded in VC37 in 2014. Least Carpet has been spreading north-westwards in the UK, so it was not a surprise whenit arrived in Worcestershire in July; being attracted tolight traps by Dave & Jane Scott at Astley Burf, by Ian Machin in Bewdley, by Gavin Peplow atAbberton, and in Tony Simpson’s trap at Leigh.

Mike Southall caught a Spotted Clover at light atNorchard on 29 July, a rare migrant with few recentUK records. Steve Whitehouse caught two newmicros at Warndon: Gypsonoma minutana at light inJuly, whose larva feeds between spun leaves ofPoplars, and an Ypsolopha horridella which he foundin his house on 4 August. There have been two recordsof this species recently in Herefordshire so it seems tobe spreading in the West Midlands.

MigrantsWith the exception of the Spotted Clover it was a pooryear for migrants. A larva of a Death’s Head Hawk-mothwas rescued from a cat in Worcester by Val Morrison 3 August and handed in to WWT at Smite. It pupatedsuccessfully despite a laceration from the cat’s claws andTony Simpson succeeded in hatching and releasing it.Another was found at Kemerton just outside the VC37boundary. All bar one of the 15 Humming-bird Hawk-moths reported were seen in the Malvern Hills area.Silver Y were in low numbers throughout the year; 66 recorded in 2014 against 310 in 2013!

Other notable recordsA pair of Privet Hawk-moths found in copula on afence post at Windmill Hill WWT reserve on 8 June by

a work party confirms that this species is now breedingin the south of the county; Ian Machin had 2 DarkSpinach at light at Bewdley on 22 & 27 July and MikeSouthall another at Norchard also on 22 July; theyalso had a Ruddy Carpet each in July, Peter Holmeshad another in Malvern Wells on 19 June, and therewere only 3 Garden Tigers recorded last year(compared to 6 in 2013); David Dench attracted aClouded Magpie and good numbers of Blomer’s Rivuletto light at the new WWT reserve, Blackhouse Wood.Scarlet Tiger and Small Ranunculus have continued to spread and are now fairly common throughout the county. There have been more widespread records of Silky Wainscot Chilodes maritima.

Tony Simpson rediscovered Agonopterix atomellaand Gelechia nigra (single larvae of each at MillMeadow) breeding them both out and releasing themback on site. The only county record of the latter was onebred from the same site in 1976! It also remains the onlymodern site for atomella which is on the UK BAP list.

Oliver Wadsworth had Opostega salaciella atDevil’s Spittleful and bred Ptocheuusa paupellafrom Castlemorton Common. Gavin Peplow caught an Elachista subocellea at Abberton. Martin Skirrowa Depressaria badiella at Carpenter’s Farm, Berrow. There were a few records of Acrocercopsbrongniardella, an oak leaf miner, which had notbeen seen in the county for some years havingpreviously been widespread.

George Davis found Apomyelois bistriatella atDarkham Wood. The larvae feed in the Cramp-ballfungus found on burnt or dead wood. Becky Lashleyof the WBRC has been surveying old orchards in thecounty. As part of this project we searched for the rareMistletoe mining Tortrix Celphya woodiana – anotherUK BAP species. Larvae were found at Green Street,Kempsey Common, Eckington and Croome.

By Oliver Wadsworth and Tony Simpson

Worcestershire Moths Summary 2014

Agonopterix atomella(O. Wadsworth)

Ptocheuusa paupella (O. Wadsworth)

Spotted Clover Moth(Mike Southall)

Elachista subocellea (O. Wadsworth)

Gypsonoma minutana (O. Wadsworth)

Least Carpet (O. Wadsworth)

Celypha woodiana (O. Wadsworth)

Ypsolopha horridella (Steve Whitehouse)

Gelechia nigra (O. Wadsworth)

13Spring 2015

Peter Hall has recently set up a Moth orientated Blog for the two counties at:http://herefordandworcestermoths.blogspot.co.uk/It is still in its early days but it has great potential as ameans of updating each other with our recent sightings,finds and events as well as a place to get ID advice. Do please sign up and participate.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Moth Blog

the Comma14 Spring 2015 15

Indeed, the new Butterflies of the West Midlands bookwill feature 44 species to be seen in our area whichcovers Birmingham & the Black Country, Herefordshire,Shropshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

But if our band of volunteers – who are so generouswith their free time – stopped helping us tomorrow, thecountryside would be a much poorer place for it.

Branch Chairman Peter Seal said: “As you walkaround your local patch or nature reserve lookingfor butterflies, please give a thought for the time thatour volunteers give up each year to help a cause thatthey believe in. We all owe them a great dealbecause they are helping to preserve or create thevaried habitats essential to sustain some of our mostthreatened species."

If you would like to join one of our work parties,please see our Dates for your Diary in the AutumnComma where all our conservation tasks are listed.

Three cheers for our volunteersButterfly Conservation's West Midlands branchcovers an enormous area which is rich inbutterfly and moth species.

