Autumn/Winter 2018–19 Number 66 SURREY Skipper BC 50th Anniversary Sat 3 Nov Members’ Day page 6

Contents click item to go directly to page Chairman ...... 3 Surveys ...... 16 UK Transects 2017 ...... 27 Big City Butterflies ...... 4 Field Trips...... 18 Dominica ...... 28 New Members ...... 4 Email Appeal ...... 20 Dates ...... 28 Steve Wheatley ...... 5 Black Hairstreak ...... 21 Weather Watch...... 29 AGM & Members' Day...... 6 Social Media ...... 21 Paul Wheeler ...... 30 Photo Show...... 7 Branch Website ...... 21 Garden Moth Scheme ....30 AGM Minutes ...... 8 Peter Beale ...... 22 Les Evans-Hill ...... 31 Treasurer ...... 9 Marsh Fritillary...... 24 Legacies ...... 31 Finance ...... 10 WCBS ...... 25 Kingston ...... 32 Small Blue Project...... 12 Big Butterfly Count ...... 25 Surrey Atlas...... 32 Transects ...... 14 Bryan Ceney ...... 26 Oaken Wood ...... 15 iRecord ...... 26

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

Branch Committee Chair: Simon Saville (first elected 2016) 07572 612722 Conservation Adviser: Ken Willmott (1995) 01372 375773 County Butterfly 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 Conservation group ...... Small Blues in Surrey 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 only to the 13% of members for whom we do not have an email address. I Front-page photo: unusual combination of Orange-tip MALE & EGG (circled) on Cuckooflower, Papercourt Meadows, Send, April 22. Ralph J Clark

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 England & 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 Autumn 2018

Chairman Simon Saville

I HOPE you all enjoyed what turned out to be a good season for many butterflies and moths. We started with the Beast from the East at the end of February, followed by the Mini Beast in March. Then we had the long hot summer, with virtually no rain in June and July and temperatures soaring into the 30s. We wait with some trepidation to see what effect the hot weather has on the progression Simon Saville, supported by BC Trustee Karen Goldie-Morrison, of butterflies and moths cuts the 50th Anniversary cake at Barnes in March. Clive Huggins into next year. This year is Butterfly world. I particularly enjoyed the one by Conservation’s 50th anniversary, which we Jeremy Thomas describing how the Large marked with a “Conservation Day of Action” Blue is adapting its life cycle to feed on Wild on Barnes Common on March 10. We had Marjoram, which flowers later than the a work party on the acid grassland, more common larval food plant, Thyme. an important habitat in London, and a The next Symposium will be in 2022 and I stall on Barnes Green. recommend it to you. We raised over £100 and engaged with On May 19 the Branch had a stall at the many members of the public about Wildlife Gardening Fair, held at the London butterflies and moths and the work of Wetland Centre. Bill Downey’s talk, Butterfly Conservation. There was a kids’ Gardening for Butterflies, was well butterfly trail and a guided walk across the received. Attendance was impacted by the Common. The transect there now has Royal Wedding and FA Cup Final, but it 27 species, with the addition of the was still a worthwhile event. Brown Argus this year. The Branch has continued to support Additional “anniversary” work parties projects for our endangered species. A lot of were held in Oaken Wood (joint with hard work was put in by volunteers over the Amphibian & Reptile Conservation) and winter to open up the rides in Oaken Wood. on Wholecomb Down as part of the It was pleasing to see how well the Wood Small Blue “Stepping Stones” project, White has responded to this, having had its led by Fiona Haynes. best year there for a long time. In April, I attended the 8th Butterfly Work on the Small Blue “Stepping Conservation International Symposium at Stones” project has continued through the Southampton University. There were more year, with more scrapes created and seeded than 75 talks from experts all across the I continued next page Surrey Skipper 4 Autumn 2018

Simon Saville continued with Kidney Vetch. I thank project officer November 3 in Effingham (see pages 6-7). Fiona Haynes, Harry Clarke and all the I look forward to seeing many of you there: volunteers who have worked so hard on I think it will be an interesting day. these projects. We have also supported the If any members are interested in playing Heart Moth project led by Head Office. a more active part in the Branch’s activities, Surveys for Hairstreaks – White-letter, please get in touch – there is always more Purple and Brown – have also continued, that we could do! We are particularly spearheaded by Bill Downey. Our looking for someone to take the lead in knowledge of the distribution of these public engagement, organising stands and elusive species has increased hugely. events to get our message out there. You can read about changes in the As in previous years, we held a New Branch’s Butterfly and Moth Report 2017, Members’ Day for recent joiners. We available for download at changed the format to a field trip and it was butterfly-conservation.org/surrey not well attended, so we will think again for It contains a wealth of information about next year. the distribution and abundance of I was pleased to meet new members on butterflies and moths in our area, and it field trips that I attended. I do encourage describes the impressive work that the members to come along to these trips, as Branch has been doing. Hard copies have they are an excellent way of learning about been sent to the small number of members a site and the species that it supports. who specifically requested one. More copies I RHS Garden Wisley have informed us will be available at Members’ Day. they are “resting” their Butterflies in the Members’ Day & AGM will be on Glasshouse event for 2019.

Big City Butterflies Kate Merry, Senior Education Officer BC received the exciting news in September (HLF) to help us progress our plans to that we have been successful in securing apply for a full National Lottery grant at a initial National Lottery support for a later date. London-based project, Big City Butterflies. Work will soon begin on the recruitment The project will encourage and support of a Development Officer, who will plan the Londoners to discover the butterflies and project in detail, build partnerships and moths of their local greenspaces and involve trial run many of the activities and events communities in making habitat we have planned. improvements. We will also be calling on If we are successful it will see the groups and individuals to help us monitor recruitment of two London-based project and record species to help us better staff, who will deliver the project over four understand how urban populations of years from 2020, making a significant and butterflies and moths are faring. lasting contribution to the conservation and Development funding of £38,200 has celebration of butterflies and moths in the been awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund capital. New Members Ken Owen A warm welcome to the 104 new members who have joined since February. Household membership in September is 1,314, a net increase of 40 since February. Surrey Skipper 5 Autumn 2018

Steve Wheatley BC Conservation Manager — South East

IN the spring Skipper I said that Silver-studded Blues and every butterfly season is unique, Grayling. We have also with surprises and unexpected identified a number of Surrey rewards. Unusually for me I golf courses that could create or could not have been more right! enhance habitat for these lovely 2018 was certainly a special year. butterflies. Not only has it been BC’s 50th One of the few butterflies to Anniversary but we were have a poor 2018 was the Small rewarded with one of the best Tortoiseshell – in my opinion butterfly seasons for many years. one of our most charismatic Adonis Blue, Wood White, butterflies. This species relies Brown Argus and Silver-studded on nettles, and they just did not Blue all had an exceptional year, grow well this year. with high numbers and plenty of signs of A moth-related highlight was the dispersal by adventurous individuals into discovery of a Heart Moth “hot-spot” in the the wider the landscape. Tandridge, Reigate and Banstead area. Only That is where proactive habitat eight of these rare (Red Data Book) moths management is so important – creating were found in the UK in 2018, despite areas for butterflies to find and make their extensive late-night searches. home, and stepping stones within the Five of these eight were found in Surrey, landscape so they can stop, shelter, refuel, suggesting this is the most important place and maybe lay eggs before moving on. in the UK for this beautifully patterned Creating rich and diverse habitat patches, moth. More searches of the area will take even for just a few years, is so important, place in 2019. whether they be tiny garden patches, school The other big hit of the summer was the gardens, parks or ambitious landscape- Big Butterfly Count. In Surrey 3,830 counts scale projects like our Stepping Stones were submitted online. Of BC’s 31 UK project on the North Downs. Branches, Surrey had the second biggest In the Low Weald on the southern edge of increase over the previous year (1,547 more Surrey the Wood White is a butterfly in counts than in 2017), helping to make 2018 need of habitat stepping stones between the biggest and best Big Butterfly Count existing large woodland blocks managed by ever. Thank you to everyone that took part. the Forestry Commission. Now is the time to start planning new We have been engaging with private habitat creation ready for next spring, woodland owners in this area and we are whether it be a few plant pots or a whole planning a project to create 3km of new wild-flower meadow – or even just a nettle habitat that can help this rare butterfly. bed for Small Torts! Every action will help On the Heaths we have been working and ensure the progeny of the exciting and with the MOD and Natural England to special 2018 season have the best chance in survey sites and identify areas for 2019 and beyond. Surrey Skipper 6 Autumn 2018 Members’ Day Saturday 3 November, 2018 King George V Hall, Effingham

