Butterfly and Moth Events in Dorset No

Butterfly Conservation Dorset Branch Butterfly and Moth Events in Dorset No. 86

Dec 2017 to Apr 2018 SATURDAY 9 DECEMBER working with the Dorset Countryside Volunteers. BROWN HAIRSTREAK EGG SEARCH There will be hot drinks and cake for AND CONSERVATION ACTION DAY refreshments. Alners Gorse The reserve entrance is off the minor road from As well as the regular scrub and woodland Cattistock to the A37 about ½ mile from the management work (9.00 am until 4.00 pm) there A37. Park inside the metal gate at map reference is the chance to take part in the annual Brown ST 606004. Hairstreak egg search for some or all of the day. Contact is Nigel Spring on 01963 23559 or 07981 Brown Hairstreak eggs are quite easy to see once 776767, email [email protected] you know what to look for and are more easily counted than the elusive butterflies, so this is an SUNDAY 28 JANUARY important exercise. Training will be given. Wear CONSERVATION WORK DAY waterproof footwear and bring a packed lunch if Lydlinch Common (North Dorset) attending all day. The afternoon egg search will Lydlinch is part of an area crucial to the Marsh be carried out on Rooksmoor Common. Leader: Fritillary, and conservation work is vital to ensure Dr Martin Warren. that the habitat is kept suitable for its survival at For the Alners Gorse count meet at 10.00 am at this site. Meet 10.00 am and park in the lay-by the reserve entrance. just outside the village on the A357 near the For the Rooksmoor count meet at the Alners turning to Sherborne, map reference ST 737137. Gorse hut on the reserve at 1.00 pm. Contact is Colin Burningham on 01935 873219 or Alners Gorse reserve entrance is on the road 07849 921594. from Hazelbury Bryan to Kings Stag beside the Hazelbury Bryan village sign and 30 mph SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY sign. Park on the wide straight road verge well CONSERVATION ACTION DAY away from the dangerous bend, map reference ST Perryfields Reserve, Portland 736100. We will be on site from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm on For further information please contact Nigel our annual visit to control scrub regrowth and Spring on 01963 23559 or 07981 776767, email open up new areas for butterflies. In spite of its [email protected] small area, Perryfields is a very good site for butterflies and moths, and is becoming SUNDAY 21 JANUARY increasingly important as it gets more and more CONSERVATION ACTION DAY hemmed in by housing, quarries and Lankham Bottom Reserve supermarkets! We continue the task of gorse and thorn scrub Perryfields Reserve lies above the Museum car- clearance on this important downland reserve. park, on the western side of Pennsylvania Road, Join us between 9.30 am and 4.00 pm. We will be Easton, on the Isle of Portland. Take the A354

SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY BRANCH MEMBERS DAY AND AGM

Your opportunity to find out the latest news and developments within the Branch.

• AGM and Chairman’s summary of the year • Five Steps to save a species – Butterfly Conservation’s Landscape-scale Conservation’ A presentation by Dan Hoare, Head of Regions for BC, who has been involved in many major conservation projects. • Tea and raffle draw. Donations of cakes and raffle prizes gratefully received.