Branch volunteers respacing coppice plots inShelfheld Coppice in support of Butterfly Conservation's Reconnecting theWyre project.From left: Tom Reynolds,Richard Woolley,Ann Hadfieldand Essie Beer-Pearce(Natural England)

Digging in: Sean Cole and Tony Simpson creating a scrape for theGrizzled Skipper at the Rocket Testing Station in the Wyre Forest (Mike Williams)

Taking a well-earned break at Penny Hill Quarry, where work isbeing undertaken by volunteers to benefit Dingy Skipper, are (from left)Mike Averill, Garth Lowe, Cherry Greenway, Tony Simpson and Mike Williams (Mel Mason)

Young volunteers waiting patiently in the venison burger queue during a work party session in Mortimer Forest (Dave Green)

Volunteers tuckin to theirlunchtime barbecueafter a mammothbirch clearing exercise to improvehabitat for theWood White. From left: ScottMartin, Mary Singleton, Stephen Lewis (piling on thesauce) and AlanReid, ForestryCommissionRanger (Mike Williams)

the Comma16 Spring 2015 17

This photo of a male Chalkhill Blue is on the shortlist (Mel Mason)

New West Midlands butterfly book is underway

The project committee isdelighted to report that

excellent progress is beingmade with the new Butterflies

of the West Midlands book. The Species Champion idea has been

well received and with over 35 sponsorsthe target of £4,000 has been achieved.

Any funds in excess of the £4,000 will be usedas a contingency in the event of any increase inthe production costs and to enhance the qualityof the book. Many thanks indeed to all whohave become Species Champions.

The contents of the book are also taking shape withMike Williams having found authors for all the

species and writing is underway! The book will also include chapters on “Gardening

This photo of a Speckled Wood aberration, found in a garden near Stourportlast summer, has been short-listed for inclusion in the book (Mike Southall)

Another contender is this pictureof Painted Lady pupae (Roger Wasley)

This Orange-tip egg is also on the short-list(Patrick Clement)

This beautiful Painted Lady may also feature in the book (David Williams)

David Green’s beautiful shot of the underside ofa White Admiral may appear in the book

for butterflies” and “Photographing butterflies”.Peter Seal continues to gather all the information

for the butterfly walks and would be pleased to receivemore suggestions particularly for the Birmingham andBlack Country area.

Collecting the photographs is also going well andRoger Wasley already has several hundred high-resolution images but more images are still required.

Gaps still to be filledThe publisher has requested that the book cover all thelife stages of the butterflies so there are still gaps to befilled, particularly of eggs, caterpillars and pupae.Please contact Roger for the latest list of requirements,but remember that images must be over 1MB.

Several people are now breeding through some ofthe scarce species in order to capture all the life stagesand egg/larvae hunts are also planned.

Antony Moore, a specialist in photographingbutterfly eggs, and who is helping with the project, hasthe following appeal: “If anyone sees an ovipositing

female for Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, HighBrown Fritillary, Dark Green Fritillary, GrizzledSkipper, Comma or Peacock, please can you collectan egg and data post to me in a damp tissue andpreferably on a leaf with a stem attached.”

Antony can be contacted at 13 Brunswick Terrace,Stafford, ST16 1BB. Please call on 01785 609236before sending.

A big thank you!This book is a real team effort and would not bepossible without the support and encouragement ofmany people. However, we are confident the resultwill be something special and give the firstcomprehensive account of the butterflies of our region. There are too many people to mentionindividually so I would like to give a big thank you toall who have given assistance so far.

By Ian Duncan, project manager

If you feel you can help in any way please contact one of the following people. Roger Wasley 01242 603765,

Peter Seal 01905 426398, Anthony Moore 01785 609236

Spring 2015 19the Comma18

Butterfly ID Training days

Saturday 16 May

Target butterfly species: Common Blue, Dingy Skipper &Green Hairstreak

Wednesday 17 June

Target butterfly species: Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary,Small Heath & Clouded Buff

Saturday 18 July

Late summer butterfly species:Gatekeeper & Ringlet

Training events to be held in Cannock Chase

Funding for ‘Name that Butterfly’

Butterfly Conservationhave been successful inobtaining funding from

the Cannock ChaseAONB Sustainable

Development Fund (SDF)to develop a volunteer

project called ‘Name thatButterfly’in the Cannock

Chase area.

The aim of the project is to raiseawareness of landscape and

wildlife issues, encourage morelocal people to get involved insurvey and monitoring for butterfliesand moths, add to the informationwe already have for the area, and increase the appreciation ofbutterflies found at Cannock Chase.

Cannock Chase is a key areafor Butterfly Conservation for Small Pearl-bordered fritillaries,

The Gatekeeperused to be calledHedge Brown (David Williams)

The Clouded Buff isa spectacular day-flying moth (Roger Wasley)

A beautiful Small Pearl-borderedFritillary (Rosemary Winnall)

Ringlets usually fly at low level andcan be seen on a dull, rainy daywhen other butterflies staygrounded (David Green)

Mating pair Small Heath(Mel Mason)

Green Hairstreak (Des Ong)

Welsh Clearwing and GreenHairstreaks, but this importance isnot reflected in the level of surveyand monitoring work beingundertaken at present. However,we do have a small, verydedicated group of individualswho are monitoring the Chaseregularly (thank you, Rob Winstanley

(Butterfly Conservation) BernadetteNoake (Staffordshire WildlifeTrust) and Vicky Worrall(Staffordshire County Council) foryour help and support), but I’d stilllike to increase the number of localvolunteers involved in the area,especially as the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary population atCannock is declining and it maybe the last site in Staffordshire thatstill supports this beautiful butterfly.

