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Home , Abinger, Ashtead Common, Ashtead Park, Banstead Downs, Bay Pond, Brentmoor Heath

Number 65 Skipper Spring/Summer 2018

47 field trips for 2018 Contents click item to go directly to page Contacts...... 2 Dates ...... 10 Quiz ...... 21 Chairman ...... 3 Egg Hunts ...... 11 Robert Byron ...... 22 Annual Report ...... 4 Email Appeal ...... 12 WCBS ...... 23 50th Anniversary ...... 5 Field Trips...... 13-16 Transect data...... 24-29 Steve Wheatley ...... 6 Branch Website ...... 17 iRecord ...... 30 Big Butterfly Count ...... 6 Social Media ...... 17 New Members ...... 31 Malcolm Bridge ...... 7 Transects ...... 18 Membership...... 32 Surrey Atlas ...... 7 White-letter Hairstreak 19 Garden Scheme ....32 Small Blue Project ...... 8 Weather Watch...... 20 ...... 33-35 Oaken Wood ...... 10 Photo Show ...... 21 Back-page Picture ...... 36

Butterfly Conservation Saving butterflies, moths Surrey & SW London & our environment Surrey Skipper 2 Spring 2018

Branch Committee LINK Committee emails Chair: Simon Saville (first elected 2016) 07572 612722 Conservation Adviser: Ken Willmott (1995) 01372 375773 County Recorder: Harry Clarke (2013) 07773 428935, 01372 453338 Field Trips Organiser: Mike Weller (1997) 01306 882097 Membership Secretary: Ken Owen (2015) 01737 760811 Moth Officer: Paul Wheeler (2006) 01276 856183 Skipper Editor & Publicity Officer: Francis Kelly (2012) 07952 285661, 01483 278432 Transects & WCBS Coordinator: Bill Downey (2015) 07917 243984, 020 8949 5498 Treasurer: Peter Camber (2011) 020 8224 2957 Oaken Wood: Harry Clarke & Bill Downey see above Social Media: Francis Kelly (& Mick Rock) see above Website: Francis Kelly & Ken Owen see above Committee member: Clive Huggins (2014) 020 8942 7846 Other contacts County Moth Recorder: Graham Collins see butterfly-conservation.org/surreymoths Media [email protected] Websites butterfly-conservation.org/surrey butterfly-conservation.org/surreymoths Recording irecord.org.uk FACEBOOK Branch page ..Butterfly Conservation in Surrey Twitter @BC_Surrey Mick Rock’s group ...... Surrey Butterflies @surreymoths Branch group ...... Surrey Moths Surrey Skipper thank you to all contributors copy deadline published online Spring Feb 28 ...... mid-March ...... includes new season’s field trips Autumn Sep 30 ...... mid-October ...... previews AGM & Members’ Day I The full Surrey Skipper is published online only. A Small (essential) Skipper is posted to the 15% of members for whom we do not have an email address. I Front-page photo: Dark Green Fritillary pair, melanistic female above, , June 26, 2017. Gary Margetts This was the winner of our Members’ Day Photo Show in November.

LINKS When reading on screen, click underlined link to visit webpage

©Surrey Skipper is published by Surrey & SW London branch of Butterfly Conservation, a charity registered in & Wales (254937) and Scotland (SCO39268). Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468). VAT No: GB 991 2771 89 Registered office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QP Tel 01929 400209 Surrey Skipper 3 Spring 2018

Chairman Simon Saville

YOU probably all know by now spider have been recorded in that 2018 is Butterfly the past few years. Find out Conservation’s 50th more at: www.insectinside.me Anniversary. In that time it You can see that the Branch has grown into an is increasing its focus on internationally respected conservation. Last year we charity whose work is finalised the Butterfly and underpinned by a sound Moth Regional Action Plan for scientific base. the South East, and this is Although butterflies and driving our priority actions. moths still remain under To support this, we now have severe pressure, much good species champions for some of work has been done to help preserve species our highest priority butterflies. and the environments that support them. The champion is the focal point for The paid staff – now 80+ across the UK – is information and activity about the species supplemented by an army of volunteers within the Branch and liaises with who run the Branches and carry out vital champions in other branches to share conservation work. information and expertise: My thanks to the many volunteers who I Wood White & Silver-studded Blue have joined work parties at Oaken Wood ...... Harry Clarke (led by Harry Clarke) and on chalk I Grayling ...... Graham Cotten grassland sites for the Small Blue project I (led by Fiona Haynes, see page 8). Adonis & Small Blue ...... Gail Jeffcoate I White-letter Hairstreak ...... Bill Downey The Branch has received a generous I legacy of £25,970 from the estate of Eric Brown Hairstreak Wynn, a member who lived in . Harry Clarke & Bill Downey In discussion with the family, we have If you are interested in becoming a allocated £10,000 each to the Small Blue species champion for a particular butterfly and Wood White projects (when that is fully or moth, please get in touch. funded). We will reserve the remainder for It is not just about butterflies – I am keen future projects, e.g. London. that we do more for moths. Have you Along with the other “London” Branches, thought of joining the Surrey Moths Group? we are helping Head Office to prepare a butterfly-conservation.org/surreymoths funding proposal for a Big City Butterflies Or maybe taking part in the project in the capital. If we are successful, Garden Moths Scheme? this exciting initiative will start next year Alan Lobb has succeeded Janet Cheney as and run for several years. coordinator for our area. You need to be We are proposing a project that combines quick, as registration closes on March 26. habitat management with surveying and Alongside the conservation work, we monitoring, and focuses on community need to make more people aware of what engagement – connecting people with the we do and how they can get involved – green spaces around them. We are taking whether by joining a field trip, helping out inspiration from a study of Warwick at a work party, or recording. This leads me Gardens, a small and nondescript park in on to publicity and events. Peckham, where 555 species of and I continued next page Surrey Skipper 4 Spring 2018

I SIMON SAVILLE from previous page

We have produced a new A5 leaflet (right) about our Branch – you can download it from the welcome module on our website’s home page. It is aimed at non-specialist audiences and is something to hand out whenever we are at an event, giving a talk – or just chatting with friends. If you would like some copies, please contact me. This leaflet will soon be supplemented by others from the Branch (Small Blue, Oaken Wood) and from Head Office. A presence at public events is an important and effective way of raising the profile of Butterfly Conservation and attracting new Branch members and volunteers. Thanks to Clive Huggins and a small army of volunteers, we had a successful stand at the RHS Butterflies in the Greenhouse event in February, attracting a lot of interest from visitors. Front page of our new Branch leaflet Mark your calendar for these events throughout the year: I Apr-Sep: Branch field trips to some of the best sites in the area Please get in touch if you are able to help I Apr 6-8: BC’s International Symposium, at these events in any way. Southampton University At the AGM in November, four of the I May 19: Branch stand, Wildlife Committee stood down: Malcolm Bridge, Gardeners’ Day, London Wetland Centre Geoff Eaton, Janet Cheney and Jenny I May/June: Open Day at a Small Blue Shalom. I thank them all for their support site (details being finalised) and dedication. In particular, Geoff served I Jul 14: New Members’ Day, for nine years and Malcolm for a I Nov 3: Members’ day & 2018 AGM, remarkable 18 years (see page 7). King George V Hall, Effingham Let’s hope for a good summer!

Annual Report 2017 Simon Saville

AS last year, we are again producing an I An alert will be emailed when the 2017 Annual Report. This time we will focus on Report is available to download. the online version, and send a hard copy I only to people who request one. If you would like a printed copy , This approach will save us around of the 2017 report £1,000, money that we can direct to much- please email: needed conservation projects. [email protected] Surrey Skipper 5 Spring 2018

50th Anniversary Simon Saville

BUTTERFLY Conservation grassland – a priority habitat was registered as a charity on in London – and supports 26 March 7, 1968. species of butterfly, including To mark the 50th White-letter Hairstreak, anniversary, branches all Purple Hairstreak, over the UK held a Small Copper, Conservation Day of Action Marbled White and on Saturday, March 10. Clouded Yellow. Ours was at Barnes There is nature under our Common in SW London, noses, even in London! although it will have taken There will be other place by the time you read activities throughout the year this. Together with the to mark the anniversary. Friends of , We will hold an open day we had a stall on Barnes in the summer on one of our Green, plus conservation work parties, Small Blue project sites – look out for an nature walks and a family butterfly trail. email on this, or get in touch with me later The Friends produced a special edition of for information. their newsletter On the Common. Listen out for Butterfly Conservation Our message is: “Butterfly Conservation on the Radio 4 Appeal, read by has been saving butterflies and moths for Alan Titchmarsh, to be broadcast 50 years; together, we can continue to between March and May. protect wildlife and the world we share”. See national plans for the anniversary in Barnes Common has areas of acid the March issue of Butterfly.

Organiser

Could you contribute to the success of Feb: RHS Wisley; Jul: New Members’ Day Surrey Branch? Nov: Members’ Day We need an Events Organiser. Ad hoc events: e.g. our stall at London With full support from the rest of the Wetland Centre on May 19. Committee, you would organise our I Please contact Simon Saville for regular events: further information.

Butterflies in the Glasshouse Lost ring

Thank you to the 26 members were rewarded with free entry A RING with an opal who helped at our table to the Gardens and Butterflies. stone was found in during RHS Wisley’s If you would like to be Effingham Hall after Butterflies in the Greenhouse added to our list of helpers, our Members’ Day in early February. please contact any committee in November. They generated plenty of member or email If it could be yours, publicity for BC in general and [email protected]. please contact our Branch in particular, and Peter Camber. Surrey Skipper 6 Spring 2018

Steve Wheatley BC Senior Regional Officer — South East

THIS is the exciting time of year stronghold for this rare and when it is all about to kick off! threatened moth. At the same By mid-April there can be 20 time we might also find another butterfly species already flying in -associated moth, the Surrey. Our transect walkers will Common Fan-foot which, be heading out every week, and despite its name, is now one of data will begin flooding in to the the rarest moths in the UK Butterfly Monitoring South East. Scheme, iRecord etc. The Grizzled Skipper and the Every season is unique, with Wood White are two other high winners and losers, surprises and priority butterflies we will be unexpected rewards. The Surrey searching for this season. The Small Blue Project will be superb work of the Surrey encouraging people to get out and look for Branch conservation volunteers has created this lovely little butterfly, and it would be lots of new, open habitat for the Wood great if some new colonies are discovered – White at Oaken Wood. This complements perhaps in an overlooked quarry or a chalky more extensive ride work carried out by the road-verge or building site. Forestry Commission over the winter. The ongoing efforts to map elms will Counting Wood Whites also brings provide opportunities for spotting White- opportunities to see White Admirals and letter Hairstreaks. In June/July we will Purple Emperors – two of Surrey’s most continue our search for the Silver-studded spectacular species. I remember chasing a Blue on the Surrey Heaths and I urge any White Admiral through the woods 20 years golfers to report sightings of blue butterflies ago when they were far less common. on courses abundant with heather. As soon I dream about all of these butterflies as the Silver-studded Blue disappears it is during the late, dark winter months. The time to look for Graylings. dreams generally start early in January and By night we will be looking for Heart become more frequent as the new season Moths, setting light traps beneath in approaches. Then I spot my first butterfly of open or scrubby parkland. Surrey is the the year and off we go!

