Commathe No.103 Spring 2019 Regional Magazine of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation Butterfly walks: guided events and new leaflet Garden Open Day: home to 21 butterfly species ‘Celebrating 40 years’ CothemmaNo.103 Spring 2019 Regional Magazine of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation Branch News Branch News Butterfly walks: guided Branch Calendar 2020 Moths of the events and new leaflet Garden Open Day: home to 21 butterfly species Chairman's Address The theme for next year will be ‘Celebrating 40 years – a look back over the Peter Seal West Midlands Branch's development’. We plan to feature a mix of images: Butterfly news species (for instance, Orange Tip • Butterflies that have declined or been lost, and those that have extended Led by Ian Duncan, the editorial ‘Celebrating 40 years’ Lots will be going on in the Branch this numbers were down on the Malverns) their range board is embarking on a coming year but let’s start with butterfly but then hot weather brought an early • Moths, especially those newly discovered in recent years companion book to Butterflies Cover story news, as we now have the 2018 record for Grayling, the first being seen • Events, with groups or prominent individuals in active settings. of the West Midlands, with an Walker photographing a Red casual and transect results. John Tilt on 27 June, again on the Malverns. The We’ll select the pictures that most strongly represent what the Branch is Admiral on North Hill, Malvern reported that 2018 was the best of the last was observed on 5 August, which about, rather than judging them on artistic or technical merit. We hope to ambitious publication timescale (Mel Mason). You can read last five years, with an average of 15-20 is exceptionally early. These facts are find suitable historical photos of sufficiently high resolution, or drawings; if of Spring 2020. Please read Ian’s about this year’s Malverns transect species per tetrad (2km x 2km square). taken from the new Butterflies and we can’t, we’ll review our selection method. article on page 4, where you will The star species for 2018 was the Day-flying Moths around the Malverns walks on pages 24-25. see that we are seeking sponsor- , showing increases in 2018 – see page 12 for how to order Please send images to [email protected], no later than 31 July Brown Argus ship for species champions. The both numbers and range compared with this excellent 80-page publication for Contributions minimum contribution will be previous years. I can back this finding only £5. mild winters, it cannot survive as a Philip Nunn and Scott Martin, Please send articles and images to up with a report from my Worcester hibernator in cold weather such as who share the co-ordination task, £75/species from individuals and the Editor. Photographs should be garden. Otherwise poor for butterflies, the winter of 2017/18 – at least are seeking volunteers to walk a families, with £175/species from as high-resolution as possible and although good for bees, I was surprised not in our region. Yet it has again route just twice a year in randomly companies and organisations. sent as separate files (not embed- to find a Brown Argus nectaring on been recorded very late in the selected 1km squares. The scheme Species champions will receive a ded in a document). Linaria and Sage on 7 August – current mild winter of 2018/19. has adopted a new online data complimentary copy of the book. Our copy deadlines are evidence of dispersal. entry system – the WCBS newsletter Branch activities If you would like to be a species Autumn - 31 August Now that more people are using gives some tips. This scheme is Red Admiral (Mel Mason) champion, please contact Peter Winter - 30 November iRecord, coverage was greatly improved. So what is the Branch doing this important because, in being Seal on [email protected] Spring - 28 February John says that over 3000 people In late 2017, the Red Admiral had year? We’ve just held our early randomly selected, the walks give us (early submissions are welcome). submitted records, covering 40 species a bonanza year, running into late Spring Committee meeting, where a different perspective from the stating the species that you’d like Contact the Editor for more (see page 28). Key observations include autumn following recent winter records. we welcomed new Secretary many UKBMS transects that follow a to sponsor and he’ll then confirm information. the early emergence of White Admiral, So, is this species starting to hibernate Martin Harrison, who joined us fixed route in sites with key species. payment arrangements. Editor: Marian Newell, good numbers of Hairstreaks but or just overwinter? Poor numbers in for the first time, and Committee Lastly, we have a number of new [email protected] still poor for Peacock and Small Spring 2018 suggest that, although it member Vicki Liu on her