Butterfly ID training daysButterfly Conservation would liketo encourage more local people toget involved by providing threebutterfly ID training days this summer (see above for details).The idea is that trained volunteerswill then start to record the butter-flies they see at Cannock Chasethis summer, with more targeted

survey effort planned in 2016 looking for Small Pearl-borderedFritillaries, Welsh Clearwing andArgent & Sable. The records obtained as part of the 2015 SDFproject will be used to inform futuremonitoring areas by identifyingwhere the more common speciesare most abundant, especiallyGreen Hairstreak.

Volunteer training daysAlong with the volunteer trainingdays this season, we are also planning to hold monthly habitatmanagement days in late summer,

in conjunction with StaffordshireCounty Council. If you’re interestedin getting involved with these practical conservation days pleaselet me know. I’d also like to hearfrom anyone who already surveysbutterflies and moths in the Cannock Chase area.

By Rhona Goddard

For further information about theproject or to book a place pleasecontact: RGoddard@butterfly–conservation.org, bookingessential as places are limited

the Comma Spring 2015 21

I was very interested to read Peter Seal’s comments in The Comma (No.89 Autumn 2014) about the importanceof urban green sites in Birmingham.

Birmingham is among England’sgreenest cities with over 8,000

acres of parks and upwards of one million trees within the city boundaries. I know that does soundsomewhat surreal, ridiculous even,but anyone who has viewed the cityfrom the lofty heights of the LickeyHills will know the truth of that statement!

Conservation emphasis is oftenplaced on these sites due to thecontextual background in which they are set, that green spaceamongst the concrete jungle is vitalas a living island amongst seemingecological barrenness. Perhapssomewhat paradoxically, these sitesare often neglected in terms ofbiological recording in favour ofmore perceived untainted, pristinehabitat such as ancient woodlands.It must be kept in mind that many ofthese urban green spaces are oftenmore than just islands but, in fact,

fragmental remnants of exactly thesepristine habitats and, as such,contain many species you would notexpect to find in an urban context.

Billesley Common One example local to myself is asite called Billesley Common (thehome of Moseley Rugby Club), 10acres of which is still extant todayand listed as ‘common land’ asearly as 1774! The site has alreadyproved its worth with a strongcolony of Chimney Sweepermoths right on the doorstep.Environmentally, due mainly to theunmolested nature of this site, thearea may well act as a source for species clinging on in thesegreen islands. Many of thenocturnal visitors to my garden trapsmay well have their origins in thissite. I am convinced that many areassuch as Billesley Common hold vitalrelict colonies of ‘rare’ species that

have just remained undetected,purely because recording effort insuch areas is less intense."

Garden SurprisesMy garden in sunny Birminghamsuburbia (Kings Heath) perhapsillustrates the point somewhat.Among the usual myriad of more‘typical’ garden species are somewhich are more than a littlesurprising. A number of speciestypically found on maturegrasslands have turned upin garden traps, withspecies such as Sharp-angled Carpet andPurple/Triple-spottedClays having a definitestronghold in this part ofSouth Birmingham. Anotherspecies of such habitat whichfeatures stongly in catches in highsummer is the Garden Dart (aspecies on the Rothamstead red listhaving reduced in numbers by over90% in the past 40 years) with anaverage of 15 or so records peryear over the last few years.

In addition, Barred Rivulet hasalso put in appearances from timeto time along with Sandy Carpet.Although at low levels, I still recordperhaps the most special moth forthe area, the Grey Chi, regularlyin the garden despite its rapidrange-shift northwards over the lastdecade or so. After chatting toDave Grundy about these catchesseveral years ago, he elucidatedthat the Kings Heath area used to

be a stronghold for theBirmingham populationso it is good to see itstill hanging on. Thisspecies has beenobserved breeding onCherry trees in the

garden itself, althoughthe centre for the population

has yet to be identified.Species more typically found

in mature woodland are alsopresent in garden traps through theyear, often in some considerablenumbers, and include a (probablevagrant) Four-spotted Footmanin July 2012, veritable deluges of

Urban wildlife havens under threat

Although at low levels, I still

record perhaps themost special mothfor the area, the

Grey Chi...

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Billesley Common Billesley Common

Green Arches

Three Skinner Traps and a Robinson

A great garden for moths

Dark Spectacle

Grey Chi

Oak Nycteoline and ScorchedWing along with the odd OrangeFootman, Leopard Moth, SatinBeauty (a first for the garden in2014), Bordered White and thesimply marvellous Green Arches.

Archaic garden species Wasteland and more typicallyarchaic garden species to haverecently put in appearances includeSmall Ranunculus, a speciesrapidly re-colonising the UK from the

20

Nostalgic pilgrimageSo to photograph this handsome creature, I had to embark on a nostalgic pilgrimage to Gower, S. Wales,my native home and to Welsh Moor, a site where I hadfound it previously.

Although never abundant there, I did find around 15individuals, 80% of which were surprisingly well-worn,faded and close to expiry, even on June 15th. I evenfound one in a spider’s web, ambushed while ovipositing - what a waste!