International Symposium April 6–8 Butterfly Conservation’s International Southampton University over three days Symposium is held every four years. The from April 6–8. eighth Symposium will again take place at Full programme: butterfly-conservation.org/4218/symposium-2018.html

Big Butterfly Count 2018: Fri 20 Jul – Sun 12 Aug

Peacock ...... 29,454 UK top 10 2017 Recorders Butterflies Comma ...... 22,436 Gatekeeper ...... 93,171 46,000 ...... 830,000 Small Tortoiseshell...... 20,267 2013 Red Admiral ...... 73,161 Common Blue ...... 19,567 2014 44,000 ...... 560,000 Meadow Brown ...... 69,528 Speckled Wood ...... 18,639 2015 52,000 ...... 600,000 Small White ...... 61,812 2016 36,000 ...... 390,000 Large White ...... 61,064 LINK Big Butterfly Count 2017 60,400 ...... 550,000 Surrey Skipper 7 Spring 2018

MALCOLM BRIDGE (right), who retired from the committee in November after 18 years service, is presented with a copy of "Beyond Spring", the new book by NT Nature Specialist Matthew Oates (left). FK Put a spring in your step

An essential reference for anyone with any interest in Surrey’s wildlife. And at only £16 it is an absolute bargain. Steve Chastell, Chair Surrey Bird Club

£16 (+ £3 p&p) from Branch Treasurer, Peter Camber Surrey Skipper 8 Spring 2018

Small Blue Project Fiona Haynes

Fiona Haynes is Officer for Removing the roots with BC’s Surrey Small Blue mattocks and poppers is very “Stepping Stones” Project, satisfying as you know the tree on a part-time contract for will not grow back, and it also two years to July 2019 reduces our reliance on IT has been a really busy and herbicides, disturbs the seed successful winter on the North bank and creates little pockets Downs. There have been a few of bare ground in the sward. challenges along the way but On Box Hill we have been overall I think we have made sowing kidney vetch seeds a good difference through a straight into these little combination of regular pockets of bare ground. volunteer work parties across the project Other tasks have involved clearing larger area and lots of contractor works. scrub such as huge clumps of buddleia. Hopefully the pockets of good potential Sites such as West Hanger and Netley habitat we have created will start to make a Plantation near have old quarry difference this year for the Small Blue, workings that had been overtaken with this Adonis Blue, Silver-spotted Skipper, invasive plant. We have been trying to get Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, the roots out where possible and using Chalk Carpet and even Straw Belle. herbicide when they are too large to tackle. We have been running three volunteer There will no doubt be little seedlings work parties per month, which have usually over the coming years but the hope is that been well attended, averaging 15 people per we will be able to remove them while they party. Most tasks involve removing young are small. All the bare ground we have scrub such as hawthorn, dogwood and ash created will be perfect habitat for the kidney with a combination of mattocks and tree vetch as well as other important larval food poppers – a brilliantly simple South African plants such as wild strawberry for tool that grips and levers out young trees, Grizzled Skipper and sheep’s fescue for roots and all. Silver-spotted Skipper. I know that

Netley Park. LEFT, Dec 2017: clearance and scrape creation. RIGHT, Feb 2018: new scrape and no buddleia! FH Surrey Skipper 9 Spring 2018

Feb 2018: Conservation & BC volunteers brave the weather on Pewley Down. St Martha's hill is in the background. Jonathan Mitchell buddleia is a favoured nectar source for creating scrapes with a mini digger. It has adult butterflies but these sites are choked been satisfying to see the new scrapes go in with it and we are not removing it all, just at many sites and many of these are yet to the vast majority of it to prevent it taking be seeded with kidney vetch, which I hope over from the more delicate food plants we to complete soon. are trying to encourage. It will be good to see the fruits of our We have been creating scrapes by hand labour in the spring and do some survey with spades and mattocks at Denbies and monitoring work along the North Hillside and Quarry where Downs as well as habitat assessments. I am access is impossible with an excavator or on looking forward to meeting with additional slopes that are too steep. local landowners about possibilities for Some of the volunteer tasks have been management on their land as well as joint with the and it has planning further contractor works for the been good to work with the rangers and summer and next winter. volunteers at Denbies Hillside, Netley Park, I I would like to thank all the volunteers The Ranges and Box Hill. We have also had for their hard work this winter. Special a successful work party at Pewley Down thanks to Bill Downey, Harry Clarke and with their Conservation Volunteers, where Gail Jeffcoate for the amazing level of we had an impressive turn out despite some support for the work parties and detailed atrocious weather! site and species knowledge. I hope that I have had contractors working on sites many of the volunteers will be interested in dealing with larger blocks of scrub and taking part in survey work this season. Surrey Skipper 10 Spring 2018

Oaken Wood Bill Downey

THE Conservation Group will have and the reed beds trimmed back. There has completed a full season of winter work subsequently been a problem with the parties by early March. BC’s plan is to invasive Water Fern plant, although there is manage the reserve for Wood White and an approved biological control for this in rare moths such as Betony Case-bearer. the form of the Azolla Weevil, which we will Liaison with the Forestry Commission introduce in June. continues to go well and in January the Jayne Chapman, BC Reserves Officer, licence was renewed for five years. and Harry Clarke have led the work parties . Three of the rides – One, Two & Five – Our thanks go to the volunteers who have have now been opened up to their full turned out in all weathers and without width. This lets in more light and whom such progress this year would not encourages ecotonal vegetation. Hopefully, have been possible. We await to see the this will allow the Wood White’s larval fruits of our labour this coming season. foodplants to spread, although this may I If you are interested in joining the take time. The Betony ride has likewise Conservation Group, which works both at been widened and encroaching trees and Oaken Wood and in support of the Small scrub have been removed. Blue Project on the , The pond was cleared early in the season please contact: Bill Downey

Access: SU993338, via track (usually no Oaken Wood vehicular access) that runs west from OAKEN WOOD, our branch reserve Plaistow Rd at SU994338; GU8 4PG. since 1995, is 12ha (30 acres) of woodland Parking for only a few cars. & grassland in the south-west of the Western (Botany Bay) entrance to county, 2.6km south of Dunsfold. Forest is off High Street It is part of the Forestry Commission’s Green at SU978348; GU8 4YA. Parking 324ha . here is slightly easier; beware roadside A 3ha extension west to Lagfold track ditches! Oaken Wood is 2.5km to the east. I was added in 2015. Our licence was Volunteers are always welcome to renewed for five years in Jan 2018. register for our winter work parties.

DATES Jan–Dec Butterfly House, Jun 14 – 16: Moth Night Horniman Gardens SE23 Jun 18 – 24: National Insect Week Mar 24 Butterfly Recorders, Birmingham Jul 14 I New Members’ Day, Juniper Hall Mar 26 Garden Moth Scheme deadline Jul 20 – Aug 12: Big Butterfly Count Mar 29 – Sep 16: Natural History Museum: Oct 6 AES Fair: Kempton Sensational Butterflies Oct 13 Branch Members’ Day Apr 1 Transect season starts Oct 27 Upper Thames Branch Members’ Day Apr 6–8 Symposium: Southampton Oct 31 All Transect records to be online please Apr 19 First Surrey field trip Nov 3 I Surrey Members’ Day, Effingham May 4–6 BioBlitz: Tice’s Meadow, Nov 10 National Members’ Day, Nottingham May 19 Wildlife Gardener's Day, Nov 17 Members’ Day London Wetland Centre Nov 18 Hampshire Members’ Day Jun 2–3 BioBlitz: Hall Park NT Surrey Skipper 11 Spring 2018

Brown Hairstreak egg hunts Bill Downey

THIS winter I decided to extend our Dec 5: Sanderstead to Whyteleafe repertoire from just looking for Brown Conservation Area, with the Downlands Hairstreak eggs on blackthorn, to searching Project: large haul for what I thought would for Purple Hairstreak eggs in the terminal be a marginal site. Brown 76, Purple 1 buds of oaks and, where possible, for Dec 12: Tolworth Court Farm, with White-letter Hairstreak eggs on Wych Elm. Kingston Biodiversity Forum and members Purple and particularly White-letter eggs from Herts & Middx branch. A very good are much harder to find, however there was hairstreak site. Brown 120, Purple 7 success with all three species. LOCAL GROUPS SURREY BRANCH I Friends of Barnes Common. Nov 28: NW Zone, WLH 7, Purple 1 in conjunction with Gatwick Greenspace. I Sydenham Hill Woods & Cox’s Walk, LWT Brown 40; Purple 6 WLH 1

Gatwick egg-hunt with Bill Downey (2nd-right) and ecologist Rachel Bicker (yellow). 2017-11-28. Ken Elsom

Horniman Butterfly House

South-East London has a new, year-round Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill, opened Butterfly House. The house, in Horniman last August. Booking is advised. Surrey Skipper 12 Spring 2018

