Suffolk Argus
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Summer 2017 SuffolkThe Argus The Newsletter of the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation Photo: Charles Cuthbert Small Copper at Sizewell May 2017 Summer 2017 Volume 69 1 The Suffolk Argus 2016 Butterfly Report White-letter Hairstreak and Small Heath are two of our six special Biodiversity Action Plan priority species, all of which need the attention of recorders. White-letter Hairstreak sightings 2016 Surely there are more White-letter Hairstreak colonies in Suffolk. Can you help to locate them in 2017? Small Heath sightings 2016 Small Heath, a butterfly of diminishing status, is described as ‘weak and vulnerable’ Records are important in 2017. 2 Summer 2017 Contents Contacts 4 2016 Suffolk Butterfly Report 5 Elm - the only host plant for the White-letter Hairstreak 18 Butterflies in Christchurch Park, Ipswich 20 AGM and Photographic Competition 20 On My Travels for Butterflies 21 Success in Crete 22 Editorial Peter Maddison Herein the 2016 Butterfly Report. A huge How to set about recording butterflies and thank you is due to our members and other what to do with those records can be found people who have sent Bill Stone, the County on the national website and our own Branch Butterfly Recorder, many thousands of website: sightings from which he has compiled this http://www.suffolkbutterflies.org.uk/ report showing the status of butterflies in Helen Saunders would be keen to hear from the county. Assessing butterfly trends you if you are able to help with the surveying is an important part of what we do and I of the Silver-studded Blue in the Minsmere hope that you will be encouraged to spend and Dunwich areas….. in 2018, if not 2017! time monitoring butterflies this year. It’s worthwhile, intriguing, and, of course, very Enjoy the season! enjoyable. Do you have a little time to spare and would like to help the Branch? Perhaps you have the inclination at the back editor. Collating Word documents and of your mind that you would like to help discussing the newsletter’s layout with the a conservation organisation but you don’t designer/printer is the backbone of the job. want to become involved in committee Why not contact me to discuss the options? work. Then you might consider taking on Peter Maddison [email protected] the role of The Suffolk Argus newsletter New Members New Members are warmly welcomed and that you will be able to take part in the to the Suffolk Branch. We hope you find recording of butterflies and join some of our your membership interesting and enjoyable events and work parties. 3 The Suffolk Argus Suffolk Branch Contacts President Transect Co-ordinator and WCBS Co-ordinator Howard Mendel Twm Wade email: twm.wade@ yahoo.com Chairman and Newsletter Editor Peter Maddison Conservation Officer (Butterflies) Barnmead, Fishpond Rd, Rob Parker Waldringfield, 66, Cornfield Rd., Woodbridge IP12 4QX Bury St Edmunds IP33 3BN Tel: 01473 736607 Tel: 01284 705476 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Membership Secretary Conservation Officer (Moths) Ms Tracie-Anne Beattie Tony Prichard 24 Goldsmith Way, Stanton, 3, Powling Rd., Ipswich IP3 9JR Suffolk, IP31 2FD Tel: 01473 270047 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Treasurer Butterfly Habitat Conservation Officer Dominic Hill Matt Berry Tel: 01359 269855 Tel: 07599 243026 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Secretary Committee Members Julian Dowding Helen Saunders 84, Clapgate Lane, email: [email protected] Ipswich IP3 0RE David Dowding Tel: 01473 436096 Kevin Ling email: [email protected] Adrian Richards County Butterfly Recorder Website Bill Stone Richard Perryman 20, Langstons, Trimley St. Mary, email: [email protected] Ipswich IP11 0XL email: [email protected] Regional Officer, Eastern England Sharon Hearle Tel: 01638 484145 email: [email protected] The Suffolk Argus is published by the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Butterfly Conservation or the Branch. © 2017 All rights reserved. For more information, see: www.suffolkbutterflies.org.uk 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) 4 Summer 2017 2016 Suffolk Butterfly Report Bill Stone 1. Introduction of the reduction in butterfly populations. On reflection, 2016 was a very average if not The UEA team looked at resident species poor butterfly year in Suffolk and it appeared of butterflies, those which only breed once to reflect the picture seen across the UK. The in a year, and those having more than one wider butterfly year of 2016 was dominated by brood annually. Multi-brood species were headlines in the national press highlighting found to be more vulnerable than single continuing concerns regarding falling brood species and in general extremes of butterfly numbers. This was particularly temperature rather than precipitation were noticeable following the publication of the