10.00 Doors open 10.15—10.45 Tea/coffee served 11.00 AGM

1 Apologies 3 Matters arising 6 Committee elections 2 Last year’s minutes: 4 Chairman 7 Q & A page 8 5 Treasurer: page 9 I Standing for re-election Bill Downey, Francis Kelly, Ken Owen, Paul Wheeler

11.45 Prize Digital Photo Show: see next page...... Francis Kelly

12.15 LUNCH: please contribute £5 (reduced from £10) if you wish to partake

13.45 Knepp Wildland ...... Penny Green 14.30 Changes in Surrey’s Butterflies ...... Harry Clarke 15.00 Small Blue Project ...... Fiona Haynes 15.30 Results: Photo Show, Quiz, Raffle 16.00 End: doors close 16.30

PRIZE QUIZ Malcolm Bridge, last year’s winner, is setting the questions. Please collect a quiz sheet on arrival; tackle the questions during the day.

RAFFLE Raffle prizes will be gratefully received, e.g. books, bottles. Please hand them to Mike Weller on arrival.

VENUE King George V Hall, Browns Lane, Effingham KT24 5ND, TQ119535 I If you would like a lift from Effingham Junction station (3km), which is on the Guildford/Waterloo lines via either Surbiton or Epsom, please contact Francis Kelly 07952 285661. Return lifts are also offered. Surrey Skipper 7 Autumn 2018 Prize Digital Photo Show Please submit your best photos for our Members’ Day Show I Maximum THREE photos per member I Adult butterflies only I Must be taken in Surrey this year I Please send photos (full resolution), with your name, species, site & any notes, by October 28, to: [email protected] I The best photos will be selected for the Show I Attendees will be asked to vote for the winner I Prize to be determined on the day I Winning photo will be featured in the next Skipper I Entrants need not be present

Penny Green (left) is guest speaker at Members’ Day. She is the ecologist at Knepp Wildland, 10 miles south of Horsham. Since 2001, the 3,500 acre estate has been devoted to a pioneering rewilding project. It is now England’s best site for Purple Emperor: record one-day count is 388, by Neil Hulme on July 2nd this year. Surrey Skipper 8 Autumn 2018

Minutes of 2017 AGM Janet Cheney

23rd AGM, Sat 25 Nov, 2017, 11.00; King George V Hall, Effingham Attendance 60

1 Apologies 9 Field trips: Mike Weller Karen Goldie-Morrison, David Hanson, Full report: Skipper 64 Geoff Eaton, Jenny Shalom, 49 trips attempted: 40% affected by poor Peter Webster, Lawrie de Whalley. weather compared to 10% in 2016. 2 Minutes of 2016 AGM Use of email to postpone/cancel trips Approval proposed: Bill Downey; worked well. 25 species recorded on seconded Tony Hoare. Great Train Journey West. 3 Matters arising: none MW would welcome new leaders and new sites, especially in East Surrey. 4 Chairman: Simon Saville Full report: Skipper 64 10 Moths: Paul Wheeler SS paid tribute to founding chairman Input given to RAP, notably re Stephen Jeffcoate, who died in March 2017. Straw Belle, Heart Moth, Silvery Arches SS is working on a London Project. and Agonopterix capreolella. SS gave his thanks for a generous legacy Field trips included first visit to Oaken of £25,000 from Eric Wynn. Wood: Drab Looper recorded; future visit Revived Annual Report was well received. planned for Argent and Sable. Mar 10 will be “National Conservation Day Chilworth Gunpowder Mills appears to of Action” to mark BC’s 50th anniversary. guarantee Balsam Carpet. Lace Border is doing well on Pewley Down. 5 Treasurer: Peter Camber Full accounts for year ended 11 Committee elections Mar 31, 2017: Skipper 64 Retiring: Malcolm Bridge, Janet Cheney, Approval proposed: Tony Hoare; Geoff Eaton, Jenny Shalom. seconded: Clive Huggins. Re-elected: Peter Camber, Clive Huggins. proposed: Michael Friend 6 Membership: Ken Owen seconded Malcolm Bridge. 1,651 members as of Nov 1, SS will not replace retiring members at 8.3% increase on last year. this point: spaces will be retained for New data privacy law comes into effect anyone with a particular contribution. from May 2018. Only Francis Kelly and We need a minutes secretary. KO have access to members’ details. 12 AOB 7 Conservation: Harry Clarke Question raised about producing hard Oaken Wood and Small Blue working copies of Skipper and Annual Report if parties will continue through the winter. people were prepared to pay. SS agreed to Oaken Wood objective is to restore look at this again, but felt that the habitat to pre-2000 situation. Licence is administration might be impractical. up for renewal in January: Forestry I Meeting closed: 12.15 Commission is happy with our work. HC will look into possibility of weekend work parties. 8 Transects: Bill Downey Full report: Skipper 64 Recording was further extended this year, particularly on National Trust land. New recorders always welcome. Surrey Skipper 9 Autumn 2018

Treasurer’s Report 2017/18 Peter Camber

Introduction Following the transfer of branch bookkeeping to Head Office from 1 April 2017, BC’s branches will no longer be providing annual accounts to their members. Instead, a statement of branch income and expenditure is now being provided to give members an overview of branch finances. The following comments relate to the figures provided for the year ended 31 March 2018 (details next page). Income Our income for the year was given a significant boost by a generous legacy of almost £26,000 from the late Mr Eric Wynn's estate, which will be used exclusively to support conservation projects. This legacy, together with subscriptions (£7,065), sales (£223) and other donations brought our total income for the year to £33,431. A total of £938 in cash, including the Expenditure £658 Members' Day proceeds mentioned Once again, we have invested in practical above, was donated directly to the Winter conservation, supporting our team of Appeal, thereby benefiting from the volunteers with training (£1,052) “Double Your Impact” 2x multiplier. tools/consumables (£704) and a tree Closing balance and 2018/19 budget surgeon for work at Oaken Wood (£156). The above income and expenditure Member support costs included our New resulted in a year-end cashbook balance of Members' Day (£433), Surrey Skipper £24,993. magazine (£648) and the 2016 Butterfly & In recognition of this healthy balance, Moth Report (£1,413), which was posted our budget for the current year earmarked to all members. contributions of £13,000 for the West The latter is also available online and it is Weald Wood White and £500 for the anticipated this will allow a lower print run “We Love Heart Moth” projects; a further for the 2017 edition, thereby reducing its £10,000 was budgeted for other projects cost. (Publishing the Skipper online enabled to be confirmed. us to reduce its annual production and Conclusion distribution costs by £2,500). 2017/18 was an exceptional year for our Our Members' Day and AGM cost £952, branch finances, with a generous legacy offset by lunch donations (£502) and raffle donation enabling us to make significant proceeds (£156), which were both donated financial contributions and future to BC's Winter Appeal. commitments in support of projects to Total operational expenditure for the conserve butterflies and moths in the year, including the £114 cost of goods sold, South-East region. was £5,917. This included funding an increased level Contributions to BC projects of practical conservation work undertaken Our strong cash position enabled the by our enthusiastic team of volunteers, branch to contribute £10,000 to the Surrey which has continued into the current Small Blue project and £1,000 to the financial year. Thames Basin Silver-studded Blue project. I Financial Statement: next page Surrey Skipper 10 Autumn 2018 Peter Camber Peter Equals decrease in stock value below Use of tools & herbicides; Aid First For volunteer training course Tools, spares and consumables Tree surgeon re Oaken Wood Stump killer Stamps 459 printing; 189 postage 918 printing; 495 postage 290 hire; room 143 invitations Envelopes Comments Includes 20 EasyFundraising from Legacy Wynn'sEric from estate Field equipment BlueSmall leaflets 40th Anniversary, Barnes Common - - - 24.20 85.98 17.46 15.78 42.00 36.77 10.00 20.00 156.00 152.15 648.07 433.00 113.88 703.58 130.05 223.17 1,051.80 1,413.00 7,065.00 £8,358.04 25,970.48 £33,430.70