Email Appeal Francis Kelly

We do NOT hold a valid email address (some bounce) for the following members: Thelma Amer Sheila Cooper Roger Hanson Anthony Moore Susan Shore June Anderson Peter Corry Richard Hardman Clive Morgan Brian Shrubsall Alexander Ballingal Mark Cosgrove Trevor Harris Hazel Morgan Robert Simpson Matthew Banner Neil Covey Neil Hayter Sheila Morris Jason Sinclair Alec Baxter-Brown Barbara Crake Michael Healy Maurice Moss John Smith Peter Beale Brian Crawford John Henley Brian Myring Leslie Smith Sandra Bell Christine Crawley Ian Herbert Stella Newbery Jennifer Spring-Smyth Joan Bellevue Alaina Creedy John Heward Ian Newlands Henry Stapleton Lulu Bennett Paul Crook Pamela Hill Michael Nightingale John Steer Sarah Bennett Ian Cunningham Philip Hills Michael Oak Jennifer Stiasny Robert Bishop Susan & Zoe Davies Kathleen Hogg Vivien Oakes William Straker David Boothroyd Marjorie Davis Derek Holdaway Rick Ovenden Sally Strangeways Richard Bosanquet Stephen Davis David Hollow Sarah Panizzo Roger Swanborough Gillian Boshier Mollie Dewhurst-Martin Daphne Howling Jean Parker Bill Swinglehurst Mark Brook & John Dingain Simon Howorth Benjamin Pateman David Sykes Amanda Bowen Simon Donkersley Elizabeth Hughes Christopher Paul Judith Symons R Bradley Christopher Durrant Martin Hughes Martin Peach Frederick Thatcher Mary Bridge Marc Duveen Conway Stephen Jackson Patricia Perkins Michael Thomas Juliet Brodie Rosemary Eaton Charles Jenkins Alexander Petrie Timothy Thursfield Penelope Brooke Colin Ede Michael B Jones David Pinder Ian Tippetts Dorothy Brookes Alan Edwards Andrew Keeping John Pontin Ian Todd Judith Browning James Edwards Reston Kilgour Margaret Potter Kim Tremearne John Buckley Peter Edwards Mary Knight Peter Preece Colin Turner Matthew Bullivant Vivien Egerton Kathleen Knowles Steven Quaife Harry Turner Joshua Burch Conrad Eilts Keith & Mary Jill Rigby Diane Vowles Anne Burchell Jason Enticknap Lawrence Monica Rogers Jane Wagner-Hodges Martin Burgess Peter Fane Roger Leonard Christa Rohde Judith Ward Valerie Butt Peter Farrant Fiona Lorimer John Rose Margaret Watkins Martin Cale Zoe Field Sheila Lovell Trudi-Anne Rosie Peter Webster Frank Cannings Clive Fisher Joanna Lumley Patricia Ross Patience Wedd Patrick Chapman Rex Francis Patrick & Rosamund Ransford Rowe Elizabeth Whiting Kenneth Cheesman Andrew Fryer Manson Paul Rowsell Michael Wilkinson Victoria Chester Julian Gibbs Trudy Mapstone Allen Russell-Smith Alistair Wilson Tim & Sue Cleminson Benjamin Green Harry & Lin Matthews Eric Ryan Mildred Wilson Judy Cobbett Margaret Gunning Iain McClure Susan Saxby Alan Wingrove Tony Collyer Katherine Haire Thomas McKay Adam Seymour Jean Winn Gwen Comerford Charles Hales-Hunt Tim McKenzie Edward Shaw Shirley Constable Tim Hall Neil McMillan Peter Shaw-Ashton Maureen Conway Jean Hamblin Stephen Meredith Peter Shelley Shane Cooper John Hammick Mike Metherall Joan Sherwood

If you did not receive an email alert to this Skipper, we do NOT have your email address. To receive an alert, and help more money to be directed towards conservation, please email [email protected] Surrey Skipper 13 Spring 2018

Field trips Mike Weller

FIELD trips are open to branch members and their guests, who normally do not need to contact the leader in advance. Non-members are welcome but should contact MW in advance. I Postcode & grid reference indicate meeting place. I Unless stated otherwise, walks start at 11am, lasting until mid-afternoon. Lunch, drinks, walking boots, hat, sunscreen & close-focusing binoculars are advised. NO DOGS PLEASE I Cancelled/postponed dates will be emailed to our contacts list and posted on www.butterfly-conservation.org/surrey I To join our contacts, please email [email protected]

APRIL 19 Thu MORNING ONLY TW10 7RS, TQ169731: car park south of Thames at north end of Ham Street, Petersham. Early flyers Leader: MB MAY 2 Wed , KT24 6AN, TQ088525: car park behind St Mary’s church, south of A246 between East & West Horsley. Spring Skippers, Green Hairstreak, Vanessids CH 8 Tue Shere Woodlands GU5 9TE, TQ 070493: West Hanger car park, west side of Staple Lane, 1m N of A25. STEEP! Spring Skippers FK 9 Wed Hutchinson’s Bank CR0 9AD, TQ377619: Farleigh Dean Crescent, east of Featherbed Lane, 1.5km south of A2022. Spring Skippers, Green Hairstreak MB 10 Thu MORNING ONLY Brickworks RH5 5DN, TQ20324260: SWT car park. Coming south along Hogspudding Lane (aka New Barn Lane), turn first left into Mulberry Place then keep left. Spring Skippers, Green Hs RS 12 Sat Denbies Hillside RH5 6SR, TQ141503: Ranmore NT car park east. STEEP! Spring Skippers & Blues, Green Hairstreak RE 15 Tue Brookwood Cemetery GU24 0JE, SU946560: Avenue de Cagny, Green. Grizzled Skipper, Green Hairstreak FK 19 Sat Sidney Wood GU6 8JG, TQ02673526: car park on south side of Dunsfold Road, 1m west of A281 Alfold Crossways; afternoon car share to Oaken Wood. Spring Skippers, Wood White FK 22 Tue Common GU26 6AG, SU89043575: Devil's Punch Bowl NT café car park, London Rd. Green Hairstreak FK 26 Sat Park KT23 4BP, TQ146543: cul-de-sac end of Downs Way, , south of A246 —Guildford road. Park considerately in residential road. Downland species MW 27 Sun Merrow & Pewley Downs GU1 2QP, TQ022499: car park on right at top of High Path Rd or Grove Rd, off A246 Rd. Small Blue CH 29 Tue Bentley Station Meadow, Hants see page 16 Surrey Skipper 14 Spring 2018

30 Wed Chantries/Five Fields & Pewley Down GU4 8PZ, TQ02174842: St Martha’s car park, east side of Halfpenny Lane (via Blacksmith Lane if coming from Chilworth). Small Blue FK JUNE 2 Sat 10.30 MORNING ONLY SM2 7HS, TQ236622: St Paul’s church at roundabout junction of A232 & Northey Avenue, Cheam. Park considerately in residential roads. Small Blue MW 3 Sun Denbies Hillside, see May 12. Adonis Blue RS 7 Thu 10.30 MORNING ONLY Heath RH2 8AB, TQ239503: Flanchford Road car park. Heathland species GS 14 Thu 10.30 MORNING ONLY Fairmile Common KT11 1BG, TQ12089 61764: Lakewood car park, EAST of A307, 2.25km NE of Cobham, south of A3 flyover. NB change from previous car park Silver-studded Blue MW 15 Fri Bentley Station Meadow, Hants see page 16 17 Sun Box Hill KT20 7LB, TQ179513: NT car park opposite shop. Beware cyclists! Dark Green Fritillary, orchids DW 21 Thu 10.30 MORNING ONLY CR8 3QL, TQ305628: , north of Foresters Drive, Wallington; park on street. Grassland species DW 24 Sun RH5 6BQ, TQ158524: Crabtree Lane car park, 1.2km NW of Box Hill & station; 1.6km west of 465 bus stop on A24. Down/woodland species MW 26 Tue 10.30 MORNING ONLY Clandon Wood Burial Reserve GU4 7TT, TQ048512: north of A246, 300m east of A247. White-letter Hairstreak FK 27 Wed St Martha’s & Newlands Corner GU5 9BQ, TQ035485: car park east of St Martha’s Hill, Guildford Lane. Via Albury: north of A248; via Guildford: south of White Lane. Dark Green Fritillary, Marbled White RS 28 Thu GU3 3RN, SU987542: car park by Jolly Farmer . From A3 southbound, take Burpham/Merrow exit. From A320, north of Guildford, take Burdenshott Rd NW for 1km. Silver-studded Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral MW JULY 1 Sun Bookham Common KT23 3JG, TQ130557: NT Tunnel car park, north of Church Rd, 200m east of Bookham railway station. Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral MW 3 Tue Cucknells Wood GU5 0UD, TQ03314338: Christ Church car park, south of Shamley Green, west of B2128. Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral FK 5 Thu 10.30 MORNING ONLY KT18 7TR, TQ182611: Stew Ponds car park, south of Christ Church Rd. Purple Emperor, White Admiral AG 8 Sun Holmwood Common RH5 4DT, TQ182463: Scammels car park on brow of hill, west of Blackbrook Rd (—Newdigate). Purple Emperor, White Admiral 14.00 Inholms Clay Pit RH5 4TU, TQ175474: park in Holmbury Drive. MW Surrey Skipper 15 Spring 2018

10 Tue 10.30 MORNING ONLY , Cheam SM3 8DP, TQ236634: The Avenue car park, west of A232 junction. White-letter Hairstreak KO 10 Tue Bentley Station Meadow, Hants see page 16 11 Wed Sheepleas, West Horsley, see May 2. Purple Emperor CH 12 Thu Common KT21 2DU, TQ179589: estate office; go over level crossing at Ashtead railway station, then left 200m along Woodfield Rd. Park considerately before level crossing or at far end of Woodfield Rd. Purple Emperor, White Admiral MW 14 Sat 14.00 Walton Downs & Juniper Hill, Epsom KT18 5PP, TQ222578: large car park inside racecourse, SE corner. Cross the racecourse east of grandstand at junction of Tattenham Corner Rd & Old London Rd; follow the track round. Chalkhill Blue MW 15 Sun Hutchinson’s Bank, see May 10. Dark Green Fritillary MB 17 Tue Broadstreet Common GU2 8LW, SU968509: Hartshill, Park Barn, Guildford. From A323 Aldershot Rd turn west into Broad Street (heading towards ); after 250m, 2nd-left — Broadacres; 1st right — Wood Rise; keep right at roundabout into Barnwood Rd; turn right at T-junction into Cabell Rd; 1st right into Hartshill. Park in residential street. Wood/grassland species MW 19 Thu Headley Heath KT18 6NN, TQ204538: Main (not Brimmer) car park, west of B2033 Headley Common Rd, 200m south of Leech Lane. STEEP. Purple Emperor, Small Copper, Silver-spotted Skipper CH 21 Sat 10.30 KT16 0ED, SU973648: Staple Hill (NOT Roundabout) car park, south of M3, 1.3km NE of B383 Windsor Rd. Grayling, Dragonflies FK 26 Thu Great Train Journey East: VERY STEEP! dep Dorking DEEPDENE 9.14, arr Betchworth 9.19. 6km return walk via Betchworth & Chalk Pits and Box Hill Dukes, ending at Stepping Stones NT car park (RH5 6AE, TQ171513), which is 600m south of Burford Bridge roundabout, east of A24. We advise to park here and walk 1.4km (15min) south along A24, past Dorking Main, to Deepdene Station. 25+ species, incl. Silver-spotted Skipper, Chalkhill Blue MW 28 Sat 10.30 ‘Vale End’, Tillingbourne Valley, St Martha’s Hill, Albury Downs GU5 9BE, TQ042478: we are invited to Vale End, John & Daphne Foulsham’s home, north side of Chilworth Rd (A248), 0.5km west of Albury. Park in field opposite on south side. After coffee & biscuits we wander along the Tillingbourne Valley then steeply up onto Albury Downs; return downhill for tea & cakes. End 4pm. Chalkhill Blue MW 31 Tue Reigate & Colley Hills RH2 9RP, TQ263523: 400m SE of M25 J8; from A217 (no right turn) take 1st-left towards Gatton — NT car park is immediately signposted. Silver-spotted Skipper, Chalkhill Blue KO

