Commathe No.104 Autumn 2019 Regional Magazine of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation Events: field trips, moth mornings and more ‘Celebrating 40 years’ Patrick Barkham Challenge: what a feat! Branch News Chairman's Address Peter Seal Butterfly news in spring 2020 we can say they are In spite of more mixed weather in truly re-established. The West Midlands 2019, there have been encouraging is now their stronghold. Cover story reports about our butterflies and, by And why is that? Well, credit goes The extraordinary Lobster Moth the time you read this, we’ll know in part to the organisations that caterpillar, this one reared and how big the Painted Lady invasion provided resources to set up the photographed by Roger Wasley was. Peacocks have made a project and get the habitat in the right (see page 20). comeback and one or two people condition – Butterfly Conservation, have found good numbers of Small Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Tortoiseshells, although I’ve not Forestry England – but my accolade seen many. I’m up to 14 garden goes to the volunteers who took up Contributions species at the time of writing, an the challenge so enthusiastically. I feel Please send articles and images to improvement on my usual 8–10, we are very lucky to enjoy an the Editor. Photographs should be and I’m on the lookout for a Small effective partnership with such as high-resolution as possible and Tortoiseshell on my Buddleia. bodies: let’s acknowledge that it’s not sent as separate files (not embed- Just impressions at the moment, only our own members who come ded in a document). awaiting John Tilt’s analysis of the and get soaked at work parties. Our copy deadlines are region’s records at our AGM, but Reserve managers Winter - 30 November Marbled White has been seen in Spring - 28 February high concentrations, still spreading Sticking with the volunteer theme, I’d Autumn - 31 August north, and Gatekeeper is recovering. like to thank George Groves and (early submissions are welcome). Incidentally, we were going to target John Holder for the years they’ve Contact the Editor for more under-recorded squares this year but put in, now they’ve completed their information. casual recorders have done the job terms as Reserve Managers for Editor: Marian Newell, for us with the advent of iRecord. Monkwood and Trench Wood [email protected] respectively. It may be invidious to Successful partnerships name names, when someone else A key story is the success of the on our patch may well deserve a Publisher Making a Stand for Wood White mention for similar reasons, but we Butterfly Conservation West Midlands project. The reintroductions have need to recognise the extra effort Branch. The opinions expressed in worked and, as I’m told the benchmark involved in arranging work parties, this magazine are not necessarily for success is five years, if they emerge planning, providing equipment and, those of the Branch or of Butterfly Conservation. From the Editor BC West Midlands Butterflies Kay and Tony Wright sent me this photo- and Moths graph (taken in their garden in Leek, Butterfly Conservation North Staffordshire, on 10 September) of West Midlands what they believe to be a Red Admiral @WestMidlands_BC ab. Millierei. Can anyone confirm the aberration? I'd be interested in articles Branch website address about aberrations, having seen online that www.westmidlands-butterflies.org.uk some species come in several variants. 2 the Comma Branch News National AGM comes Moths of the West Midlands to our region For the first time in 15 years, BC’s Moths of the West Midlands is due out next year, so I must thank AGM will be in the West Midlands those who have come forward to sponsor this publication. As with – an event not to be missed. Do our butterfly book, we guarantee that our share of the proceeds will join us at the Albrighton Hall Hotel be spent on practical conservation of moths and butterflies. It’s not near Shrewsbury on Saturday 16 too late to sponsor – please contact me for details of how to do this. November (book if you want lunch). The programme is full of interest. not least, the responsibility for Stephen Lewis will give a being available each time. presentation on the restoration of We’re looking for someone to Prees Heath and Peter Eeles will step in at Trench Wood. Our talk about his new book, Life Reserves are highly significant in Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies. securing the future of key species. Other sessions include volunteers When I joined BC in 1993, I and landscape-scale conservation started attending work parties at (a subject close to our hearts), Trench Wood because it was Europe’s threatened butterflies nearest to our home in Birmingham. (including Danube Clouded Wood White beer I saw the winter work required to Yellow) and looking for big moths maintain such sites and the summer brewery. Seek out this Belgian-style (intriguingly named Not