Photo opportunities on the three good specimenswere frustratingly limited, but these few shots I hope illustrate the reasons for my enduring obsession to capture this elusive creature’s appeal.

I have resolved to try harder next year!

Report and photos by Gareth Thomas

the Comma22 Spring 2015 23

The beautiful Marsh Fritillary, Euphydryas auriniaranks near to the top of my list of favourite butterflies.Sadly, it is now in rapid decline in the UK afterepisodes of reaching ‘plague proportions’ in some areas, notably Ireland, in centuries past.

Now mainly restricted to a few relict colonies in theWest Country and Wales, it still retains some

strongholds in the Western Isles and Ireland, while virtually extinct in the majority of England and Scotland.

Devil’s-Bit ScabiousMy own ‘home patch’ – CathertonCommon on Clee Hill supports ahealthy population of Devil’s-BitScabious, Succisa pratensis, thisinsect’s specific food plant and Icontinually cherish the (hopeless)ambition of one day discovering a new colony here in the ideal habitat of Cramer Gutter.

The truth is, however, that wecannot now claim to count this butterfly among ourWest Midland list of breeding species. The closest accessible colony at Strawberry Bank in Gloucester canprovide a rewarding visit, but like all butterflies, andthese in particular, the numbers year-on-year are bothvery variable and unpredictable.

Quest for the Marsh Fritillary

A female Marsh Fritillary

Egg-laying Marsh Fritillary caught in spider's webA head-on view

Foodplant for thecaterpillar

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

Autumnal Rustic

Satin Beauty

True Lover's Knot

Varied Coronet Dotted Chestnut

South, the delphinum feeding,sartorially elegant Golden Plusiaand the equally well attired VariedCoronet whose foodplant is theseeds of Sweet William. Inaddition, The Campion, whichutilises the seeds of Campion as alarval food source, also appearsregularly. It was very pleasing toturn up a solitary Dotted Chestnutfor the first time in 2014 also.

Even species more typicallyfound on heathland appear fromtime to time including the diminutiveyet intricately patterned TrueLover's Knot and pale pastel-huedAutumnal Rustic surviving onmany heathers in gardens whichform part of a typical 1980’s typeapproach to gardening in this area.

Moth diversityThis rich patchwork of

green space contributesto the overall mothdiversity in such places

and therefore suffers greatly if one of those patches is removed,as species with particular habitatrequirements will simply havenowhere else to go. With thechanges to planning regulations,many of our urban and suburbangreen spaces are now more underthreat than ever (even greenbeltland). Increasing awareness ofwhat wonderful species may beliving in such areas is one way in which potential ecologicallyproblematic building projects can be re-thought. A very goodfriend of mine, Bob Cox,prevented such a project fromgoing ahead on his own patch in Warwickshire with catches ofPale Shining Brown and SilverCloud (amongst others) in hisback garden, proving the vital importance of the areaecologically with these species.

Report and photos byBen ColemanRanger at Ryton Pools Country Park

It was very pleasing to turn up a solitary

Dotted Chestnut for the first time

in 2014.

Spring 2015 2524 the Comma

Christmas in Vietnam

My wife and I flew into Hanoi, a disastrously pollutedcity in the North. It is inundated with many thou-

sands of motorbikes, which clog the streets, along withancient buses and trucks furiously belching out clouds ofdiesel. The dead hand of Communism was still verymuch in evidence (except where motorised transport isconcerned!), and the very friendly locals are reluctant tosay anything, good or bad, about the authorities.

I was pleasantly surprised when I finally found a butterfly, and even more delighted when it proved to bean absolutely fresh Great Mormon (Papiliio memnon).It was determinedly feeding on a vase of lilies, whichhad been left as an offering outside a pagoda on apeninsula in the central lake. My efforts at photographywere unfortunately hampered by the activities of adozen or so Japanese, who were all desperately tryingto take ‘selfies’ with it at the same time!

I was lucky enough to spend last Christmasand New Year in Vietnam

Great Mormon

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Leopard Lacewing

Pygmy Grass Blue

Peacock Pansy

One of the aims of the habitatenhancement

project in RomanRoad/Sandy

Lane is to raiseawareness

locally of thepresence of the variousbutterflies.

Stourbridge Scarlet Tiger project update

The work parties arranged to date have generatedmuch interest and positive responses. Passers-by

have also been keen to share their memories of thearea, so it has proved a two-way learning process.

Edith Harper legacySo far work has concentrated on digging up brambleand rank grass, sowing a base of Yellow Rattle and a traditional wildflower mix. The seeds have beenpurchased using funding from a legacy left by a former BC member. Edith Harper left specific instructions that her legacy be spent on an urban projectwithin the West Midlands to be overseen by RichardSouthwell, a former branch chairman. Wildflower

seeds for a greencorridor runningthrough housingestates, seemedlike an appropriateoption. In the shortterm, our priority isto enhance thehabitat along this

Frosty morning at the site where the bramble has been cleared and theground seeded with wildflowers (Joy Stevens)

popular bridle path, to allow the existing Lepidopterato expand its territory. The difficult part is how best toachieve this. As agreed, Dudley Council maintenanceteam cut back the Scarlet Tiger bank leaving thecuttings. In a few weeks we will see how successful thisstrategy proves. The maintenance of the bank onlyextends part way along Roman Road, so it will beinteresting to see if there is any difference between thecut and uncut areas. The Alkanet plant is thriving allalong the road.