EMERGENCY: call 112; wait 1 min. If no reception, turn round and retry. I If still no contact, text 112. Surrey Skipper 16 Spring 2018

AUGUST 4 Sat Great Train Journey West: VERY STEEP! dep Dorking DEEPDENE 9.45, arr 9.53 (you could join here). 10km return walk over some of the finest butterfly country on the Downs. Parking options: 1 Dorking Main station (RH4 1TF, TQ170503), 250m north of Deepdene, £3+. 2 Ashcombe Road, west end (RH4 1NB, TQ161500) is on return route, 1.3km (15 min) west of Deepdene: cross A24 via underpass, turn right. RS 7 Tue Dawney Heath & Brookwood Cemetery, see May 15. Grayling FK 12 Sun Box Hill, see Jun 17: STEEP walk to Lower Viewpoint & Dukes. Adonis Blue, Silver-spotted Skipper RE 14 Tue 14.00 AFTERNOON ONLY Bookham Common, see Jul 1. Brown Hairstreak MW 16 Thu 10.30 MORNING ONLY Blindley Heath, RH7 6LL, TQ369452: 5m south of M25 J6; from A22 turn east into Ray Lane B2029; after 0.4m turn left into Tandridge Lane; park in Red Barn pub car park on right; reserve is on left. Several stiles! Brown Hairstreak RS 19 Sun Denbies Hillside, see May 12: STEEP! Adonis Blue, Silver-spotted Skipper RS 22 Wed 10.30 MORNING ONLY Bookham Common, see Jul 1. repeat of previous week’s visit for Brown Hairstreak CH 23 Thu 10.30 MORNING ONLY , see May 10. Brown Hairstreak RS SEPTEMBER 1 Sat Merrow & Pewley Downs, see May 27. Brown Hairstreak NJ 4 Tue Little Mead, GU6 8LT, TQ04603985: Notcutts Garden Centre, B2128 Guildford Rd, 1.2km NW of village. Brown Hairstreak FK

Leaders Francis Kelly...... 07952 285661, 01483 278432 Malcolm Bridge..07806 253331, 020 8289 3839 Ken Owen...... 07715 350368 Robert Edmondson ...... 01306 885085 Graham Saxby ...... 07818 433079 Alison Gilry ...... 07736 962466 Richard Stephens 07815 444166, 01342 892022 Clive Huggins ....07952 964253, 020 8942 7846 Dave Warburton ...... 07736 338366 Nigel Jackman ..07792 407963, 020 8391 4437 Mike Weller ...... 07918 171179, 01306 882097

Bentley Station Meadow Hants, 4m SW of Surrey members are invited to Hampshire’s trips to BC’s Bentley Station Meadow reserve. From A31, 3km SW of Coxbridge Roundabout, go south on Gravel Hill Road, signposted Alice Holt Research Station. Meet: FC car park on right, 500m after railway bridge, 1.2km west of A325: GU10 4LQ, SU802433 MAY 29 Tue 14.30 Jayne Chapman 01962 808400 JUNE 15 Fri 14.30 Arthur Greenwood 07920 803900 JULY 10 Tue 11.00 Purple Emperor Jayne Chapman Surrey Skipper 17 Spring 2018

Branch website: unique weekly visitors Francis Kelly Unique weekly visitors 2016 2017 500

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OUR branch website attracted 400+ unique launch of the Big Butterfly Count drew the visitors in three separate weeks in 2017. other big numbers. The record was 464 in week beginning Average unique weekly visitors March 10 when the new Skipper was 2015: 119; 2016: 159; 2017: 178 published. The autumn Skipper and the

Social media Francis Kelly

Click the link below for our website’s Twitter Facebook guide to getting involved with Twitter Running Tweets & and Facebook. totals Retweets Followers Likes Mick Rock’s “Surrey Butterflies” 2015 Sep 360 131 Facebook group has 126 members. 2016 Feb 463 192 LINK Surrey branch on Social Media Sep 532 637 248 2017 Mar 600 734 270 Sep 1,238 889 336 2018 Feb 1,307 935 347 Surrey Skipper 18 Spring 2018

Transects Bill Downey

Transects Section I STARTED work on the changes to our Walkers Species Butterflies transect network on January 1. It is like a received Records giant jigsaw puzzle and a change in one 2013 47 72 40 17,096 72,133 part of the system has ramifications 2014 59 87 40 23,737 83,908 elsewhere. With 100+ routes, inevitably 2015 82 103 42 29,633 103,297 more work has to go into maintaining 2016 93 115 42 31,287 102,923 previous gains. 2017 105 115 42 41,150 176,074 This year a new team is being assembled to walk the three routes on Box Hill and at Brockham Quarry, where previous walkers Project, and to develop closer links with the have either retired or are moving to other London Wildlife Trust. sites. This has a knock-on effect on other I am always reluctant to announce new transects. Another target this year is to transects until they have actually started, develop more routes in London in but I am hopeful that in 2018 there will be anticipation of BC’s planned London new routes as below.

Transect changes 2018 NEW ROUTES I Whitmoor Common, SWT: I Secretary’s Field, NT: east of Denbies SSSI heathland north of Guildford, Hillside; worth monitoring for Adonis Blue. with Silver-studded Blue I , Southwark I am hoping that the NT sites I surveyed I , NT last year at Hindhead and I Ham Lands South, Richmond: important will go ahead. I am due to run training London site with a new Friends group. sessions at both early in the season. I Gatwick NW Zone (Gatwick Greenspace): NEW WALKERS site with Grizzled Skipper and I Coulsdon Common: Jenny Green Brown Hairstreak, where the Mole has been I Spynes Mere & Water Colours / diverted close to the airport. The Moors: Gordon Hay replaces I One Tree Hill, Honour Oak, LWT: Ray Baker, who has left the area. London LNR; fragment of the former I : Ted Forsyth is retiring. Great North Wood. My thanks to Ray, Ted and all walkers. I Stave Hill, Rotherhithe: ecological park in NE corner of our area.

Walking a transect If you would like to walk a transect A TRANSECT is a fixed-route, weekly or help with an existing one (many are email Bill Downey walk, typically 1–3km, lasting 30–90 mins. shared), please Volunteers record butterflies in a 5m More details are on our Website Transects page band in suitable weather in the 26 weeks , including: I Apr–Sep, 10.45–15.45. Data is managed by How to view transect data online the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. I Data to download

Transect data: pages 24–29 Surrey Skipper 19 Spring 2018

White-letter Hairstreak Bill Downey

White-letter Hairstreaks were found in Judith McNickle, Pamela Harwood, many new locations in 2017. Matt Phelps, Stephen Reisbach, Surrey: broadly along the A25 from Peter Brown and Helen Middlemas. The Shalford Common, south of Guildford, search not just for adults but also for elms in the west, to Reigate Park in the east. outside the flight period – without which we Sites include: Clandon Natural Burial would not find the butterflies. Ground, Polesden Lacey, Ripley, The search for suitable elm habitat Woods, , Coulsdon Common. continues throughout the year and I now London: Ham Lands, Kew; Thames have over 700 locations noted in VC17, all towpath at Barnes; ; Morden of which have been ‘ground truthed’. Hall Park; Nine Elms, . In 2018 I want to extend our searches to: I A particularly interesting discovery was : large number of on disease resistant elms planted at disease-resistant trees. Vauxhall Spring Gardens – almost within I : I have been made aware sight of the Houses of Parliament. of a number of trees; an elm avenue is Urban habitat is clearly no impediment. currently being planted I would like to thank all searchers: I Common: Alan Wilkinson, Simon Saville, Ken & avenue of mature trees Gillian Elsom, Penny Smallshire, I Croydon: still a number of large Karen Goldie-Morrison, Jo Hurren, Huntingdon Elms

BC & NT work party at Polesden Lacey, Oct 13, 2017. Standing L-R: Sarah Brown, Sarah Henson, Harry Clarke, Dominic Greves, Adrian Thompson, Martin D’arcy, Anita Bathurst, Mike Hobbs, Matthew Hunter, Steve Pitt, Jamie Parsons (NT Ranger), Simon Riley, Mary Stuart-Jones. Sitting L-R: Gillian Pullinger, Geoff Pierce, Libby Ralph, Fiona Haynes. Bill Downey Surrey Skipper 20 Spring 2018