return to conservation projects. Natural Tortoiseshell. had previously been seen to continue its Staffordshire – we need to Networks offers a 45% share for The cold spring held back many breeding cycle through encourage more people below environmental schemes: we have Publisher DATE FOR retirement age to join us! already received approval for a Butterfly Conservation West Midlands National AGM – Good News YOUR DIARY A new Branch Leaflet has been scheme for Shatterford Woods, Branch. The opinions expressed in National AGM printed for events and for new working with the Forestry this magazine are not necessarily In recognition of the West Midlands Branch’s 40th year, Saturday members, while the revised sites Commission, and we’re hoping to those of the Branch or of Butterfly Butterfly Conservation will be holding the national AGM 16 November guide Walking with Butterflies apply for funding for the Grizzled Company limited by guarantee, Conservation. in our region at the Albrighton Hall Hotel, just north of nears completion and can now be Skipper site at Honeybourne. We registered in England (2206468) Shrewsbury, on Saturday, 16 November. Plans are underway BC West Midlands Butterflies pre-ordered (see page 30). We’re would then have to find matching Registered office: Manor Yard, and Moths for a celebratory dinner in the evening, with the opportunity for a always looking for more content, funds from other charitable sources East Lulworth, Wareham, Butterfly Conservation raffle to raise funds for the Branch and for a speaker or two on its work. including new walks, to add to our or from the Branch. Dorset BH20 5QP. West Midlands Please put this date in your diary and consider helping for an hour or website. Charity registered in @WestMidlands_BC two, so we can give a good account of the Branch. Another venture that we hope Peter Seal Branch Chair England & Wales (254937) https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-6629-mercure-shrewsbury- Branch website address to do more with is the national and in Scotland (SCO39268) www.westmidlands-butterflies.org.uk albrighton-hall-hotel-spa/index.shtml Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey. 2 the Comma Spring 2019 3 Branch News Branch News gardening for moths and the use Plans for the first book on the of moth lights, pheromones and A tribute to Frank Lancaster sugaring. Many of our longstanding members 2015, produced the widely moths of the West Midlands Our aim is to produce a will remember Frank Lancaster, acclaimed book, Nature of Wyre. companion volume to the hugely who died last April aged 86. At Frank’s funeral, Rosemary West Midlands Butterfly Conservation Staffordshire and Worcestershire. successful Butterflies of the West Frank was a pioneer of our work in Winnall, a leading member of the is to publish the first-ever book on the The book will feature all the macro Midlands. It will appeal to the Wyre Forest. Study Group, said of the early Frank Lancaster moths of the area, which covers moths in our region (over 600 enthusiasts of all levels but Frank and his wife Pat moved days: ‘At that time, there were only Birmingham and the Black species) and many of the micro particularly to beginners keen to to Wyre Forest from St Albans, a few people recording wildlife A meeting was arranged, Country, Herefordshire, Shropshire, moths regularly recorded. get involved in this fascinating where they’d been prominent regularly in the Forest and Frank attended by more senior The book will be lavishly illustrated subject. members of the Hertfordshire was one of them. His untiring work managers in the Forestry with over 700 photographs, from The editorial team comprises Ian branch of the British Naturalists on recording butterflies influenced Commission and, as a result, local photographers wherever Duncan and Mike Williams, both Association for many years. Frank many of us. He kept meticulous plans were soon in place for more possible, and will also include co-editors of the butterfly book, and was a great enthusiast for wildlife, records in those pre-computer days sympathetic management in the up-to-date distribution maps, habitat Tony Simpson, the moth recorder especially butterflies, moths and and our present Records Room Forest. Over the years, this has information, adult flight periods and for Worcestershire. All contributions other insects. He not only enjoyed contains many of his annual reports resulted in huge benefits for larval food plants. to the book will be voluntary. seeing them but also sharing his that he generously shared.’ wildlife. Frank’s stubbornness, plus The publisher, Pisces, is passion and enthusiasm with Perhaps less well known was a large dose of charm, also led to planning for the book to be others. I first got to know him in the Frank’s key role in starting the experimental management at the available in the spring of 2020.