found to influence changes in butterfly results of the Big Butterfly Count which populations. A key finding of this study identified that the majority of butterfly was that rain during the pupal life-stage species studied as part of the scheme saw was detrimental to over one quarter of the their populations drop with some producing species. The study also revealed extreme their worst numbers since the Big Butterfly heat during the ‘overwintering’ life stage was Count scheme began in 2010. The release the most detrimental extreme weather event of results from surveys carried out by the affecting over half of UK species. This may UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) be due to increased incidences of disease in 2016 also showed a similar situation. or potentially extreme hot temperatures Here, some 40 of the 57-species studied acting as a cue for butterflies or their larvae recorded a decline compared with 2015. So, to come out from overwintering too early why was 2016 such a poor year especially and subsequently killed off by temperatures given the fact that the summer weather was returning to colder conditions. In addition warmer than average and relatively dry? In to the negative impacts, the authors found response to this question many experts, as that some life stages may benefit from well as pointing towards the increased use of climatic extreme weather, with extreme pesticides and intensive farming methods, heat in the adult stage causing a positive have raised concerns regarding current population change in over one third of weather trends as being a major cause. This the UK species. Whatever the key causes view is reinforced following the publishing of declines in butterfly numbers actually of the report in 2016, ‘Sensitivity of UK are it remains clear how important it is to butterflies to local climatic extremes: which continue to record our butterflies and ensure life stages are most at risk’, by researchers that the collected data is submitted for use from the University of East Anglia (UEA), in conservation efforts. From a Suffolk which investigated the impact of extreme perspective, the recording effort in 2016 climatic events on butterfly populations. was again significant, with increased county The report identified that the increasingly coverage in previously under recorded areas frequent extreme weather events being and a large number of butterfly records seen in the UK could threaten butterfly being submitted. My thanks go out to all of populations and could be part of the cause you who sent in records and who continue 5 The Suffolk Argus to support me as County Butterfly Recorder. waves, but there were also some instances of thundery summer downpours causing 2. Overview of the UK weather in 2016 localised flash-flooding, and including two The majority of months were at least notable cases of widespread disruption to slightly warmer than average for the UK electricity grid supplies due to lightning. as a whole, most notably September and The provisional UK mean temperature for December whose anomalies were around 2016 was 9.3 °C, which is 0.5 °C above +2 °C. However, both April and November the 1981-2010 long-term average and just were around a degree cooler than average. outside the top ten warmest years in the Most places were within 10% of the yearly historical UK series from 1910. It was also average for rainfall, with a slight tendency just 0.1 °C warmer than 2015. September for eastern areas to be wetter and western was equal-second warmest in the series, and areas drier. Sunshine was slightly above December ranked eighth, whereas April and average generally. The most extreme November were each notably colder than weather events of the year were a series of average. The provisional UK rainfall total five named winter storms (Gertrude, Henry, for 2016 was 1136 mm, which is 98% of the Imogen, Jake and Katie) which occurred 1981-2010 average. Rainfall patterns were between late January and late March, very variable but generally unexceptional. bringing some damaging winds. Storm January and June were notably wetter than Angus in mid-November and Barbara average for many, whereas October and and Conor over the Christmas period also December were much drier than average. caused some disruption. The best of the 2016 was a somewhat sunnier than average summer weather was experienced in late year for many areas, but again no individual July, late August and early September, with regions deviated by as much as 10% above two or three notable but short-lived heat- the long-term average. 2016 Weather for East Anglia Season Mean Temp Anomaly Sunshine Anomaly Rainfall Anomaly Deg C Deg C hrs % mm % Winter 15/16 6.9 3.1 196.8 117 152.1 105 Spring 8.8 0.6 529.3 119 179.8 130 Summer 17.2 1.6 592.7 104 169.0 109 Autumn 11.6 1.1 353.2 111 158.0 97 Source: www.metoffice.gov.uk Anomalies are measured against the 1981-2010 averages.