Weather Watch David Gradidge

BY the time you read this, the England SE & Central South events of the start of March could be a distant memory. Anomaly columns shows comparison with Perhaps I may be allowed to 30-year average, 1981-2010 stray a bit further a field Temp C Sunshine Rainfall geographically and into the 2016 Mean Anom Hours Anom mm Anom murky realm of climate and Jan 5.7 +1.1 60 102% 132 165% indeed climate change. Feb 5.4 +0.9 89 113% 57 103% Mar 6.1 -0.7 137 120% 87 151% It is -5c outside (Mar 1) and Apr 8.1 -0.6 176 104% 54 101% the snow is blowing about. May 13.0 +1.1 220 109% 65 119% That is real cold by our Jun 15.4 +0.6 128 63% 96 188% standards. In North Dakota Jul 17.5 +0.4 213 99% 21 41% they do not call it cold until the Aug 17.9 +0.9 227 111% 40 70% wind chill is -40c. Parts of the Sep 16.7 +2.2 138 92% 48 77% UK could have nearly a foot of Oct 11.2 +0.1 128 113% 33 36% snow today. The forecast for Nov 6.4 -1.0 84 117% 103 118% the Sierras of California (above Dec 6.1 +1.1 64 125% 19 22% 7,000ft) is 4-8 feet. And in Annual 10.8 +0.5 1,664 102% 755 96% Yakutsk, Siberia, the 2017 correspondent on the One Jan 3.7 -0.9 78 132% 83 104% Show last night said it was Feb 6.4 +1.9 54 68% 54 97% positively springlike at -33c. Mar 9.2 +2.5 132 115% 44 76% There have been reports of Apr 9.4 +0.7 205 121% 10 18% snow in the Sahara for the May 13.5 +1.5 199 99% 69 127% second year running after a gap Jun 16.9 +2.1 244 121% 58 114% of 37 years; snowbound Rome Jul 17.8 +0.7 207 97% 104 200% and Paris; severe cold in NE Aug 16.4 -0.5 201 99% 73 127% USA and so on. Just weather or Sep 14.0 -0.5 138 93% 72 115% something else? Oct 12.7 +1.6 96 85% 32 34% As for global warming, Nov 7.1 -0.3 84 118% 50 58% I could do with some now. Dec 5.2 +0.2 53 104% 107 128% Looking back over the past Annual 11.1 +0.7 1,692 104% 756 96% year or so for our area, the item 2018 that stands out was the relative Jan 6.0 +1.4 57 97% 82 102% warmth, especially in the first Feb 2.9 -1.6 116 147% 41 74% half of 2017. Region: Surrey, London, Berks, Hants, Kent, Sussex, Wilts March was the mildest on each other. April was exceptionally dry and record and June had a bit of a heat wave. July turned out wet, otherwise nothing May was pretty good as well. Nothing exceptional and the same with sunshine. stands out since other than a significant It was a bit sunnier than average overall but N/S split this January when it was distinctly no month came near to breaking records. cold north of the border but mild here. Back to now. What will this do for early Rainfall is one for the statisticians where butterflies? The contrast with 2017 could the annual totals for the last 3 years were all not be more extreme. just below average and within 25mm of Will any Red Admirals survive? Surrey Skipper 21 Spring 2018

Photo Show

GARY MARGETTS won our Members’ Day Digital Photo Show with his Dark Green Fritillary pair, featuring a melanistic female (see front cover). Gary’s photo of the same female on her own split his own vote, but still finished third. RESULT (1st choice, 3 points; 2nd 2, 3rd 1) 29 Dark Green Fritillary melanistic female with mate ...... Gary Margetts 25 Grizzled Skipper underside (see below) ...... Francis Kelly 20 Dark Green Fritillary melanistic female solo...... Gary Margetts I The show attracted 74 photos of 36 species from 18 photographers. I 43 of the 60 photos selected for the show received at least one vote. I 25 received at least one TOP. I The winner scored the most points (29), most votes (15) and most TOPS (5). I Voting slips received: 47

Photo Show runner-up: Grizzled Skipper, newly emerged, prepares for its first flight. Ewhurst Brickworks, 2017-04-30. FK Quiz

MALCOLM BRIDGE, who set many of the In keeping with tradition, as the latest previous quizzes, won Peter Brown’s quiz at winner, Malcolm will polish his quiz-setting our Members’ Day in November with a skills for this year’s event. score of 29 out of 40. LINK Quiz, Answers & Photo Show Surrey Skipper 22 Spring 2018

All these things I learnt Robert Byron

IF I have a son, he shall salute the lords and ladies who unfurl green hoods to the March rains, and shall know them afterwards by their scarlet fruit. He shall know the celandine, and the frigid, sightless flowers of the woods, spurge and spurge laurel, dogs’ mercury, wood-sorrel and queer four-leaved herb-paris fit to trim a bonnet with its purple dot. He shall see the marshes gold with flags and kingcups and find shepherd’s purse on a slag-heap. He shall know the tree-flowers, scented lime-tassels, blood-pink larch-tufts, white strands of the Spanish chestnut and tattered oak-plumes. He shall know orchids, mauve-winged bees and claret-coloured flies climbing up from mottled leaves. He shall see June red and white with ragged robin and cow parsley and the two campions. He shall tell a dandelion from sow thistle or goat’s beard. He shall know the field flowers, lady’s bedstraw and lady’s slipper, purple mallow, blue chicory and the Robert Byron, cranesbills – dusky, bloody, and blue as heaven. 1905—1941, In the cool summer wind he shall listen to the rattle of was a British travel harebells against the whistle of a distant train, shall watch writer, best known clover blush and scabious nod, pinch the ample veitches, and savour the virgin turf. for his travelogue He shall know grasses, timothy and wag-wanton, and dust his The Road to Oxiana finger-tips in Yorkshire fog. By the river he shall know pink willow-herb and purple spikes Prince Charles of loosestrife, and the sweetshop smell of water-mint where read this piece the rat dives silently from its hole. on Radio 4 in 2006 He shall know the velvet leaves and yellow spike of the old for National dowager, mullein, recognise the whole company of thistles, Poetry Day. and greet the relatives of the nettle, wound-wort and Ken Owen hore-hound, yellow rattle, betony, bugle and archangel. In autumn, he shall know the hedge lanterns, hips and haws and bryony. At Christmas he shall climb an old apple-tree for mistletoe, and know whom to kiss and how. He shall know the butterflies that suck the brambles, common whites and marbled white, orange-tip, brimstone, and the carnivorous clouded yellows. He shall watch fritillaries, pearl-bordered and silver-washed, flit like fireballs across the sunlit rides. He shall see that family of capitalists, peacock, painted lady, red admiral and the tortoiseshells, uncurl their trunks to suck blood from bruised plums, while the purple emperor and white admiral glut themselves on the bowels of a rabbit. Surrey Skipper 23 Spring 2018

He shall know the jagged comma, printed He shall hear the humming-bird hawk with a white c, the manx-tailed iridescent moth arrive like an air-raid on the hair-streaks, and the skippers demure as garden at dusk, and know the other charwomen on Monday morning. hawks, pink sleek-bodied elephant, He shall run to the glint of silver on a poplar, lime, and death’s head. chalkhill blue – glint of a breeze on water He shall count the pinions of the plume beneath an open sky – and shall follow moths, and find the large emerald the brown explorers, meadow brown, waiting in the rain-dewed grass. brown argus, speckled wood and ringlet. All these I learnt when I was a child and He shall see death and revolution in the each recalls a place or occasion that burnet moth, black and red, crawling might otherwise be lost. from a house of yellow talc tied half-way They were my own discoveries. They up a tall grass. taught me to look at the world with my He shall know more rational moths, who like own eyes and with attention. They gave the night, the gaudy tigers, cream-spot me a first content with the universe. and scarlet, and the red and yellow Town-dwellers lack this intimate content, underwings. but my son shall have it!

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey Bill Downey

THE WCBS, run by BC and the Centre for 1km survey lines running roughly north- Ecology & Hydrology, in partnership with south. Surrey branch has been allocated 36 the British Trust for Ornithology, monitors monads. Data is easily entered online. the abundance of countrywide species away I If you can cover one of the vacant sites, from hotspots. please contact Bill Downey Volunteers make monthly visits, I More details are on our website’s May–Aug, to a randomly selected monad WCBS page and count butterflies for one hour along two Monad Location Walker Monad Location Walker SU8736 Hindhead Lesley Benson TQ1354 Bookham Harry Clarke SU8737 Beacon Hill TQ1662 Lawrie de Whalley SU8748 Badshot Lea Clare Grindrod TQ2042 Newdigate Jo Hurren SU8960 TQ2059 Epsom Janet Cheney SU9038 Bowlhead Green Harry Clarke TQ2355 SU9047 Seale TQ2562 Belmont Morag Loader SU9133 TQ2654 Mugswell Janet Cheney SU9150 Ash Green TQ2657 Banstead Wood Alison Gilry SU9351 Normandy TQ2759 Woodmansterne Morag Loader SU9364 Windlesham TQ3045 Salfords SU9647 Compton Gill Hanson TQ3069 Norbury Malcolm Bridge SU9760 Chobham TQ3079 Westminster SU9951 Guildford TQ3269 Upper Norwood TQ0071 Runnymede Cathy Clarke TQ3279 Borough Janet Cheney TQ0944 Gill Hanson TQ3378 Bermondsey Simon Saville TQ0960 Cobham Roz Szanto TQ3559 Hamsey Green TQ1144 Bill Downey TQ3566 Shirley Malcolm Bridge TQ1247 Wotton Graham Revill TQ4352 Limpsfield Chart Jim Yeeles Surrey Skipper 24 Spring 2018

Surrey transects top single count in each week

Week number 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 91011121314151617181920212223242526 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER 2017 18152229613202731017241 8 1522295121926291623 Brimstone 17 40 20 25 28 30 24 22 17 7 11 9 10 13 14 28 17 26 13 24 8 12 4 4 6 4 Peacock 15 14 4 5 13 8 9 7 3 3 2 1 1 11 3 11 14 7 7 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 Small Tort 12 5 7 5 4 5 2 2 3 6 14 7129 1 1 123112111 Comma 54 3 6 5 6 3 3 2 2 914 21 14 13 17 16 14 7 5 4 5 7 6 11 12 Red Admiral 42 3 1 2 4 5 8 7 4 4 4 7 7 7 14 13 7 7 6 2 6 4 9 5 14 Orange-tip 10 7 19 8881158 2 1 Holly Blue 9 12 86510542 12 2 2 3 3 5 3 4 3 3 1 51 1 Speckled Wood 814169 5 8 8 1619202110172014181213182358 42 27 31 21 18 Small White 7167 7 4 116 5 4 4 3 1526151929231110203340 32 33 28 16 Green Hstreak 13 9 21213 68 3 22 1 Green-v White 15 4 2 4 7 5 3 5 3 2 5 8 5 12 12 11 11 4 6 5 8 6 4 2 2 Large White 13 3 6 2 4 3 4 2 1 3 6 101411185 105 1229 27 13 6 6 4 Dingy Skipper 21411203138 15 11 6 8 1 1 2 1 1 Grizzled Skip 252745612 10 9 5 1 1 Small Copper 117675 5 54 5 2 5 18178 9 9 4 6 7921 810 Small Heath 1912495242879460175 106 49 39 18 15 18 24 40 45 54 57 24 38 13 Painted Lady 2113 11 1 3 11213 1221 112 Wood White 5198124 1 1 2 37 17 32 8 6 Common Blue 292962663223161110395892120 107 84 68 75 17 8 3 4 Adonis Blue 12242224155 3 3233843 19 3 2 1 Brown Argus 1225 914925181918116181826 24 14 8 7 1 Small Blue 131330157 106 82 61 17 4 3 14 13 5 8 3 2 Large Skipper 25982834 31 31 20 7 2 4 Meadow Brown 14851182362473650 590 444 265 301 260 242 211 218 166 66 34 39 Marbled White 1292451 291 174 137 45 19 6 3 2 Silver-stud Blue 995114 96 29 9 3 1 1 Small Skipper 1360 56 32 26 16 5 2 Small/Essex 1984313128420 116 11 10 3 7 Essex Skipper 132429 22 9 3 2 2 Ringlet 24 166 320 245 154 89 49 46 46 31 42 17 Dark Green Frit 15280 41 34 7 6 4 1 1 White Admiral 11126 10 5 12 2 White-l Hstreak 1 2 1122 Gatekeeper 7542157227 125 120 80 69 37 41 29 3 Silver-w Frit 630382255 37 32 12 10 3 10 1 1 Purple Hstreak 11022202325 51412 Purple Emperor 1 2 1 Clouded Yellow 112123 2221112 Grayling 343111219192631 18 7 4 5 Chalkhill Blue 17 56 154 114 146 109 93 63 41 8 1 Silver-sp Skip 327131537 30 32 8 Brown Hstreak 1212346 1213