2.00 - 5.30 at Puddletown Village Hall DT2 8RX, map reference SY 757942. There is plenty of parking in the village. If you require any further details or can offer help on the day, please contact Jane Smith on 01935 814029. onto Portland and through Easton. Continue FRIDAY 23 FEBRUARY along Wakeham to its end. The public car park CONSERVATION WORK DAY is on the right-hand side of the road opposite Langford Valley Pennsylvania Castle at grid reference SY See Feb 10 for details 695712, Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 194, SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY postcode DT5 1HT. Walk up the steps onto CONSERVATION WORK DAY the reserve. Lydlinch Common For further information please contact Nigel See 28 January for details. Spring on 01963 23559 or 07981 776767, email [email protected] FRIDAY 2 MARCH BUTTERFLY TRENDS IN EAST SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY DORSET CONSERVATION WORK DAY All are welcome to this presentation on the Langford Valley, for the Duke of Burgundy trends in butterfly numbers revealed by the Meet 10.00 am at the field gate beyond Langford monitoring in East Dorset surveys in 2017 Farm Cottages, near Lower Magiston, map including casual, website and garden records. reference SY 639958. Take the minor road Walks covered are those at Avon Heath, northwards from Stratton to Sydling St. Badbury Rings, Garston Wood, Hengistbury Nicholas along the Sydling Water. At the Head, Kinson Common, Moors Valley, Mude crossroads turn right into the Langford valley Valley, Pamphill Moor, Redhill, Sopley Common, and to the farm. Sovell Down, Stanpit, Stour Valley, Upton Contact is Rachel Jones on 01929 408018 or Heath, West Moors and Wimborne St. Giles email [email protected] and also the Wider Countryside walks. Please come along if you are interested in SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY helping with any sort of butterfly recording in BUTTERFLY TRENDS IN WEST 2018. DORSET AND PORTLAND 7.30 pm at St. Catherine's Church Hall on the All are welcome to this presentation of the corner of Leigh Road and Lewens Lane, results of butterfly recording in West Dorset in Wimborne. Postcode BH21 1LE. 2017. Please come along as well if you might be Contact is Bill Shreeves on 01747 852587. interested in taking part in the monitoring in 2018. Walks covered are Brackett’s Coppice, THURSDAY 8 MARCH Black Hill, Chard Junction, Cerne Giant, BUTTERFLY TRENDS IN SOUTH Southfield Hog Cliff, Kingcombe, Lankham, DORSET Lorton Meadows, Powerstock, Portland All are welcome to attend this presentation of (Broadcroft, Perryfields and Tout), Radipole and the results of the South Dorset Transect Stonebarrow and the Wider Countryside surveys, Wider Countryside project, casual, walks. There will also be a review of casual, website and garden records in 2017 and the website and garden records. resulting trends in butterfly numbers. Please The venue is Toller Porcorum Village Hall, start come along if you might also be interested in time 2.00 pm. The map reference is SY 561980 helping with any sort of butterfly recording in and the postcode DT2 0DT. 2018 or joining in several of the butterfly From the A356, drive down into Toller counting walks at Ballard Down, Bindon Hill, Porcorum, over a small bridge then second right Corfe West Hill, Corfe Common, Durlstons, (School Lane) then left into Church Mead to Hethfelton, Higher Hyde, Langton Westwood, Village Hall. Lulworth Estate, Studland & Ferry Road West, From Bridport follow sign to Toller Tadnoll, Townsend, Wareham Walls, Winspit Porcorum, then down into village, over old and the miniature walks along the Purbeck railway bridge, then first left (School Lane) Chalk Ridge. Contact is Keith Miller on 01300 321007. 7.30 pm at the Methodist Hall, North Street, Wareham. Postcode BH20 4AB. Contact is Jon Bellamy on 01929 450182. SATURDAY 10 MARCH Cashmoor Down, Clubmen's Down, Deadmoor CONSERVATION ACTION DAY Common, Duncliffe Wood, Fifehead Wood, Alners Gorse Fontmell Down, Hod Hill, Jerry's Hole, Lydlinch One of our Dorset Events in Butterfly Common, Melbury Down, Milldown, Piddles Conservation’s ‘Day of Action’ Wood, Rooksmoor, Ryewater, Sovell Down and We continue the woodland and scrub Stubhampton Bottom. management work to improve our wildlife 7.30 pm at East Stour Village Hall, map reference habitats. There will be hot drinks and cake for ST 802234 and postcode SP8 5JY. This is next to refreshments. Do join us if you can between 9.00 the playing field on the left of the road from East am and 4.00 pm. Stour to Gillingham. Alners Gorse reserve entrance is on the road Contact is Bill Shreeves on 01747 852587. from Hazelbury Bryan to Kings Stag beside the Hazelbury Bryan village sign and 30 mph sign. SUNDAY 25 MARCH Park on the wide straight road verge, well away CONSERVATION WORK DAY from the dangerous bend, map reference ST Lydlinch Common 736100. See 28 January for details. For further information please contact Nigel Spring on 01963 23559 or 07981 776767, email SATURDAY 14 APRIL [email protected] POT PLANT PREP PARTY Lyn Pullen in Winfrith Newburgh sells plants in aid TUESDAY 13 MARCH of Butterfly Conservation from her driveway over SILVER-STUDDED BLUE BUTTERFLIES the summer months, giving us a very useful source AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANTS of income. She needs some help with getting the Joint with DWT Poole Group pot plants which have been sitting over the winter An illustrated talk by Lorraine Munns exploring weeded, possibly re-potted and generally tidied up. the critical interaction between this butterfly A little bit of gardening knowledge would be species and ants. helpful, but there will also be jobs like cleaning up 7.30 pm at Carter Community School, Blandford labels and pots for re-use. Close, Hamworthy BH15 5BQ Tea and cake will be supplied and you will be Contact is Ken Yeates on 01202 674998. welcome to look round the garden, though there are no guarantees as to the state it will be in! FRIDAY 16 MARCH It would be helpful if you could let Lyn know you BUTTERFLY TRENDS IN NORTH are planning to help, though you are welcome to DORSET just turn up on the day. All are welcome to hear reports on 2017 Cobblers Cottage, Winfrith Newburgh. 2.00pm - recording, casual, website, Wider Countryside and 5.00pm. Contact Lyn for details of how to find her garden records and plans for the 2018 campaign. if you need them. Email: Please come along if you are interested or wish to [email protected]. Or help in any sort of butterfly recording in 2018 or Tel: 01305 853946 after noon. butterfly counting walks, which are Alners Gorse,

Look at Butterfly Conservation’s website www.butterfly-conservation.org and the Dorset Branch website www.dorsetbutterflies.com to find out more about our Butterfly Reserves.

BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION Company limited by guarantee Registered in England (2206468) Registered Office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QP Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268) Tel: 01929 400209 Fax 01929 400210 Email: [email protected] www.butterfly-conservation.org