Total Income Opening cashbook balance Training Courses Event costs (room hire, food) Conservation volunteer expenses Contracts Other Membership Postage SkipperSurrey Annual Report Members'New Day Stationery Postage & Telephone Cost of goods sold Field Equipment Individual donations Corporate donations UnrestrictedLegacy Sales of goods bought in Support for Events Purchase of Sales Stock Income & Expenditure Statement: year ended 31 March 2018 Conservation Membership Support Receipts from Head OfficeDonations Membership Subs Sales (net of VAT) Expenditure Payments to Head OfficeFundraising/publicity Insurance & Publicity Leaflets Income Surrey Skipper 11 Autumn 2018 Benefited 2x multiplier from Room hire Room for meetings 237 hire; room 715 catering New Day, Members' 15 July 2017 14NMD, July 2018 On 31 March 2018 - - 8.33 84.00 95.00 85.00 -43.33 951.70 113.88 104.00 114.27 135.00 502.00 156.00 100.00 £938.00 -104.00 1,000.00 10,000.00 £16,917.37 £24,993.58 £25,199.52

Total Expenditure Total Operating Expenditure 5,917.37 Other Committee expenses Members' Day/AGM Thames Basin Silver-studded Blue 2017/18 VAT payable on sales 2017/18 Decrease in stock value cashbookClosing balance 2016/17 prepayment –room NMD hire 2016/17 VAT recovered on purchases 2016/17 VAT paid on sales 2018/19 prepayment –room NMD hire Accrued expense – Aid First course bankClosing balance Members' lunch Day donations Members' raffle Day proceeds Donations made following presentations, etc Donations made at Wisley event 40th donations: Anniversary Barnes Common BC project contributions Small Surrey Blue Stepping Stones Project Cashbook Adjustments Bank Reconciliation Winter Appeal Management & governance Committee expenses travel The following additional cash were sums donated directly to BC's Winter Appeal: Surrey Skipper 12 Autumn 2018

Small Blue Project Fiona Haynes

IT has been a busy summer Tree-popping tasks of site surveys, habitat continued at Denbies Hillside, assessments and volunteer Wholecomb Down and tasks. Here is a flavour of what Blatchford Down. This keeps we have been doing. open the chalk grassland and During the Small Blue flight allows cattle to graze more season volunteers surveyed Box thoroughly. They avoid spiky Hill, Newlands Corner and Hawthorn trees – having Pewley Down. We found good ended up with many a thorn numbers of eggs at Pewley and going through my gloves this Box Hill. Unfortunately summer, I can sympathise! Newlands Corner seemed to We maintained scrapes have none this year but we plan to increase created last winter by weeding out the Kidney Vetch and tweak the habitat. undesirables such as Brambles, thistles and We also carried out habitat assessments young trees. We are monitoring what comes on a few sites with the idea that these could up in the scrapes and many are already be repeated every year or two to give supporting Salad Burnet, Marjoram, evidence of changes over time. We recorded Creeping Cinquefoil and other important abundance of food and nectar plants as well food plants. Most importantly we have been as less desirable species in and around seeding these new scrapes with Kidney scrapes such as Brambles, Nettles, coarse Vetch seed that we collected around the grasses and young trees. project area in August. We use local seed, We created scrapes at Juniper Hall, from the same site where possible. Rosamund Trust Community Garden near These scrapes had already been seeded Merrow, and Albury Organic Vineyard. once since their creation and all but a few Chalk at the vineyard was close to the contain young plants. One of the new surface, and the volunteers created 32 scrapes at Netley Plantation is the clear scrapes of varying shapes and sizes. These winner with 34 young Kidney Vetch plants! are an important link between Newlands Hopefully these new plants will flower next Corner and West Hanger. year, providing potential egg-laying sites for We worked with the National Trust at Box our Small Blues. Hill, removing dominant plants such as On White Downs we have weeded the Hemp-agrimony, Black Bryony, thistles and fenced “exclosures” that were created to Clematis from a track edge which supports monitor the effects of grazing. Safe from Rock-rose, Horseshoe Vetch and Man Orchid. being grazed, unwanted scrub species were

Drone photo shows the 32 scrapes at Albury Vineyard. Dom Greves Surrey Skipper 13 Autumn 2018

Fiona Haynes (2nd right) and volunteers at Guildford Golf Club, Merrow. Gillian Elsom doing exceedingly well! They have largely growing in here. We also planted Kidney been weeded out and replaced with Kidney Vetch that Gillian Elsom had grown from Vetch, which is now safe from being grazed! seed collected at Merrow in 2016. I am now arranging the final spending of We face a busy winter with volunteer the contractor budget. We have a large tasks planned on a range of sites across the contract at Box Hill, where we will create North Downs, some of which will be joint scallops in the side of a track, dig linear tasks with our project partners: National scrapes and restore an old chalk quarry. Trust, Surrey Wildlife Trust and Guildford I will update you on that in the next Borough Council. Do get in touch if you Skipper. The rest of the budget will go would like further details. towards scrub clearance to improve Would you like to have a go at growing butterfly habitat at Brockham Quarry, seed at home? Plants that you grow with Hackhurst Down and Denbies Hillside. seed that we provide can then be planted in At Merrow Downs in September we the project area, or even be used for cleared copious amounts of Birch, Gorse, collecting more seed. Also, our new scrapes Scots Pine, Buddleia, Cotoneaster and need a bit of attention for the first few years Dogwood from a chalk pit with the help of in terms of weeding unwanted species and Guildford Borough Council. monitoring. I am setting up a group of Guildford Golf Club were supportive and Scrape Stewards who can visit scrapes even lent us their truck to carry material to throughout the year to weed and seed them, their bonfire site. Merrow is important for and monitor colonising plants and the Small and Chalkhill Blues, and rare plants effects of rabbit/cattle grazing etc. such as Bastard Toadflax and Frog Orchid. I Many thanks to Surrey Branch, As the volunteers often comment, the Gail Jeffcoate and all the volunteers and Project takes us to so many new and project partners for your support. Please do interesting places! We aim to visit again get in touch if you would like further details over the winter as there is more scrub to or to be added to our mailing list and remove but it was heartening to see so receive invites to events. much Horseshoe Vetch and Kidney Vetch email link Fiona Haynes Surrey Skipper 14 Autumn 2018