I TEN species beat or equalled their top single I Purple Emperor and three count of the 21st century in 2017 (see next page): Hairstreaks (Brown, Purple, Marbled White, Small Heath, Orange-tip, White-letter), being largely arboreal, Dark Green & Silver-washed Fritillaries, are unsuited to transect recording. Wood White, White Admiral, Comma, I Excludes a few unverified records Grizzled Skipper, Brown Hairstreak with extreme dates Surrey Skipper 25 Spring 2018

Surrey transects season’s top single count Top count Red: 21st-century top 2017 2000-16 Meadow Brown Jul 5 West End Farm, 650 846 Marbled White Jun 23 Box Hill Viewpoint 451 353 Small/Essex Skipper Jul 8 Nonsuch Park 420 450 Ringlet Jun 26 West End Farm, Frensham 320 412 Gatekeeper Jul 17 227 248 Small Heath Jun 19 Denbies Landbarn 175 123 Chalkhill Blue Jul 31 Newlands Corner East 164 3,308 Small Blue Jun 1 Warren Farm 157 170 Common Blue Aug 1 120 243 Silver-studded Blue Jun 20 Fairmile Common 114 268 Dark Green Fritillary Jun 26 Box Hill Viewpoint 80 41 Small Skipper Jun 20 Common 60 156 Speckled Wood Aug 25 Ashtead Common 58 79 Silver-washed Fritillary Jul 17 Sheepleas 55 40 Adonis Blue Aug 26 Denbies Landbarn 43 600 Brimstone Apr 9 Merrow Downs 40 81 Small White Aug 26 Hogsmill 40 82 Dingy Skipper May 14 Hutchinson's Bank 38 54 Large Skipper Jun 17 Newlands Corner East 38 94 Silver-spotted Skipper Aug 13 Brockham Limeworks 37 99 Wood White Jul 17 Chiddingfold Forest 37 31 Grayling Aug 19 Barossa 31 56 Essex Skipper Jul 5 Merrow Downs 29 66 Large White Aug 20 29 147 Brown Argus Aug 14 Norbury Park 26 67 White Admiral Jun 26 Oaken Wood 26 19 Purple Hairstreak Jul 25 Holmwood Common 25 29 Comma Jun 25 Hogsmill 21 17 Small Copper Sep 12 Fairmile Common 21 61 Orange-tip Apr 19 Hogsmill 19 18 Peacock Apr 3 Sheepleas 15 32 Red Admiral Jul 17 Sheepleas 14 30 Small Tortoiseshell Jun 12 Hutchinson's Bank 14 47 Green Hairstreak May 10 Chipstead Downs 13 17 Green-veined White Jul 9 Morden Hall Park 12 41 Grizzled Skipper May 27 Headley Heath 12 12 Holly Blue Apr 8 Tooting Common 12 21 Brown Hairstreak Aug 27 Spynes Mere 6 3 Clouded Yellow Aug 8 Gangers Hill 3 9 Painted Lady Jun 2 Newlands Corner West 3 148 Purple Emperor Jun 30 Ashtead Common 2 4 White-letter Hairstreak Jun 14 2 3

I Richard Stephens photographed a Grizzled Skipper on September 2 on his Downs transect. This rare second brood is more common in the Dingy Skipper. Surrey Skipper 26 Spring 2018

Surrey transects 2013-17

DATA for Orange-tip, often the earliest new emergent, and Silver-spotted Skipper, one of the latest, may indicate an early or late year. The top single weekly count of 10 Orange-tips in the first week of April in 2017 was higher than in the previous four years. The peak was in week three, matching 2014. This suggests 2017 made an earlier start than the previous four seasons. Week number 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER Orange-tip 1815222961320273101724181522295121926291623 2013 3 12 9984714 2014 41415 15 11 4 7 2 1 1 2 2015 1571011914 743311 2016 2541118 15 10 6 3 1 1 1 2017 10 7 19 88811582 1 Silver-spotted Skipper 67891011121314151617181920212223242526 2013 1 43 31 40 33 11 6 2014 62334 27 23 16 4 4 2 2015 2133162 43 22 10 4 2016 12122127 15 12 4 2017 327131537 30 32 8

UKBMS abundance indices

The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme website has Adonis Blue at Denbies Hillside thousands of abundance index charts, covering every species at every transect site. Some go back to the start of the scheme in 1976. The example shows the fluctuating fortunes of the Adonis Blue at Denbies Hillside. The index for 2017 will be calculated later in the year. I The annual index is a statistical calculation of relative rather than actual abundance. LINK www.ukbms.org/Sites.aspx Red: this site; black: national

I Surrey transect data 2013+ Sort by species to see their sites & flight periods is available to download from our Sort by sites to see their species Website Transects page See your own records at a glance

Grizzled Skipper Bill Downey

POOR spring weather in 2017 made Holmen’s Grove, Stroud Wood, Sidney surveying difficult and our knowledge of Wood, Stovolds Hill and Smokejacks and Grizzled Skipper distribution was extended Ewhurst Brickworks. The colony on the only slightly. Parade Ground at Common was As well as its known sites on the chalk, it confirmed to be is still present. was found at Hawks Hill, Leatherhead. North of the chalk, where it is extremely In the , where the species is much rare, Grizzled Skipper was again located in harder to find, it was located at: Brookwood Cemetery. Surrey Skipper 27 Spring 2018

Transects with most species Surrey 2017

Hutchinson's Bank 36 Pewley Down 29 Kenley Common 26 Newlands Corner West 34 29 Norbury Park grassland 26 Chipstead Downs 32 Sheepleas 29 Oaken Wood 26 Headley Warren 32 Box Hill Zig Zag 28 Barnes Common 25 Betchworth Quarry 31 Brockham Limeworks 28 Chobham Common Sth 25 Box Hill Dukes 31 Juniper Hill 28 Clandon Wood 25 Newlands Corner East 31 Park Downs 28 Fairmile Common 25 Colekitchen 30 Ashtead Common B 27 Headley Heath 25 Denbies Landbarn B 30 Blatchford Down 27 Howell Hill 25 Hackhurst Down 30 Box Hill Viewpoint 27 Priest Hill 25 Denbies Hillside 29 Chapel Bank 27 Spynes Mere 25 Merrow Downs 29 Hill Park 27 West Hanger 25 Oxted Downs 29 The Mount 27

Presence on the 105 transects Surrey 2017

Speckled Wood 104 Green-veined White 86 Chalkhill Blue 27 Brimstone 102 Large Skipper 86 Grizzled Skipper 25 Gatekeeper 102 Small Copper 84 Clouded Yellow 24 Meadow Brown 102 Small Tortoiseshell 82 Dark Green Fritillary 24 Peacock 102 Marbled White 78 Brown Hairstreak 23 Small White 100 Small Skipper 76 White Admiral 22 Large White 99 Small Heath 74 Silver-spotted Skipper 15 Comma 97 Silver-washed Fritillary 64 Small Blue 15 Common Blue 96 Essex Skipper 59 Silver-studded Blue 11 Red Admiral 96 Brown Argus 54 Grayling 8 Ringlet 96 Painted Lady 48 Adonis Blue 6 Holly Blue 90 Green Hairstreak 36 Purple Emperor 6 Orange-tip 88 Purple Hairstreak 34 White-letter Hairstreak 6 Small/Essex Skipper 88 Dingy Skipper 31 Wood White 5

Lovely larva

Surrey member Gillian Elsom won the Immature Stages category of the 2017 Photography Competition on www.ukbutterflies.co.uk Gillian’s photo of a Swallowtail larva, 5th (final) instar, on Milk Parsley, was taken at Catfield Fen, Norfolk, in July 2017. The head and clawed legs are at the top. Surrey Skipper 28 Spring 2018

Priority species Francis Kelly

SURREY has four Highest Priority and Highest Priority (4) eight High Priority species in Steve Adonis & Silver-studded Blue, Wheatley’s Regional Action Plan. Grayling, Wood White The charts show the top single transect counts for the last five years. High Priority (8) The WL Hairstreak, being largely Chalkhill & Small Blue, arboreal and unsuited to transect recording, White-letter Hairstreak, is omitted. The Small Tortoiseshell, a Dark Green Fritillary, White Admiral, species with fluctuating fortunes, is added. Dingy, Grizzled & Silver-spotted Skipper

Adonis Blue Silver-stud Blue Grayling Wood White 50 200 50 40 40 150 40 30 30 30 20 100 20 20 10 50 10 10 0 0 0 0 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17

Chalkhill Blue Small Blue Dark Green Frit White Admiral

4,000 200 100 30 25 3,000 150 80 20 60 2,000 100 15 40 10 1,000 50 20 5 0 0 0 0 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17

Dingy Skipper Grizzled Skip Silver-spot Skip Sm Tort'shell

60 15 80 30 50 25 60 40 10 20 30 40 15 20 5 10 20 10 5 0 0 0 0 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16 17

REMEMBERING Butterfly Conservation in your will is one of the most effective ways to help ensure butterflies and moths thrive in years to come. Legacies represent over a third of our voluntary income and make a crucial contribution to our work. I Please contact Sandra Muldoon 01929 406002 or email Surrey Skipper 29 Spring 2018