Confirmation from Dudley CouncilI have now received confirmation that Dudley Councilhas agreed to the traffic island at the end of RomanRoad and the grass verge along the Crematorium wall,being sown with wildflowers. In the longer term we arehoping to attract other species to the lane – species thatare found locally which will hopefully spread providedwe create the right conditions – in particular GreenHairstreak and Marbled White. Early days yet, buthopefully, an update in a few years time... who knows.

By Joy Stevens

In the meantime, a walk has been organised on Saturday 11th April from11.00am onwards, meeting in Roman Road, near Stourbridge Crematorium.

Scarlet Tiger moth (Joy Stevens)

It is hoped to attract other speciesto the lane such as MarbledWhite (Rosemary Winnall)

Hoi AnAfter three days of coughs and streaming eyes, we wererelieved to fly down to Hoi An, on the coast. Althoughstill badly polluted, motor vehicles are banned from mostof the old town. Essentially, it’s a pretty and agreeabletourist trap and has a couple of amazing ancient houses, which are open as museums. Fortunately, wewere staying a couple of miles out of town in a smallhotel set among the rice paddies. The odd bits of uncultivated land in an adjacent village yielded a numberof interesting butterflies. A fine male Tawny Coster(Acraea violae) was aggressively protecting his territory.He chased off anything which drifted into his airspace,even Great Eggflies and Lacewings twice his size.

One morning I was lucky to find a Mango Hawk-moth (Amplypterus panopus), which was still dryingits wings following eclosion. Certainly the biggest Sphingid I had ever seen. Peacock Pansies (Junoniaalmana) were also fairly common, along with Common Pierrots (Castalius rosimo), Pygmy GrassBlues (Zizula hylax ) and Common Crows (Euploeacore). I also found one Himalayan Swift (Polytremisdiscreta).

Ho Chi Min CityWe ended with four nights in Ho Chi Min City(Saigon to normal people). This was also very polluted, but rather more pleasant, with a strongFrench influence and some fine buildings. We firsttook a trip out to the My Son heritage site – a clusterof abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples,constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD,

Spring 2015 27

by the kings of Champa. This World Heritage Sitewas set in the hills and spread over several hundredacres. It proved to be ‘Butterfly Heaven’.

Common Mormons (Papilio polytes), LeopardLacewings (Cethosia cyane) and Blue Glassy Tigers(Ideopsis vulgaris) along with clouds of CommonGrass Yellows (Euremia hecabe) were everywhere.The remaining buildings, some still in good condition,were simply made from brick without any mortar! Interestingly, many of the repairs, which necessarilyused modern bricks, had broken down within a few years...

Mekong DeltaWe also spent a day on the Mekong Delta, wherewe landed on a small island. There we saw a number of pairs of courting Common Palmflies(Elymnias hypermnestra). These flap slowly abouteach other, seemingly for hours without landing.They often fly very close to the ground, with hardlyany lateral movement, I watched one pair for morethan 20 minutes and they showed no sign of landing. I eventually found a singleton on a lowbush and was able to take a couple of shots.

Highlight of the dayThe highlight of the day was a couple of Lime Butterflies (Papilio demoleus), which were takingsalts from a grubby piece of concrete. They are normally very difficult to approach, but these ignoredme in their efforts to take on nutrients. One eventuallystopped at my feet and spread its wings beautifully.A delightful end to a very enjoyable holiday.

Report and photos by Tony Moore

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

the Comma26

Blue Glassy Tiger

Common Palmfly

Common Grass Yellow

Common Mormon

Upper side of Tawny Coster

Under side of Tawny Coster

Commom Crow

Common Pierrot

Mango Hawkmoth

Lime Butterfly

cake at the village hall afterwards. Contact: John Tilt on 01386 792458 or e-mail john.tilt2@btopenworld.com

Mortimer Forest talk and walks Thursday 9 April, 7.30pm, at the Mascall Centre,Lower Galdeford, Ludlow. Julia Walling will talk aboutWest Midlands Butterfly Conservation’s MortimerForest Heritage Project: achievements and futureplans. The new booklet 'The Life and Times ofMortimer Forest - in a nutshell' is now available fromJulia Walling. Joint event with the Shropshire WildlifeTrust. Non-SWT members £3.00, SWT members £2.Sunday 7 June meet at 11.00am at High Vinnallscar park (GR: SO474733) for Wood White walk. Sunday 26 July meet at 11.00am at High Vinnallsfor Silver-washed Fritillary Walk (a Big Butterfly Countevent). Contact: Julia Walling on 01584 874636 or e-mail Julia.walling@btinternet.com for details of both events

National Moth NightsThursday 10 - Saturday 12 September.Contact: Mike Southall on 01299 251467 or e-mail michael_southall58@hotmail.co.uk for details of local events