Transects Bill Downey

RECORDS had been returned The two new routes at from around 105 transects in Gatwick add to the VC17 by mid-September, geographical spread of totalling 187,000 butterflies. transects in the south of VC17. Some walkers enter their data The recruitment of Jenny after the season has ended, Green at Coulsdon, and the and I expect the final figure to addition of Mick Rowland at be around 115, compared with Riddlesdown Quarry, will 105 in 2017. hopefully put the City of Walking a transect through London routes on a firmer the 26 weeks of the season footing following the requires dedication and I thank all walkers retirement of Andrew Scott. for their hard work and enthusiasm. A new team is also in place at Box Hill The three new heathlands sites – Elstead, following several retirements last year and Hankley and Whitmoor – add to the routes this should likewise provide more stability. where we record two of our highest priority There have been two retirements this species: Silver-studded Blue and Grayling. year: Ray Baker at Spynes Mere and Water Four new routes – Dulwich, One Tree Colours/The Moors, who is replaced by Hill, Stave Hill and Streatham – have been Gordon Hay, and John Christlieb at Bay added in Inner London where there were Pond. My thanks to both. previously only two. These are in Although I have said in the past that 100 preparation for 2020’s London Project and transect routes is the maximum number I the addition of Streatham Common in the can maintain, we are now getting closer to Borough of Lambeth now means that there 120. More time has to go into maintaining is at least one transect in each of the eight these with the inevitable changes that London boroughs in our area. I have also occur. Next year I am not planning to create looked to strengthen our relationship with many new routes. However I am looking to the London Wildlife Trust and its Great reinstate the routes at Frensham Common North Wood project. and Frensham Little Pond. And develop

Transects: 13 new routes in 2018 Denbies Hillside: Secretary's Field Bill Downey Dulwich Park Melinda Tenant-Flowers Elstead Common Mary Stuart-Jones, David Lamph, Mike Hobbs Gatwick Airport: Land East of the Railway Rachel Bicker, Vince Massimo, Gatwick Airport: North West Zone Peter Townend Ham Lands Paul & Frances Cook Hankley Common North John Tallon & Dave Thomson Hatchlands Park Francisco Martinez Langley Vale Keith Lelliott One Tree Hill & Brenchley Gardens John & Janet Cadera, Kathy Morris, Clare Street Stave Hill Ecology Park Keith Lelliott Jon Baker, Jack Hughes, Streatham Common Suzanne Gibbon, Sandy Pepperell Whitmoor Common Clive Hewett Surrey Skipper 15 Autumn 2018

Reinstated New walkers Oxted Downs: Richard Stephens, Box Hill Viewpoint Peter Brown Whistlers Steep Trevor Sears Box Hill Zig Zag Alan Sivell Selsdon Wood Daniel Bound Coulsdon Common Jenny Green Geoff Woodcock, Inholms Clay Pit new routes at Bookham Common and a Daniel Creech couple more in London. Riddlesdown Quarry Mick Rowland I A new transect methodology is Nonsuch Park Derek Jones developing for the Purple Hairstreak – not Polesden Lacey John Ingman well monitored by standard methods. This Spynes Mere Gordon Hay will involve viewing oak trees, 6-8pm on Water Colours/The Moors warm summer evenings. I want to create a number of such routes in 2019. I The change of regulations affecting data I protection has seen a new GDPR compliant Car parking charges have been mailing list become the main conduit of introduced at six SWT sites: communication. Chobham Common, Newlands Corner, I The branch Annual Report is now sent Norbury Park, Ockham Common, out to walkers – unless otherwise Rodborough Common, Whitmoor Common. requested. This has necessitated the Free parking took longer than anticipated to collection of postal addresses. sort out but is now offered for volunteers.

Oaken Wood Bill Downey

MORE rides were widened during a third of the four-year restoration phase of successful season of work at Oaken Wood the works. Dates: last autumn/winter – and also during the Nov: Tue 6, Dec Thu 6, summer. The Wood White has responded Jan: Thu 3. Feb: Thu 7, and appears to have had a very good year. Mar: Thu 7 The Forestry Commission has been active I To join the Conservation Group and in other parts of the Chiddingfold complex receive more information on the work and this is most welcome. parties, opt in via the link below. The Conservation Group will be returning to Oaken Wood again this autumn for the LINK Conservation group mailing list

Oaken Wood Access: SU993338, via track (usually no OAKEN WOOD, formally opened by vehicular access) that runs west from FC senior ranger Peter Beale in 1993, and Plaistow Rd at SU994338; GU8 4PG. our branch reserve since 1995, is 12ha Parking for only a few cars. (30 acres) of wood/grassland in the Western (Botany Bay) entrance to south-west of Surrey, 2.6km south of Chiddingfold Forest is off High Street Dunsfold. It is part of Forestry Green at SU978348; GU8 4YA. Parking Commission’s 324ha Chiddingfold Forest. here is slightly easier; beware roadside A 3ha extension west to Lagfold track ditches! Oaken Wood is 2.5km to the east. was added in 2015. Our licence was I Volunteers are invited to our winter renewed for five years in Jan 2018. work parties. Please email Bill Downey Surrey Skipper 16 Autumn 2018

Surveys Bill Downey

Grizzled Skipper distribution. Although these are the records IN spring our surveyors checked out known from iRecord (and so not representing all and possible sites for Grizzled Skipper. records), the map clearly demonstrates the We were able to confirm its presence at two value of the methodology developed in additional sites along the North Downs: Herts & Middx branch: Netley Plantation and Daws Dene. 1 Record elms in the off-season. There were no other new sites although I 2 Search for the arboreal butterfly am convinced it must be lurking in other in the flight season. places in the Weald – where it is like Clearly the hot summer has benefited looking for a needle in a haystack! Thanks both White-letter and Purple Hairstreaks. to everybody for their efforts in surveying There was a period in the second half of for this rare species. June when I seemed to find WLH in any White-letter Hairstreak stand of elm, even those with Dutch Elm WEARING my hat as Species Champion, disease (DED). I am pleased to report that 2018 has been an My sense is that the species is adept at excellent year for White-letter Hairstreak. colonising whatever habitat is available. The strategy this year was to confirm its Certainly in our area WLH seems a resilient presence in known areas and to extend our species and DED is proving to be no knowledge of its distribution into areas with impediment to its survival. few or no records. A couple of highlights: New areas: Surrey I was pleased to find White-letters on the I East Molesey, Walton-on-Thames, Egham Ulmus lutece (a disease resistant cultivar of I Along A3, Esher-Cobham Dutch Elm) planted on Putney Heath by I Puttenham, Worplesdon, Compton, Malcolm Bridge in 2004 and now grown Farnham, St Martha’s Hill into sizeable trees. I Godalming, Royal Common Secondly, the WLH can be an elusive I Leith Hill little critter and you often have to park I Earlswood Common, Outwood Common, yourself under a tree for some hours before Lingfield they reveal themselves. Not so the day when I I was looking at elms to the west of Gatwick airport: NW & East Guildford with Pamela Harwood. We sat I Whyteleafe, Caterham, Oxted under a tree by the side of the road in I Selsdon, Sanderstead, New Addington I Worplesdon as the cars whizzed by and had Oxted the most amazing display of frenetic activity New areas: SW London for at least half an hour. I Richmond Park I I now think it likely that the species is Peckham Rye present throughout Surrey – although this I Burgess Park still has to be proved. Even in heathland I South Croydon areas it is still possible to find patches of I Tulse Hill elm – I noted some recently while driving I West Norwood through Thursley village. The map of WLH sightings from 2016 So the task for 2019 – the last year of the (when we first started actively looking) to 2015 -2019 quinquennial – will be to find the end of the 2018 season shows a vast the White-letter Hairstreak in the Weald to increase in our knowledge of its the south and the Surrey heaths to the west. Surrey Skipper 17 Autumn 2018

Surrey tetrads: Grizzled Skipper 2018 White-letter Hairstreak 2016-18

However, the not such good news is a not necessarily the work of the bug. new threat to elms in the form of the Zigzag There is some evidence that the life cycles Sawfly (the so-called Zorro Bug), which has of the bug and the White-letter may not been identified in SE England. coincide. It is still uncertain how the bug The bug does not kill elms – but will behave in this country and the defoliates them and in the process may populations so far appear to be at low weaken them, making them more densities and causing no significant vulnerable to other diseases. damage. So, for the time being we keep a However, I have seen no large scale watching brief and hope for the best. defoliation of elm trees in Surrey in 2018. I Many thanks to everybody who looked There was a problem with the elms at North for and submitted WLH records in 2018. Holmwood roundabout – but I am told that I Brown Hairstreak egg hunts: the foliage has now grown back and this is none planned this winter.