The 105 transects (up from 94) Surrey 2017

Ashtead Common B Dawney Heath & Merrow Downs Roundshaw Downs Ashtead Common North Brookwood Cemetery Royal & Bagmoor Commons Denbies Hillside Morden Hall Park RSPB Farnham Heath East Barnes Common Denbies Landbarn B New Hill, Coulsdon RSPB Farnham Heath Barossa & Dollypers Hill Newlands Corner East Tankersford ,Godstone Epsom Common Newlands Corner West Runnymede Bealeswood Common Fairmile Common, Cobham Nonsuch Park Selsdon Wood Betchworth Quarry Farnham Park Norbury Park grassland Sheepleas Blatchford Down, Farthing Downs, Coulsdon Norbury Park woodland Shortfield Common Blindley Heath Foxley Wood, Purley Nore Hill, Woldingham Smithwood Common Box Hill Dukes Hackhurst Down, Gomshall , Headley South Norwood CP Box Hill Viewpoint Happy Valley, Coulsdon Oaken Wood West Spynes Mere Box Hill Zig Zag Headley Heath Oaken Wood Swan Barn Farm Headley Warren Oxted Downs, Gangers Hill Sydenham Hill Woods & Brentmoor Heath: Hill Park, Tatsfield Park Downs, Banstead Cox's Walk Cuckoo Hill Hogsmill LNR, Pewley Down, Guildford The Mount, Guildford Brockham Limeworks Holmwood Common Polesden Lacey East Common Chapel Bank, Horton CP North Polesden Lacey West Tice's Meadow New Addington Horton CP Priest Hill, Ewell Tolworth Court Farm Chiddingfold Forest East Howell Hill, Ewell Quarry Hangers, Chaldon Tooting Common Chiddingfold Forest South Hurst Meadows Warren Farm, Ewell Chiddingfold Forest West Hutchinson's Bank RHS Wisley: Main Garden Water Colours/Moors Chipstead Downs Inholms Clay Pit RHS Wisley: West End Farm, Frensham Chobham Common NE Juniper Hill, Wild Area & Pinetum West Hanger, Shere Chobham Common Sth Kenley Common Richmond Park Wimbledon Common Clandon Wood Place Riddlesdown Common Wimbledon Common SW Colekitchen Lingfield Wildlife Area B Riddlesdown Quarry & Fishponds Wood Coulsdon Common London Wetland Centre Rodborough Common

Transect walkers Surrey 2017

Ray Baker Sarah Clift Colin Hall Gary Margetts Michael Rowland Paul Batham Mayonne Coldicott Jill Hall Judith McNickle Graham Saxby Anita Bathurst Julia Collyer Philippa Hall Cathy Mead Trevor Sears Dick Beales Kama Cooper-Walden Graham Harris Jonathan Mitchell Jenny Sparks Andrea & Bill Bessant Graham Cotten Pamela Harwood Paul Moorhouse Neville Squires Rob Bonfield Daniel Creech Geoff Hewlett David & Audrey Moss Richard Stephens Alison Bosence Peter Cureton Emma Hockly Stephen Nevard Eloise Stradling Frank Boxell Peter Curnock Nick Hopkins Dominic North Mary Stuart-Jones Doug & Penny Boyd Phil Darley Gareth Hurd Ken Owen Ros Szanto Dave Braddock Bill Downey Gail Jeffcoate Dave Page Dave Thomson Matt Bramich Sarah Elliott Duncan Jennings Ruth Papworth Mike Thurner Malcolm Bridge Gillian & Ken Elsom Malcolm Jennings Sophie Parker Peter Trew Emma Brown Andrew Flegg Matthew Johnson Lindsay Patterson Jacky Trinder Peter Brown Ted Forsyth Michael Jones Gill Peachey Anne Tutt Philip Bryan Brian Gardner Natalie Kay Mike Pearce Peter Wakeham Richard Burgess Mike Gibson Andy Keay Matt Phelps Dave Warburton Peter Camber Alison Gilry Mike Lawn Geoff Pierce Paul Wheeler Nikki Campana Karen Goldie-Morrison Keith Lelliott Nick Press Alan Wilkinson Ellie Castle Teresa Grafton Eleanor Lines Robb Reeves Martin Wills Janet Cheney Daniel Greenwood Pat Lowe Simon Riley Geoff Woodcock John Christlieb Barry Gutteridge Ian Machen David Robinson Jim & Ruth Yeeles Cathy Clarke Lucy Halahan John Madden Mick Rock Bob Yeo Surrey Skipper 30 Spring 2018

iRecord is our recommended recording Recorders Records Tetrads Tetrads % platform via app (smartphone/tablet) 2013 32 344 or computer. The table shows Surrey 2014 116 1,004 butterflies 2013+. More details, 2015 159 3,182 including how to create a filter, are on 2016 230 4,247 321 57% our website. LINK Using iRecord 2017 333 7,214 397 71%

iRecorders

Thank you to the 330+ recorders who submitted Surrey butterfly data to iRecord in 2017. David Allcock Gino Brignoli David Cooling Charles Farrell Lucy Halahan Di Allcock Anne Brookes Larissa Cooper Graham Fieldhouse Jane Hambling Rowan Anderson Nick Broomer Sophie Cooper Dawn Fielding Christine Hamilton Richard Angliss Peter Brown Kama Cooper-Walden Tom Forster Veronica Hammerstone Roxanne Appleyard Zuleika Brown Yanez Jonathan Cousins Tom Forward Richard Harding Marc Arbuckle Stephen Browne Malcolm Cragg Paul Foulkes-Arellano Sarah Harrington-James Richard Arnold Jane Bryan Daniel Creech Keith Fowler Alison Harris Paul Atkin Darlene Bullard Jim Cresswell Richard Fox Janice Harris Bharat Azad Sarah Bunce Liz Cross Hilary Friend Matthew Harrow Nicholas Baldwin Catherine Burton Michael Cuff Peter Frost Andy Hart Charlotte Bartlett Martin Burton Dee Cullen Michael Funnell Martin Harvey Jack Barton Victoria Buswell Peter Cureton Mollie Gadd Pamela Harwood Anita Bathurst Jay C Lora Davies Tracey Gell David Hasell Charlie BB John Cadera Lucy Davies Linda Giblin Benny Hawksbee Diane Beaumont Peter Camber Bryony Davison Mike Gibson Matt Hayes Ian Beaumont Roger Cane Steve Dawson Sarah Gibson Fiona Haynes Ingrid Behrens Caroline Cardew-Smith Lawrie de Whalley Brian Glaysher Christine Hazelden Ben Benatt Sophie Cave Peter Denyer Karen Goldie-Morrison James Hewitt Claire Bennett Bryony Chapman Jenny Desoutter Dick Goodere Barry Hilling Bill Bessant Steve Chastell Marg Dier David Gough Anne Hindmarch Ian Betteridge Janet Cheney Claire Dimon David Gower Stuart Hine Rachel Bicker Hannah Chilvers Sam Douthwaite Diane Grant Julia Hiscock Simon Blackley Harry Clarke Bill Downey Jackie Grant Emma Hockly Dean Blanchard Peter Clarke Jonathan Dye Joe Gray Gill Hollamby Thomas Blumire David Claxton James Early Daniel Greenwood Gill Hooper Pete Boardman Sarah Clift Sarah Elliott Dominic Greves Carol Houghton Daniel Bound Karen Cobbett Gillian Elsom Lucy Groves Gary Howes David Bowen Simon Colenutt Ken Elsom Susan Groves Malcolm Hull Frank Boxell Paul Collins Harriet English Rachel Grummett Jo Hurren Linda Boys Richard Comont Angela Evans-Hill Ben Habgood Victoria Huth Matt Bramich Peter Conway Les Evans-Hill Bill Haines I continued next page Surrey Skipper 31 Spring 2018

I iRecorders: from previous page Robert Pennington Trevor Sears Marian Thomas Bob Hutton Lucas Malta Sophie Pettit Ian Shannon Dave Thomson Ruth Ibbotson Martyn Mance Matt Phelps Jono Shavelar Allan Thornhill John Ingham Steve Manning David Phillips Sarah Shaw Helen Thornhill Peter Irvine Ben Mapp Sandy Philpotts Ewan Shilland Mike Thurner Nigel Jackman Gary Margetts Geoff Pierce Jenny Sibley Juliet Turnbull Mark Jacobs Steve Marshall Lester Pink Stephanie Skipp Raymond Turner Duncan Jennings Michael Massie Emma Pooley Andrew Skotnicki Carole Tyrrell Michael Johnston Graham Mays Vlad Proklov Penny Smallshire John Vallas Michael Jones James McCulloch Shaun Pryor Jess Smith David Warburton Rach Jones Philippa McKee Gillian Pullinger Trevor Smith Jessica Ward Richard Jones Judith McNickle John Redhead Joshua Sneddon Nick Ward Natalie Kay David Melzack Chris Reeves Martin Southwood Stephen Ward Andrew Keay Simon Metcalfe John Reeves Graeme Spinks Rhona Watson Francis Kelly Helen Middlemas Stephen Reisbach John Stather William Watson Kathryn Killner Stephen Middleton Graham Revill Paula Stebbeds Sue Webber Julia Koricheva Charley Miller Elaine Reynolds Ksenia Stepanova Stephen Weeks Mark Lacey Sonya Miller-Smith Paul Richards Margaret Stephens Steve Wheatley Howard Lambeth Nigel Millington John Richmond Richard Stephens Keith White James Langiewicz Sarah Mitchell Robert Riggs Keith Stewart Charles Whitehead Dawn Langiewicz Brenda Mobbs Simon Riley Tony Stones Matt Why Lukas Large Louise Montgomery Anne Roache Ellie Stradling Alan Wilkinson Jonathan Leek Tristram Moore Frances Robertson Clare Street Sarah Williams Keith Lelliot Isabel Nancarrow David Robinson Mary Stuart-Jones Nicky Williamson Kevin Lerwill Graham Nancarrow Mick Rock Laura Summerbell Neil Willis Dafydd Lewis Janice Nancarrow Jorge Rodriguez Des Sussex Joanne Wilsher Gareth Lewis Giles Nancarrow Liz Rogers Rosalyn Szanto Angelica Wilson Eleanor Lines Andrew Neete Martin Russell Helen Szczepanski Colin Wilson Viv Lingard David O'Brien Harry Rutherford Tony Sztypuljak William Wisden Alan Lloyd Bill Og Eleanor Salt Wendy Tagg Fiona Wood Carey Lodge Ken Owen Simon Saville Barrie Taylor Howard Wood Simon Lumsden Dave Panchaud Margie Savory Finlay Taylor Caroline Woodley Mike Luscombe Francesca Partridge Toni Sawyer Martin Taylor Ian Wright John Madden Edward Paxton Graham Saxby Paul Taylor Jim Yeeles Peter Maddison Ben Payne Martin Scarratt Rosalie Taylor Ruth Yeeles Chris Mahalski Gill Peachey Mark Schofield Mick Temple Lara Scrivener Georgina Terry New Members Ken Owen A warm welcome to all new members. February total membership is 1,274, an increase of 34 since September. ►If you have not supplied an email address and you would like to be added to our branch contacts, please email [email protected] Surrey Skipper 32 Spring 2018