Prees Heath Common Reserve Events & Work Parties Wednesday 15 April, meet 10.30am for bat andbird nesting/roosting facilities construction at thecontrol tower; Wednesday 13 May, meet at10.30am for birch seedling clearance on the hangarsfield; Wednesday 3 June, meet at 10.30am forBrown Argus and Silver-studded Blue caterpillarsearch on the runway and hangars field; Sunday 5 July, 10.00am – 5.00pm, control tower open day;Sunday 5 July, meet at 2.00pm for Silver-studdedBlue guided walk; Wednesday 8 July, meet at10.30am for ragwort clearance on the hangars field;Wednesday 5 August, meet at 10.30am forragwort clearance at east end of runway field; Friday11 or Saturday 12 or Sunday 13 September formoth night; Wednesday 23 September, meet at10.30am for bell heath plug planting on corner field;Wednesday 14 October, meet at 10.30am for bellheather plug planting east of runway field;Wednesday 4 November, meet at 10.30am forbirch seedling clearance east of runway field;Wednesday 16 December, meet at 10.30am forvarious tasks (half day only). All events are free of chargeand everyone is welcome to come along. For all eventsmeet on the access track opposite the Steel Heath

turning off the A49. Wear appropriate clothing andfootwear. Children must be accompanied by an adult.Contact: Stephen Lewis, Warden, Tel: 07900 886809or e-mail slewis@butterfly-conservation.orgSaturday 18th July 10am - 4pm, Butterfly Day atHolly Farm Nurseries, Prees Heath (400 metres fromthe reserve) promoting the Big Butterfly Count andgardening for butterflies.

Search for GraylingTuesday 21 July, 11.00am - 3.30pm visits to twoSouth Shropshire Grayling sites. For further details orto book a place please contact Rhona Goddard byemail RGoddard@butterfly-conservation.org

Scarlet Tiger caterpillar huntSaturday 11 April, meet at 11.00am in RomanRoad, near Stourbridge Crematorium (SO885838) for a walk to look for Scarlet Tiger moth larvae. See Page 24. Contact: Joy Stevens on 07825 394108or e-mail: joystevens@blueyonder.co.uk

the Comma28 Spring 2015 29

Dates for your diary

Argent & Sable Moth WalksSunday 3 May, meet at 12.00noon, in the car parkat Coombes Valley nature reserve (GR: SK009534),nearest postcode ST13 7EU. The RSPB and ButterflyConservation are hosting a guided walk with targetspecies being Argent & Sable and Pied Flycatcher onNational Dawn Chorus Day. Stout footwear a must assome of the climbs are steep and will probably bemuddy. For further directions see www.rspb.org.uk andlook in the section ‘Find a reserve near you’. To bookring the reserves office on 01538 384017 or e-mail: coombes.valley@rspb.org.ukSunday 31 May, meet 11.00am, at Lodge Hill carpark north-east of Church Stretton (GR. SO509980).Part of Pershore Plum Festival www.pershoreplumfestival.org.uk. Survey Day of a very under-recordedarea where Argent & Sable were seen last year.Contact: Dave Green, e-mail alpium@clara.co.uk

Big Butterfly CountFriday 18 July – Sunday 9 August

Brown Hairstreak Open DaySunday 30 August, 11.00am-3.00pm, meet atThree Parishes Hall at Grafton Flyford for morningwalk followed by refreshments at the village hall (GR: SO963557). Contact: John Tilt on 01386792458 or e-mail john.tilt2@btopenworld.com

Butterfly Bonanza Weekend 18-19 JulyHave you booked yet for a wild weekend inWorcestershire? Our Butterfly Bonanza Weekendtakes place over the weekend of 18-19 July based atPhepson Farm, near Himbleton. With a farm safari,butterfly walks at two BC nature reserves and a mothnight and breakfast there is something for everyone.Why not make a weekend of it and stay in comfort atthe farm bed and breakfast or a self-catering cottage.There is even the option to camp. Help us to get theBig Butterfly Count off to a flying start! Details of how to book and the full programme atwww.phepsonfarm.co.uk/butterfly-bonanza-wk-end-2015.

Cannock Chase Butterfly ID WorkshopsSaturday 16 May. Target butterfly species: Common Blue, Dingy Skipper & Green Hairstreak; Wednesday 17 June. Target butterfly species: Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Small Heath &Clouded Buff; Saturday 18 July. Late summerbutterfly species: Gatekeeper & Ringlet. Events to beheld in Cannock Chase, venues to be confirmed. For further information about the project or tobook a place please contact:RGoddard@butterfly–conservation.org, booking essential as places are limited

Clee Hill EventsSee box on p.30 for full details

Dark Green Fritillary WalkSaturday 25 July, meet at 10.30am at Rue Hill,Red House, Staffordshire (GR: SK085478, SatNav:ST10 3HA). A chance to see this butterfly as hopes ofgood photographic opportunities as it nectars onthistle. Wardlow Quarry has a good population witha supporting role from Wall Brown and others. A chance also to see some limestone botanicalspecialities. The walk may be too long and arduousfor some and good, stout footwear is a must. Bringpacked lunch and plenty to drink if it is very hot.Contact: Johnpbryan15@aol.com

Ewyas Harold Common Work Parties Saturday 18 April, meet at 10.00am at thenorthern Cwm Hill end of Ewyas Harold Commonadjacent to the top cattle grid (GR: SO382302).Approach from Abbey Dore off the B4347 at GR:SO384306. Contact: Ian Hart on 01981 510259or e-mail yellowrattle4@aol.com