Grizzled Skipper Robert Edmondson

ON the North Downs near Dorking in May, The resemblance of colour and pattern is I noticed how similar the Grizzled Skipper striking – scattered small white spots is to the flower of Ribwort Plantain, against a dark brown background. This Plantago lanceolata, present at the same apparent camouflage may be significant in time and in the same habitat. evolution – or is it just coincidence? Surrey Skipper 18 Autumn 2018

Field Trips 1 Mike Weller

OF the 47 field trips planned this year, Emperor, 7 White Admiral (nearly over), a about 20% were adversely affected by bad solitary Marbled White & Small weather, compared with 40% in 2017. I led Tortoiseshell contributing to 18 species. 13 of the 23 I attended, so thank you to our Jul 4, Epsom Common: similar species other volunteer leaders. count to Bookham but with added dead The butterfly season started spectacularly Purple Emperor! on April 19 with weather more than hinting Jul 12, Ashtead: cloudy start but the sun of the summer to come – 29C at Ham won and enticed out 21 species. (33.5 on the streets of Kingston!). Jul 14, Walton Downs: A changeable May led into the scorching 20 species, including my first summer of June, July & the first week of Chalkhill Blue of the season. August. Then cloudy conditions spoilt Jul 17, Broadstreet Common: some of the trips to see the elusive 16 species. A wriggling in the grass turned Brown Hairstreak. out to be the severed tail of a lizard, My impression is that most species loved presumably recently attacked by a snake! the hot weather. What a year for the Holly Jul 19, Headley Heath: one of the best! Blue, but where were the migrants? 23 species, ending with a tame female Purple Emperor on the ground. HIGHLIGHTS Jul 26, Train Journey East: 25 species, May 26, Norbury Park: Small Heath with clouds of butterflies greeting us along and Brown Argus making comebacks; the path below the ‘Dukes’, sheltering in Dingy and Grizzled Skippers hanging on. the shade from the blazing sun and 30C. Jun 14, Fairmile & 28 Whitmoor: The winner! good numbers of Silver Studded Blue. Jul 28, Vale End: with Daphne & John Jun 24, Norbury Park: 18 species Foulsham’s prodigious hospitality, and near including Silver-washed & Dark Green perfect but windy weather, the most Fritillaries and a rare Painted Lady. popular of our trips. Back at the car park, two photogenic Aug 4, Train Journey West: a glorious White-letter Hairstreaks. day with Valezina SWF, Humming-bird Jul 1, Bookham Common: 75 SWF, Hawk-moth and 28 Peacocks already 29 Purple Hairstreaks, about 6 Purple hibernating in a WW2 bunker.

Field Trips 2 Francis Kelly

May 8, Netley: inspired by stories from interesting field trips in all my experiences the winter work parties, I led our first visit over the past 30+ years.” to this sliver of grassland. May 22, Hindhead: the route of the old Dingy Skipper and Green Hairstreak A3 was another new venue. showed it is well worth conserving. Green Hairstreaks were everywhere. May 19, Oaken Wood: this joint venture Jul 11, Sheepleas: 21 species, including attracted 10 Hampshire members. White-letter Hairstreak on a couple of The display of Wood Whites, including four small elms near the southern boundary. together on a particularly attractive piece of They were first found by Ken & Gillian mud, caused Hants field trip organiser Elsom the previous week and shown to us Ashley Whitlock to report: “One of the most by transect walker Mike Gibson. Surrey Skipper 19 Autumn 2018

FOUR Wood Whites (all male) taking minerals in the ditch along the western boundary of our Oaken Wood reserve. FK

My first record at Sheepleas, which I have but bags of Small Coppers on Fleabane and been visiting since 2005. Ragwort. Plus the now traditional end-of- Jul 21, Chobham: 14 butterflies & season tea and cake in the Garden Centre 13 odonata. Our timing was impeccable: cafe. car parking charges were to be introduced I I led nine field trips this year and the next day! attended another four. They attracted 95 Sep 1, Pewley Down: the only Brown different individuals; another 161 from Hairstreak I saw on a field trip. However recent seasons went AWOL. Paul Huckle they have been prolific around Cranleigh. wins my Sweet FA (Faithful Attendee) Sep 4, Cranleigh: no Brown Hairstreaks, award with nine appearances.

Field trips DO come along to a branch field trip. There is no better way to improve your butterfly knowledge, see new places, and make new friends. There are midweek and weekend dates and all are welcome, from beginner to expert. I If you could lead a walk, to a new or existing site, please contact Mike Weller Surrey Skipper 20 Autumn 2018

Email Appeal Francis Kelly

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

If you did not receive an email alert to this Skipper, we do NOT have your email address. To receive an alert, and direct more money towards conservation by saving printing costs, please email: [email protected]

I PHIL DARLEY, who has walked the Life of a Butterfly Transect Walker: Oaken Wood transect for the last three 7.30, Wesley Hall, London Road, years, will be relating her experiences to Horsham RH12 1AN. the Horsham Natural History Society I Francis Kelly has updated his Facts & on Monday 22 October. Fun talk for Guildford Natural History Horsham is 14 miles south of Dorking. Society: Guildford Institute, 2.45, There is a £2 charge for visitors. Thursday 24 January. Surrey Skipper 21 Autumn 2018

Sussex Black Hairstreaks

A LARGE colony of Black Hairstreaks has been rediscovered in Ditchling Common CP, East Sussex, south-east of Burgess Hill. The site is 24 miles south of the Surrey border at Gatwick. The species has a notoriously short and variable flight season: second week of June is the likeliest peak. Coincidentally the Black Hairstreak had one of its best ever years in its East Midlands strongholds. Neil Hulme relates the full story on Black Hairstreak on Blackthorn, the Sussex Branch website. Whitecross Green Wood, Bucks, June 2018. FK

New Media Francis Kelly

BC’s website was upgraded in July. Our Running Twitter Facebook branch site, which sits on the BC totals Tweets & platform, benefited too. Unfortunately Retweets Followers Likes the transition caused our site to lie 2015 Sep 360 131 dormant for two months at peak season. 2016 Feb 463 192 All is well now, so do please take a Sep 532 637 248 look. The new navigation is clear and 2017 Mar 600 734 270 easy to use. The publication of the March Sep 1,238 889 336 Skipper attracted a weekly record of 489 2018 Feb 1,307 935 347 unique visitors. Sep 1,377 1,062 366 I FACEBOOK: Fiona Haynes, our Conservation Project Officer, has created a new group – Small Blues in Surrey. This joins: I TWITTER: @BC_Surrey followers now Butterfly Conservation in Surrey: exceed 1,000. our branch page, which is featured on the We discontinued an auto-retweet service website home page when a fee was introduced. Since then our Surrey Butterflies: Mick Rock’s group. retweets have become more selective.