another payoff in my first sighting of a hazy white beer, now available in Poplar Hawk-moth!). White Admiral. Whether it’s bottles - I can recommend it. Throughout the day (9:30am– Brown Hairstreak at Grafton, For each bottle sold, Butterfly 5pm), we’ll have a raffle and Pearl-bordered Fritillary at Ewyas Conservation receives a donation a stall showing our work. If you can Harold or Silver-studded Blue at to support work in the West help for an hour or two, please Prees Heath, our (sometimes joint) Midlands. For a list of local email me. ownership of such places makes the stockists, contact james@wood In the evening, we’ll be difference between saving and brewery.co.uk. celebrating with a 40th Anniversary losing species. Returning to the volunteer theme, Dinner (booking required). Our a special mention for the group who guest speaker, Brett Westwood, is Publicity staffed the Branch stall for four days a freelance writer and broadcaster Getting the message across is an at the Malvern Spring Festival in who specialises in natural history. integral part of what we do and our May, some of whom will be back Visit www.butterfly-conservation 40th Anniversary has helped for the Autumn event. Add in the .org for booking details and keep attract attention. We’re particularly amount of preparation done by Mel an eye on the Branch Facebook grateful to Julia Saunders who Mason and Liz Lloyd, and this page for updates. made the splendid cake for our Big was a major contribution, given the Be sure to book! Butterfly Picnic (see page 7). The crowds who attended, many from local press and Shropshire radio beyond the West Midlands. Peter Seal Branch Chair gave us coverage of the Wood Company limited by guarantee, registered in England beer launch in May – credit White (2206468) Registered office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, to and Rhona Goddard Mike Dorset BH20 5QP. Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) for setting this up with Williams and in Scotland (SCO39268) Stephen O’Neill of Wood’s Autumn 2019 3 Branch News A tribute to Dr Michael Harper 1 February 1936 – 18 September 2018 Michael Harper was an expert in 2000–2003. Lepidopterist and was a deeply He was responsible for the involved and most important figure creation and maintenance of in nature conservation in the nature reserves in Queen’s Wood Dr Michael Harper (Mark Young) West Midlands, especially in Kempley, which are still called Walk 9 in our new Walking Herefordshire. He was the Butterfly the ‘Michael Harper Reserves’. with Butterflies guide, which Conservation moth recorder for Without his persistent efforts, it seems features Queenswood Dymock Herefordshire until recently. unlikely that Haugh Wood would in the Forest of Dean, has He was a General Practitioner in have become an SSSI and it’s been included in Michael’s memory. Ledbury from 1966 to 1992 and a possible that Wood Whites and member, and one-time trustee, of the Pearl-bordered Fritillaries would rediscovered many species Herefordshire Wildlife Trust. He also no longer occur there. originally recorded by John Wood served on the wildlife advisory panel Michael had an encyclopaedic in the nineteenth century. From for the Malvern Hills Conservators, knowledge of Herefordshire’s moths, 1976, he became especially and was a founder member of the butterflies and habitats. He made interested in the smaller moths, the Ledbury Naturalists Field Club. Microlepidoptera, on which he Without his persistent efforts, Michael belonged to the British became a national expert. Entomological & Natural History it seems unlikely that Haugh An all-round naturalist of the old Society and wrote, with John Wood would have become school, Michael had a broad interest Langmaid, the account of the in and deep knowledge of all an SSSI Oecophoridae family in Volume 4 aspects of the natural world. It was of The Moths and Butterflies of many visits to the Black Mountains such a pleasure to be out in the field Great Britain and Ireland. He and there made the first English or doing ‘night ops’ moth recording published scientific papers and record of the Silurian Moth in with him, visiting lovely and notes on British Lepidoptera and, 1999 and rediscovered the most interesting natural sites. He is greatly with Tony Simpson, produced southerly site for the Yellow-ringed missed by his family and friends. atlases of the moths and butterflies Carpet. He found species of of Herefordshire and Worcestershire moth new to Herefordshire and Article by Tony Simpson Branch calendar 2020 including postage (£15 for two). To order, send a cheque payable to Correction Our 2020 calendar will shortly be Butterfly Conservation West On pages 11-12 of the Spring on sale, and we hope all Branch Midlands Branch, with your name 2019 Comma, we showed members will want to buy one – it’ll and address, to BCWM, White-letter and Purple make a great Christmas present for Annesbrook, 2 Dewberry Close, Hairstreaks.