Grafton Wood Butterfly WalkSunday 19 July, meet at 2.00pm, at GraftonFlyford Church (GR: SO963557). Guided walk aspart of the Butterfly Bonanza weekend and to launchthis year’s Big Butterfly Count. Target species areSilver-washed Fritillary and White Admiral. Tea and

To ensure that Branch members and newcomers know what is happening in our region, event andwork party organisers should e-mail full details of upcoming events to the editor of The Comma at

thecomma@btinternet.com and to web-master David Green at greend@ormail.co.uk

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

Tigers may soon be seen on the streets of Stourbridge as aresult of a partnership between West Midlands ButterflyConservation and Dudley Council. Both organisationsjoined forces in March on a conservation task to improvehabitat for the Scarlet Tiger moth and other wildlife close to Stourbridge Crematorium. Butterfly Conservation volunteers were joined by Council Rangers from LeasowesPark together with local MP Margot James, CouncillorColin Elcock and Dudley Council’s Chief Executive SarahNorman. An overgrown area alongside the bridleway was cleared which should encourage wild flowers including the caterpillar foodplants of the Scarlet Tiger toflourish. Our picture shows (from left): Joy Stevens (ButterflyConservation), Margot James (MP), Richard Southwell (Butterfly Conservation), Andrew Barker (Butterfly Conser-vation), Sarah Norman (CE Dudley Council), CouncillorColin Elcock.

the Comma30 Spring 2015 31

Committee Members and OfficersChairman Peter Seal peterseal3@btinternet.com 01905 426398

Vice Chairman & Conservation Officer Mike Southall michael_southall58@hotmail.co.uk 01299 251467

Treasurer Ron Hatton ronmhatton@aol.com 01242 673923

Branch Secretary Joy Stevens joystevens@blueyonder.co.uk 01384 372397

Regional Officers Dr Jenny Joy (Senior Regional officer) jjoy@butterfly-conservation.org 01952 249325Rhona Goddard rgoddard@butterfly-conservation.org 01746 762364

Link Trustee Neil Thompson neilt@ukgateway.net 07736 948341

Branch Recorder Nigel Stone njstone@hotmail.com 02476 335189

Transects John Tilt john.tilt2@btopenworld.com 01386 792458

Reserve ManagersEwyas Harold - Ian Hart yellowrattle4@aol.com 01981 510259Grafton Wood - John Tilt john.tilt2@btopenworld.com 01386 792458Monkwood - George Groves george_groves@btopenworld.com 01905 620721Prees Heath - Stephen Lewis slewis@butterfly-conservation.org 07900 886809Trench Wood - John Holder johnholder@tiscali.co.uk 01905 794854

Conservation OfficersWorcestershire - Trevor Bucknall trevor.bucknall@tesco.net 01905 755757Herefordshire - Ian Hart yellowrattle4@aol.com 01981 510259

Moth OfficersBham & the Black Country - David Jackson jacksongrus@talktalk.net 01902 344716Herefordshire - Robin Hemming robinhemming@btinternet.com 01568 797351Worcestershire - Mike Southall michael_southall58@hotmail.com 01299 251467

County LeadersNorth Staffordshire - John Bryan johnpbryan15@aol.com 01782 541870Central Staffordshire - Robert Winstanley robandpatwin@btinternet.com 01889 576768South Staffordshire - David Jackson jacksongrus@talktalk.net 01902 344716Herefordshire - Dean Fenton fenton@littleburyfarm.co.uk 01568 611575Malvern Hills - Mel Mason meljmason@btinternet.com 01684 565700

Brown Hairstreak Champion Simon Primrose simonjprimrose@aol.com 07952 260153

Committee MembersVicki Liu vicki_liu@hotmail.co.uk 07731 924822Steven Williams s.williams@yescomputers.co.uk 07974 152081

Publicity and Marketing Officer Mike Williams mike@stagborough.fsnet.co.uk 01299 824860

Newsletter Editor Roger Wasley thecomma@btinternet.com 01242 603765

Web site coordinator David Green greend@ormail.co.uk 01922 452238

Dates for your diary cont’d

Shropshire has a series of Community Wildlife Groups,many of which are working with West MidlandsButterfly Conservation to encourage recording ofbutterflies and moths. This is the Clee Hill group’sprogramme for 2015 which are all open to the public.