Walking a transect A TRANSECT is a fixed-route, weekly the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. walk, typically 1–3km, lasting 30–90 mins. If you would like to walk a transect Volunteers record butterflies in a 5m or help with an existing one (many are band in suitable weather in the 26 weeks shared), please email Bill Downey Apr–Sep, 10.45–15.45. Data is managed by More details are on our website. Surrey Skipper 22 Autumn 2018

Peter Beale 1929-2018

Peter Beale was a Forestry Commission “Even though life was hard, I enjoyed the ranger who created our Oaken Wood wonderful wildlife in the jungles.” With his reserve, which he formally opened in 1993. love of nature now firmly engrained, he He moved to Sturmer, on the Essex/Suffolk returned to the UK and in 1962 took a job with border, in 2004 and died in April this year the Forestry Commission, in Stambourne. aged 88. In tribute, we publish this interview He was by now married to wife Nellie he gave to the Haverhill Echo in 2008. (they celebrated their 54th wedding WHEN Peter Beale was 11 years old, he was anniversary on Christmas Eve) and the evacuated from London and sent to live in couple lived in a cottage: “The first winter of Toppesfield. It was 1941, and the Essex 62/63 was a hard time, with heavy snow. village was in stark contrast to the bustle of We were blocked off for three months in the the capital he had grown up in. house, but had stored apples and vegetables The fields surrounding the village grew under the beds in boxes to see us through.” clover and attracted masses of beautiful Undoubtedly Peter’s most remarkable butterflies: “It’s one of the first things achievement is the butterfly reserve which I remember, and as the years went by boasts his name. Peter said: “It took me I thought I should protect them for future about 18 years to turn a tangled mess of generations.” woodland, which the Forestry Commission Now age 79, and living in Sturmer with was going to clear and cover with conifers, his wife Nellie, few could dispute that Peter into the reserve. “I had no money and no has done his bit to protect butterflies. volunteers, and it was 30 acres of Not only was he made the first honorary woodland. So I advertised in the local press, benefactor of Butterfly Conservation – the and the response I got was phenomenal. UK organisation dedicated to preserving We called the project Peter’s Dream.” and researching butterflies and moths – but By this point, Peter was conservation he has a reserve named after him: the Peter officer for most of the south of England, Beale Reserve in Oaken Wood, Surrey. and the Isle of Wight, and had helped And in 1991 he was awarded the British countless schools create conservation areas, Empire Medal for work in conservation doubtless inspiring many children to with schools. develop a love of wildlife. Peter’s fascinating life was undoubtedly Peter said: “When I came to retire, shaped by WW2, during which his family I invited Butterfly Conservation to take on home in London was bombed, leaving five the reserve and manage it for the Forestry people living in an 8ft by 6ft Anderson Commission.” Butterfly Conservation shelter for the best part of a year. Having decided to name the reserve after Peter, an moved to Toppesfield, he left school aged 14 accolade which was kept secret from him to work for Whitlocks, of Great Yeldham. until the handover in 1995. “We go back At 16 he took a job on a farm, which most years. They still contact me for provided him and his family with a cottage management advice sometimes,” said Peter. – but which excluded him from National In addition to the reserve, Peter created Service: “I was never happy about that the UK’s first moss trail, in Alice Holt because my father was decorated for Forest. He and Nellie moved to Sturmer in gallantry in the Somme, so in 1953 I joined 2004. A keen photographer, Peter has an the Royal Engineers as a regular and went extensive collection of photos of butterflies out to Malaya and Borneo. and plants. Surrey Skipper 23 Autumn 2018

1993 : Peter Beale opens Oaken Wood reserve. Bill Swinglehurst The formal opening of Oaken Wood as a Surrey branch reserve, by then BC president Gordon Beningfield, took place on July 1, 1995.

Opening day work party, including Peter Beale (centre) and current branch members Bill Swinglehurst (seated, white T-shirt) and Robert Edmondson (2nd-right). Surrey Skipper 24 Autumn 2018

Marsh Fritillary Reintroduction Hampshire Branch

The Marsh Fritillary has once again flown over north-east Hampshire, two miles from the Surrey border, reports Hants Branch Chair Clive Wood OUR efforts to restore this beautiful butterfly to its former stronghold sites were rewarded on the May 21 when the first adults were seen on the wing by Richard Hennessey, a Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) Reserves Officer. It was a wonderful moment and a major milestone after six years of Larval webs ready for release. Andy Barker planning and hard work by the Hampshire Marsh Fritillary Action Group. supplies but this was only a short-lived In April and early May this year, 2,057 late respite. Once mated, the females laid instar larvae were released at the receptor abundant egg batches, which all too quickly sites managed by the HIWWT. Many will developed into hungry 1st instar larvae. have fallen prey to wolf spiders, solitary The productivity of the female adult wasps, shrews, voles and even grazing slugs, Marsh Fritillary is impressive. In four but enough made it through to pupation to breeding cages at a site near Romsey, around emerge as adults in late May and June. 70 females laid 149 egg batches containing The good news is that we know from 23,721 eggs. The latter figure was calculated survey work that many of these adults by Andy Barker with the aid of photographs successfully mated. The resulting larvae taken of each egg batch through a 5x5mm are therefore the first Marsh Fritillaries grid and some diligent observation and to be born in the wild at the receptor sites assessment work. Take a bow, Andy. for over 20 years. This level of productivity is far more than Late instar Marsh Fritillary larvae are the four breeding sites (and breeders) can prodigious feeders on Devil’s-bit Scabious. reasonably look after through the winter and Analysis of foodplant consumption by 152 early spring. The decision was therefore 5th instar larvae kept in two breeding tubs taken to release 18,000 pre-hibernation showed that just 15 larvae can consume one larvae at the receptor sites in August. This plant per day. brought the total number of larvae released This rate of consumption placed to just under 21,000. The over-wintering significant time and husbandry pressures on larvae retained by the breeders will be the breeders. Andy Barker and myself, as released next spring to mark the end of this joint project leads, are therefore indebted to phase of the project. Branch members Roger Marriott and Sue We cannot tell at this stage whether the Clarke, and to Upper Thames member Ched project will succeed in its main aim. That George, for the time and skill they have given assessment will have to wait several more to the project over the past couple of years, years but the signs are encouraging and we and to Tim Bernhard in the initial phase. remain confident that a new Marsh Fritillary Pupation and emergence as adults in the population will establish itself in north-east breeding cages reduced the pressure on food Hampshire. Surrey Skipper 25 Autumn 2018

Wider Countryide Butterfly Survey Bill Downey

THIS has been my first year as Coordinator each year but it is often not possible to for the WCBS and I now have a better idea match them to a free square reasonably of the problems involved. With records so close to where they live. far received from 21 out of a possible 36 The majority of squares in London, monads, 2018 has been steady state: eastern and central Surrey are already New walkers: taken. However there is a group of squares Nicola Sainsbury, Mike Pearce in the west and south west of our region for Retired: which there are no walkers. Bridget & Lawrie de Whalley, Ray Baker My task for 2019 will be to recruit more A problem is that the monads are fixed. walkers in this area. Please contact me if A number of possible walkers come forward you are able to help.