BC membership by household Nov 2017 Ken Owen

2016 2017 New Change Individuals SURREY & SW London Hampshire & IOW 1,511 1,608 247 6% 2,201 remains 6th of the West Midlands 1,395 1,542 311 11% 2,162 31 UK branches in Yorkshire 1,334 1,448 275 9% 2,002 BC’s membership Sussex 1,251 1,354 215 8% 1,866 league table. Upper Thames 1,221 1,320 235 8% 1,836 In the 12 months to Surrey 1,163 1,260 232 8% 1,651 Nov 1, 2017, Surrey Cambs & Essex 1,090 1,216 245 12% 1,619 attracted 232 new East Midlands 1,021 1,119 207 10% 1,555 households, but lost Kent 970 1,079 206 11% 1,435 135, producing a net Somerset & Bristol 1,043 1,132 219 9% 1,378 gain of 8.3 percent. Dorset 889 970 159 9% 1,362 Including joint and Herts & Middlesex 972 1,060 162 9% 1,343 Devon 891 973 172 9% 1,326 family members, our Norfolk 808 863 146 7% 1,116 1,260 households Lancashire 664 776 190 17% 1,059 represent 1,651 Cheshire & Peak 593 686 161 16% 949 individual members. East Scotland 612 705 155 15% 922 Gloucestershire 550 618 114 12% 848 Beds & Northants 519 583 99 12% 803 Garden Moths South Wales 626 676 125 8% 797 Suffolk 525 553 72 5% 775 ALAN LOBB has Wiltshire 538 571 86 6% 767 succeeded Cornwall 433 516 141 19% 711 Janet Cheney as Glasgow & SW Scotland 447 492 98 10% 682 Garden Moth Scheme Warwickshire 435 475 96 9% 675 coordinator for Surrey. Lincolnshire 401 423 62 6% 595 The scheme starts on North East 399 457 99 15% 519 the first Friday in Cumbria 300 327 49 9% 428 March but you can Highlands & Islands 307 312 38 2% 420 register up to Mar 26. North Wales 282 301 53 7% 400 To take part, Northern Ireland 237 255 38 8% 318 please contact Alan, Totals 23,42725,6704,70710%34,520who lives in Guildford.

Fuerteventura arrivals Francis Kelly

MY winter breaks over the last two years in Fuerteventura, closest to Africa of the seven Canary Isles, produced 12 butterfly species. A checklist compiled in 1993 showed only 14 butterflies on Fuerteventura. This winter I was able to confirm the addition of Geranium Bronze and the tiny Desert Babul Blue (right). Lang’s Short-tailed Blue, first reported in 1998, takes Fuerteventura’s current total to 17. Surrey Skipper 33 Spring 2018

Moths Les Evans-Hill

Manager of BC’s National Moth The National Moth Recording Scheme database Recording Scheme (NMRS) and Wimbledon resident now contains 25,367,275 LAST year turned out to be a macro-moth records and good one in terms of number 2,971,713 micro-moth records. of moth species: my total of Around about 3 million new 504 rivals my all-time best of macro-moth records were 525 in 2013 in Dorset. imported during 2017 for Of note were Barred Smudge inclusion in the forthcoming on Aug 2; an early Feathered macro-moth atlas. Thorn on Sep 15; and a Buff I have produced flight Ermine on Oct 16, representing the bar charts; provisional maps probability of a partial 2nd brood. using DMAP; and voltinism “splatterplots”– The annual Wimbledon & Putney a display of scattered data produced by R Commons Bioblitz took place in June. (statistical programming language). Many My demonstration of pheromone lures thanks to Harry Clarke for his tutorial. attracted an Orange-tailed Clearwing. These maps and charts were sent to a A single Hornet Moth, new to the team of experts looking for what we Commons, came to a lure on Jun 20. affectionately call “dodgy dots”. All have Again I had a problem with Hornets returned their comments and I am in the nesting in a neighbour’s bird box, but this process of validating and marrying these year the problem was dealt with timely and dodgy dots with real records. the nest and contents taken away to be Many queries include significant records studied, I understand, by students from NOT currently in the NMRS. These are then Imperial College, London. forwarded to county recorders for comment As ever, the new year started slowly. and, in the case of missing records, some My first moth, Mottled Umber, did not detective work. We unfortunately arrive until Jan 8. Over the following week underestimated the number of dodgy dots other species included Spring Usher, by quite some margin. This has delayed Rusty Oak Button, Ashy Button, Chestnut, publication until 2018 and raised concerns Satellite, Winter Moth, Common Quaker, about the robustness of verifications. Hebrew Character, Pale Brindled Beauty, The layout, trend analysis, species Early Moth and Variable Smudge. accounts and collation of images are Feb 18-19 saw a marked increase in nearing completion, which is a relief to all abundance: March Moth (19), Winter Shade involved. The publishers are laying out the (37) and Small Brindled Beauty (48). Due to pages ready to receive our data. weather and another life in Staffordshire, This just leaves me to wish you all a the traps are currently at rest. successful recording year for 2018!

Walkers remembered STEER’S FIELD at Denbies Hillside, and and Alan Blatchford (1936-1980), Blatchford Down, 4km to the west, are who founded the Long Distance Walkers popular butterfly sites on the North Downs. Association in 1972. They commemorate Chris Steer (1919-1992) LINK www.ldwa.org.uk Surrey Skipper 34 Spring 2018

Moths Paul Wheeler

IF there were Moth Safaris to Surrey, Heart Moth ( oo) and Agonopterix capreolella would surely be among the “Big Five” target species. They are conservation priorities in the Regional and Biodiversity Action Plans, and listed in the Red Databook. Heart Moths are medium size and striking but fiendishly difficult to see. The males fly well after midnight so although they are attracted to light, an MV trap must be left on overnight. They are very local – Ashtead Common, Windsor Park and the Spencer estate in Northamptonshire are GB’s only reliable sites. Larger Moths of Surrey (Collins, 1997) shows scattered records for “one of Surrey’s specialities”, but apart from Ashtead Common and Leigh, most were Agonopterix capreolella, aka Fuscous singletons. BC are running an “I Love Heart Flat-body moth, is often seen at Pewley Moths” project and as part of this I may try Down events during the school summer sugaring to attract females, which fly early holiday. The night is a highlight of the in the night (much earlier than the males). Surrey moth-ing year and we have seen We may organise a public show after a 200+ species on more than one occasion. night’s trapping. Keep an eye on our branch Like many rare , these two are website. Otherwise, buying a house specialists. Heart Moth is found only in bordering Ashtead Common, and running a wood pasture with plenty of old oaks, which trap in the garden, is the best bet as you must be widely spaced. Conservation need a licence to run one on the Common. technique is to maintain large tracts of this

Agonopterix capreolella (above), Pewley Down event. Phil Osso This looks like a small, dark Agonopterix heracliana (a common species) but we have sent genitalia preparations to an expert, John Langmaid, for confirmation. This one was released.

Heart Moth, Dicycla oo (left) BC, David Green Both parts of the binomial scientific name refer to the two circle or “o” markings rather than the “hearts”. Surrey Skipper 35 Spring 2018 habitat, plant oaks and ensure that the every year bar one from 2013 (first Surrey maturing trees have plenty of space. record!) do suggest a resident population. Agonopterix capreolella is more tricky to Surrey’s population appears to emerge explain. Butterfly Conservation’s RAP is about a month earlier than the books say. currently under review. The classic location, Encouraging Burnet Saxifrage is a clear mentioned in Emmet & Langmaid (2002), conservation priority, along with is a small site on chalk on the Isle of Wight. monitoring and surveying. Larvae can be However, it appeared to be well established found in rolled leaves of the food plant, in the 1980s at Woolmer Forest, Hants, although I admit I would need to raise the which is on sandy soil with Yarrow and caterpillar through to the moth stage. One Wild Carrot. which looked a “cert’” from Pewley Down In GB, the only known larval foodplant is produced Agonopterix yeatiana. Burnet Saxifrage, which is abundant on I We will run moth events again this Pewley and Merrow. Wild Carrot is also summer, some for Guildford Borough. used on the continent. There is still much to I The other members of my personal learn about this moth. Big Five: Straw Belle, An attempt to find larvae in Surrey a few Phyllonorycter scabiosella, years ago failed, but confirmed records Coleophora wockeella (Betony Case-bearer)

LINK butterfly-conservation.org/surreymoths Field events, and how to join Paul Wheeler’s Surrey Moths email group

London Marathon

DAN HOARE, BC’s Head of England Regions, is running the London Marathon on April 22 to raise funds for butterflies and moths. To increase the challenge he will run in costume – the more money he raises, the more extreme the costume will be. If Dan reaches £1,000 he will run with antenna; £3,000: butterfly wings; £6,000: the full lifecycle, complete with costume changes en route! Dan said: “I was lucky to work as South East Regional Officer from 2005 to 2014 (the glory days when I still got out of the office!), based in the SWT office at Pirbright for several years, and working extensively on Chiddingfold Forest and on Straw Belle at Box Hill. “It is hard to beat the memory of seeing Silver-studded Blue larvae tended by ants for the first time, guided by the expert advice of Ken Willmott. The knowledge, experience and tireless enthusiasm of Surrey & SW London Branch members have been a great influence on me.” To sponsor Dan, please visit: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DanHoare Surrey Skipper 36 Spring 2018

Back-page Picture

Clouded Yellow female, the rare pale (helice) form, is poised to lay on Bird’s-foot Trefoil. Seconds later (below), there is her egg! Hammer Farm, Cranleigh, Aug 10, 2017. FK