Mothing at the NoversFriday 29 May, 8.30pm meet in The Novers Car Park(GR: SO 597739). Join the Clee Hill CommunityWildlife Group and the Shropshire Moth Group for anevening identifying moths attracted to light. Targetspecies: Prominents and Hawkmoths. Leader: TonyJacques. Please bring a torch. For further details e-mail sue.dawes@bcu.ac.uk Tel: 01299 270391

Butterfly Walk on Magpie HillSunday 7 June, meet 1.30pm at Cleeton St MaryVillage Hall (GR: SO 616782). An afternoon walk toMagpie Hill and Whatsill. Joint event with WestMidlands Butterfly Conservation. Target Species: SmallPearl-bordered Fritillary, Small Heath, GreenHairstreak and Wall Brown. Leader: Eric Davies. For further information e-maildilys@neenso,freeserve.co.uk

Big Butterfly Survey WeekSaturday 13 – Sunday 21 June, targeted surveys forSmall Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Green Hairstreak andSmall Heath. Help us complete the task of updatingour atlas of the butterflies of Clee Hill. Further detailscloser to the time. If you would like to take part, register your interestwith mike@stagborough.fsnet.co.uk

Moth Night at Lower BirchesFriday 3 July, meet 8.00pm, at Lower Birches (GR: SO618786). A second chance to moth trap atLower Birches on Catherton Common along with theShropshire Moth Group. Refreshments courtesy of Kay& Harry Downes. Leader: Tony Jacques. Limitedparking. Bring a torch. Advance booking e-mail kay.downes456@btinternet.com Tel: 01584-891519

Moth Night at Hopton WafersFriday 4 September, 7:30pm start. Final moth nightof the year at the home of CHCWG Chairperson SueDawes, Bridge Cottage, Hopton Wafers, DY14 0HH. Leader: Tony Jacques. Bookings and directions e-mail sue.dawes@bcu.ac.uk Tel: 01299 270391

Clee Hill Community Wildlife GroupButterfly and Moth Group events

Staffs Members EventSaturday 23 May. Details to follow on Branch website

The Big Count on Porton Down of The Potteries Saturday 30 May, meet at 10.30am, on PortonDown, The Potteries, Staffordshire, for a butterfly survey.With the discovery in 2012 that Swynnerton TrainingCamp in Staffordshire (just outside Stone) housed agood number of Grizzled Skipper, with supportingcolonies of Dingy Skipper and Brown Argus et al,subsequent visits have left the question ‘exactly howlarge?’ A team of volunteers is required and a survey isplanned to try and ascertain how big the populations areand their distribution around the base, which measuresapproximately 228 hectares. Volunteers need not beexperienced, just enthusiastic, children are welcome (nopets though). The survey will take about four hours or asmuch time as you can give. Please bring something toeat and drink. Those volunteering need to arrive for a10.30am induction as this is a MOD site. All directionswill be given to those who volunteer but you need tobook a place, as these are limited. Contact:Johnpbryan15@aol.com

Trench Wood Butterfly WalkSaturday 18 July, meet 2.00pm at Trench Woodreserve car park (GR. SO930588). Guided walk as partof Butterfly Bonanza weekend and to launch this year’sBig Butterfly Count. Contact: Peter Seal on 01905426398 or e-mail peterseal3@btinternet.com

Wood White Habitat Assessment Training DayThursday 4 June, at Haugh Wood. To book a place, contact Rhona Goddard by emailrgoddard@butterfly-conservation.org

Wyre Forest Butterfly Trail and butterfly walkSunday 24 May, meet at 11.00 am in Dry Mill Lanecar park, Bewdley (GR. SO773764). Celebratoryguided walk to mark the end of Butterfly Conservation’sReconnecting the Wyre project. Contact: Mike Williams on 01299 824860 or email mike@stagborough.fsnet.co.ukSunday, 2nd August meet 11.00 am at EarnwoodCopse car park on B4194 Bewdley-Kinlet road (GR: SO744784). Public guided walk as part of Wyre Forest Landscape of Discovery event and BigButterfly Count.

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Important wildlife areas in the Wyre Forest have beenimproved thanks to the efforts of a local firm.

Ateam of six men from HowdensTree Surgery – armed with

their chainsaws – spent three daysin the Kinlet and Wimperhill areasof the forest to open up habitatsknown to be important for butter-flies, moths and Adders.

These habitats were becomingincreasingly shady, which results ina loss of butterfly food plants andnectar sources, and provided fewerbasking spots for Adders which areoften reluctant to move to newlocations. Dr Jenny Joy, ButterflyConservation’s Senior RegionalOfficer for the West Midlands,said: “We always welcome offersof help from local companies andwe cannot thank the Howdens

team enough for their valuablecontribution to the forest.

Past experience“We know from past experiencethat this kind of work can have adramatic impact on numbers ofbutterflies and Adders and we lookforward to showing Howdens the results of their work in thesummer. We are also grateful to theForestry Commission who helped inorganising the planned work.”

Alex Howden, from Howdens,said: “We were pleased to beable to respond to the request from Butterfly Conservation forassistance. It was great for ourstaff to do something different to

their everyday work and it proveda really good experience for allconcerned.”

Huge bonusForestry Commission’s WildlifeRanger for the Wyre Forest, PhilRudlin, added: “This was a hugebonus for us. The work had beenidentified as the highest priorityconservation work on our landbut was unlikely to happenwithout Howdens’ help. Thehabitat created will benefitAdders, butterflies, moths andmany other species – a jobextremely well done and a greatexample of good partnershipworking!”

The Wyre Forest is one of thebest sites nationally for butterfliesand well over half of the UK’sspecies have been found there.The site is particularly importantfor its fritillary butterflies, some ofwhich are in serious decline inother parts of the country.

By The Editor

Local firm helps outWyre Forest wildlife

Men on a mission (from left) Chris Bevan,Adam Piekarski,Matt Tomkins,James Skelding,Alex Howden,Clement Giraud.