Monad Location Walker Monad Location Walker SU8736 Hindhead Lesley Benson TQ1354 Bookham Harry Clarke SU8737 Beacon Hill TQ1662 Chessington SU8748 Badshot Lea Clare Grindrod TQ2042 Newdigate Jo Hurren SU8960 Camberley TQ2059 Epsom Janet Cheney SU9038 Bowlhead Green Harry Clarke TQ2355 Tadworth Nicola Sainsbury SU9047 Seale TQ2562 Belmont Morag Loader SU9133 Haslemere 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 Mike Pearce TQ0071 Runnymede Cathy Clarke TQ3279 Borough Janet Cheney TQ0944 Peaslake Gill Hanson TQ3378 Bermondsey Simon Saville TQ0960 Cobham Roz Szanto TQ3559 Hamsey Green TQ1144 Holmbury St Mary Bill Downey TQ3566 Shirley Malcolm Bridge TQ1247 Wotton Graham Revill TQ4352 Limpsfield Chart Jim Yeeles

Big Butterfly Count 2018: Jul 20 – Aug 12

Change Recorders Butterflies UK top 10 Butterflies from 2017 2010 10,200 ...... 210,000 1 Small White ...... 273,650 ...... 161% 2011 34,300 ...... 322,330 2 Large White ...... 210,665 ...... 104% 2012 27,000 ...... 223,000 3 Gatekeeper...... 72,877 ...... −54% 2013 46,000 ...... 830,000 4 Peacock ...... 54,287 ...... 9% 2014 44,000 ...... 560,000 Meadow Brown ...... 51,899 ...... −56% 5 2015 52,000 ...... 600,000 6 Common Blue...... 50,118 ...... 51% 2016 36,000 ...... 390,000 7 Green-veined White ...... 49,515 ...... 78% 2017 60,400 ...... 550,000 8 Speckled Wood ...... 35,294 ...... 12% 2018 100,200 ...... 964,000 9 Red Admiral ...... 33,508 ...... −73% 10 Small Tortoiseshell ...... 23,210 ...... −32% LINK Big Butterfly Count Surrey Skipper 26 Autumn 2018

Bryan Ceney’s 80th BARRY HILLING BRYAN CENEY, international artist and founder committee member who designed the Surrey Skipper logo (see page 6), celebrated his 80th birthday in June at the Swan Pub on the Ridgway, Wimbledon. Alison Lobo, Bryan’s partner, kept the party a complete surprise and as Bryan entered the pub, his second living room for the last 50 years, he was deeply moved, especially on seeing his brother & sisters who had travelled from Canada. A highlight was the cutting of the Monarch butterfly cake, inspired by a photo and & painting Bryan completed after his trip to Mexico in 1997. Bryan described the occasion as a high point of his life. LINK view Bryan’s art at www.bryanceney.co.uk

Recorders Records Tetrads Tetrads % 2013 32 344 2014 116 1,004 THANK YOU to the recorders who had 2015 159 3,182 submitted 6,000+ Surrey butterfly 2016 230 4,247 321 57% sightings to iRecord by the end of 2017 333 7,214 397 71% September, using either computer or app. 2018 6,000 records to September 25 More details, including how to create filters, are on our website’s recording page. LINK Surrey Recording Surrey Skipper 27 Autumn 2018

UK Transects 2017 Francis Kelly

LAST year (2017) was the 7th-worst in the Conservation, said: “2017 was the fifth 42 years of the UK Butterfly Monitoring below-average year in a row. On the Scheme (UKBMS) after a chilly snap in positive side, there is much good spring and a gloomy, wet summer. conservation work happening across That was a small improvement on 2016 – the country.” the 4th-worst year. Dr Marc Botham, Butterfly Ecologist at Grizzled Skipper and Grayling had their the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said: worst year for the second year running. “Populations can and do bounce back, Grizzled Skipper has more than halved providing suitable habitat is available. since the 1970s. Grayling has declined by It is the long-terms trends, particularly over 60% during the last 10 years. the declines of a number of common However, for three Surrey butterflies and widespread species, which are of – Ringlet, Silver-washed Fritillary and great concern.” Red Admiral – 2017 was their 2nd-best ever I UKBMS has run since 1976, covering year in England. a record 2,693 sites in 2017. Professor Tom Brereton, Associate Director of Monitoring at Butterfly LINK UK Butterfly Monitoring scheme

Abundance ranking of 2017 in 42 years of UK transects from 1976 42-year ranking of 2017, & 10-year trend 42-year ranking of 2017, & 10-year trend 2nd Ringlet +29% 28 Small Copper -42% Silver-washed Fritillary +38% Purple Hairstreak -22% Red Admiral +122% 29 Small Heath 0 4 Comma -14% Gatekeeper -1% 6 Orange-tip +47% White Admiral -46% 7 Meadow Brown +28% 32 Brown Hairstreak -28% 8 Brimstone +85% 33 Dingy Skipper +18% 9 Speckled Wood -23% Essex Skipper +57% Marbled White +147% Large Skipper +12% 16 Dark Green Fritillary 0 Green-veined White -29% Holly Blue +35% 34 Small Skipper +66% 17 Silver-spotted Skipper +38% 35 Large White -43% Adonis Blue -47% Small Tortoiseshell +100% 19 Clouded Yellow +432% Chalkhill Blue -9% Silver-studded Blue +9% 36 Small White -21% 22 Painted Lady -36% Peacock -6% Small Blue -4% 37 White-letter Hairstreak -56% 23 Purple Emperor -61% 38 Green Hairstreak -35% Common Blue -11% 42 Grizzled Skipper -43% 26 Brown Argus +10% Grayling -62% 27 Wood White +26% Table features Surrey's 41 regular species; data is drawn from all transects in England, 1976-2017 Surrey Skipper 28 Autumn 2018

Dominica Clive Huggins

Committee member Clive Huggins (FRES) Organised by Operation Wallacea, joined an expedition to the Caribbean in conjunction with the Swallowtail & island of Dominica (not to be confused with Birdwing Butterfly Trust, the expedition the larger Dominican Republic) in July, collected specimens for London’s Natural checking the devastating effects of History Museum. Hurricane Maria the previous September. I Dominica has 55 butterfly species. LINK Swallowtail Survey on Dominica

DATES Oct 6 AES Exhibition & Trade Fair: Kempton 2019 Oct 13 Kent Branch Members’ Day Jan–Dec Butterfly House, Horniman Gardens Oct 22 Horsham NHS talk: SE23 Oaken Wood transect, Phil Darley Jan 24 Guildford NHS talk: Oct 27 Upper Thames Branch Members’ Day Butterflies - Facts & Fun, Francis Kelly Oct 31 Transect records to be online please Jan 26 Moth Recorders: Birmingham Nov 3 I Surrey Branch Members’ Day, Mar 1 Garden Moth Scheme starts Effingham Mar 30 Butterfly Recorders, Birmingham Nov 10 National Members’ Day, Nottingham Mar–Sep NHM: Sensational Butterflies Nov 17 Sussex Branch Members’ Day Apr 1 Transect season starts Nov 18 Hampshire Branch Members’ Day Nov 24 BC Council Meeting Surrey Skipper 29 Autumn 2018

Weather Watch England SE & Central South

DAVID GRADIDGE Anomaly columns shows comparison with 30-year average, 1981-2010 MANY of you may be looking at Yellow: warm/sunny; Blue: wet moth-eaten lawns and wondering Red: warmest/sunniest; Black: wettest if they will ever recover. Temp C Sunshine Rainfall Having a long memory for these 2016 Mean Anom Hours Anom mm Anom things, I will try to bring some AprJ 8.1 -0.6 176 104% 54 101% sense to the records and make May 13.0 +1.1 220 109% 65 119% comparisons with 1976. Jun 15.4 +0.6 128 63% 96 188% But firstly I draw your attention Jul 17.5 +0.4 213 99% 21 41% to a Science Museum publication Aug 17.9 +0.9 227 111% 40 70% entitled Exploring our Changing Sep 16.7 +2.2 138 92% 48 77% Climate. The introduction states: Oct 11.2 +0.1 128 113% 33 36% “our understanding of how and Nov 6.4 -1.0 84 117% 103 118% why climate changes take place Dec 6.1 +1.1 64 125% 19 22% has never been more urgently Annual 10.8 +0.5 1,664 102% 755 96% needed.” This was written in 1977! 2017 The clue is in the how and why Jan 3.7 -0.9 78 132% 83 104% as this question has not been Feb 6.4 +1.9 54 68% 54 97% answered. It has been all too easy Mar 9.2 +2.5 132 115% 44 76% to blame every out of the ordinary Apr 9.4 +0.7 205 121% 10 18% event on the increasing levels of May 13.5 +1.5 199 99% 69 127% CO2. Note that below 200 parts Jun 16.9 +2.1 244 121% 58 114% per million, life on earth would be Jul 17.8 +0.7 207 97% 104 200% very restricted. Aug 16.4 -0.5 201 99% 73 127% What of the summer of 2018 Sep 14.0 -0.5 138 93% 72 115% and comparisons with 1976, which Oct 12.7 +1.6 96 85% 32 34% was deemed to be the hottest for Nov 7.1 -0.3 84 118% 50 58% 100 years. In SE England 1976 Dec 5.2 +0.2 53 104% 107 128% remains the sunniest since 1929 by Annual 11.1 +0.7 1,692 104% 756 96% far, eclipsing the next sunniest by 2018 nearly 50 hours. 2018 came in 4th Jan 6.0 +1.4 57 97% 82 102% due to a fairly normal August. Feb 2.9 -1.6 116 147% 41 74% On rainfall, June was the driest Mar 5.5 -1.3 78 68% 103 178% since 1911 at just 3mm. Summer Apr 10.5 +2.5 137 89% 81 155% 1976 came in at 63mm with 2018 May 13.7 +1.8 269 134% 56 103% at 102mm. The major difference, Jun 16.6 +1.8 266 132% 3 6% and what made the drought of Jul 20.0 +2.9 301 140% 31 60% 1976 so devastating, was that the Aug 17.5 +0.6 194 95% 68 119% period Oct 75 - Aug 76 was by far Region: Surrey, London, Berks, Hants, Kent, Sussex, Wilts the driest on record at 304mm for 11 months. Those with long remains the hottest on record by a long way, averaging 17.6C, memories will recall Denis Howell with 2008 3rd at 16.6C. July 2018 was 2nd at 20C and 1976 a being appointed Minister for long way behind at 18.9C. August set no records in either Drought: the heavens opened for year, but summer 2018 edged 1976 by just 0.03C at 18.06C. Sep/Oct resulting in floods. Does this account for the huge numbers of whites or was it Now temperatures. June 1976 the Beast from the East? For the record, 1977 was awful. Surrey Skipper 30 Autumn 2018

Moths Paul Wheeler (Branch Moth Officer)

“We Love Heart Moth” initiative to great light trapping – at the peak of the and its findings in 2018 flight season may not have helped. HEART MOTH is rare (RDB3, Section 41 Perhaps the greatest threat to the Heart NERC Act, 2006) and restricted to Moth is the attempt to control Oak southern and eastern England. It is one of Processionary moths (OPM) through the 32 top priority moths in BC’s Regional spraying oak with Bacillus thuringiensis Action Plan for SE England. (Bt) to kill the larvae. Bt is not specific to As part of this plan, a new initiative called OPM and will kill larvae of other “We Love Heart Moth” was begun in early Lepidoptera. 2018 to search and survey for the Heart This gives the “We Love Heart Moth” Moth in SE England. With the resources initiative some urgency. Identifying new available – the scarcest being volunteers sites indicates that using Bt there should be prepared to run moth traps overnight in the out of the question, while the classic field – the searches concentrated on places strongholds need the same protection and with records, in particular the classic sites continuing surveys. It seems a bad strategy of Ashtead Common and just over the to spray trees that have the greatest county boundary in Windsor Park. biodiversity value with an agent that kills The other stronghold of the Heart Moth Lepidoptera in general. I am pleased to hear is around Abthorpe in Northamptonshire, that the Forestry Commission has this centred on the Spencers’ estate. To access approach under review. these strongholds, a lot of cooperation with The initiative found some other very land managers and rangers was needed, scarce, biodiversity action plan priority and was forthcoming. species: The Triangle (another RDB The Heart Moth’s apparently aristocratic species) was caught in Windsor Park and preferences come from its association with I found a Common Fan Foot (Nationally mature oaks in parkland and commons, Scarce A, anything but common!) at dawn, where the trees are openly spaced. in a trap which had been looked through at 2.30am. The initiative could provide further I insight into the moth’s habitat Thank you to Steve Wheatley for requirements and will certainly identify coordinating the initiative; the 16 sites where it occurs. volunteers (4 in Surrey); the rangers and A great find was trapping five individuals land managers who showed so much on the Harewood Estate, a NT property interest and cooperation. Special mention south of Bletchingley. There, the oaks are for Bob Arnfield, who trapped the five well spaced hedgerow trees. Only three individuals at Harewood Estate. other individuals were trapped in 2018, LINK NT: Heart Moth at Harewood with none were recorded on Ashtead Common and only one in Windsor Park despite 20 light traps being used there. The I Northamptonshire site produced a blank, The Garden Moth Scheme resumes too. on the first Friday in March but you can It seems alarming that only one moth was register up to the end of the month. trapped in the three strongholds, but this To take part, please contact has always been a scarce and elusive moth, Surrey coordinator Alan Lobb, and having a full moon – never conducive who lives in Guildford. Surrey Skipper 31 Autumn 2018

Moths Les Evans-Hill

Manager of BC’s National Moth This was an opportunity for Recording Scheme database Karen Goldie-Morrison to and Wimbledon resident borrow my Robinson 125W FOR Moth Night (Jun 14-16) MV to run in her garden over I ran a public event on the weekend. Her best catch Wimbledon Common. was a possible Hoary It produced several attractive Footman, but it would be species and a handful of necessary to see the underside Pyralid moths, which was the to separate it from Scarce theme for 2018. Footman. I was pleased to find a pair The forthcoming Atlas of of freshly-emerged Buff-tips hiding in Britain & Ireland’s Larger Bramble to show the public on their arrival Moths is now in the later stages of and demonstrate their snapped Birch-twig production, but there has been further camouflage. delay due to the data verification process. A total of 55 species included Double Peer review was completed recently, and my Line, Leopard Moth and Small Elephant current task is to investigate the queries, Hawk-moth. Pyralids included Small which mostly concern missing data. Magpie and Box-tree Moth, the latter being I would like to thank Harry Clarke. a recent and expanding pest of Box. Last year he helped me with the R statistical The Friends of Barnes Common invited analysis package. This year Harry has me to run a lamp and sheet on June 28. The supported me and my colleague Katie evening itself was quite chilly but the local Cruickshanks in using PostgreSQL and mosquitoes made sure our evening was not integrating QGIS. without entomological interest! Harry supplied some of his own code for me to use as a template for developing a proof-of-concept system, which will eventually become BC’s standard geographic information system (GIS). We currently use JNCC’s Recorder 6 for moths and Levana for butterflies. A cloud- based PostgreSQL database, linked to QGIS, will be a vast improvement. I Atlas of Britain & Ireland’s Larger Moths Publication due: spring 2019, £37.50. Save £10 0n orders before March 31.

Buff-tip. LE-H LINK Order from Atropos

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 32 Autumn 2018

Flying visit to Kingston Nigel Jackman

ON a searingly hot June afternoon in Kingston shopping centre a butterfly dashed past me before settling briefly on the window of stationers The Works. On close inspection it was a Small Skipper, but before I could snatch a photo it flew across the busy road. With me in pursuit it appeared to take in some rapid window shopping at Primark before disappearing. I wondered whether it had flown further up the road to nectar at McDonalds. When I returned to the same spot half an hour later I was astonished to see what looked like a Meadow Ann Summers or Sainsbury's? Brown whizz past The Works and Two months later, as if in recognition of my soar over a number 65 bus to safely sightings, a banner of ornamental butterflies was cross the road. Had it just left nearby on display at the same location. Bring me sunshine

What a spectacular series the Surrey Wildlife Atlases are. Sir David Attenborough

£16 (+ p&p) from SurreyWildlife Trust www.surreywildlifegifts.org.uk 01483 795440