NTo.79 Sprihng 2011 e Comwww.westmidlamnds-butterflies.orga .uk Registered Charity No. 254937 Cover story Chairman’s Notes Spring 2011 NTheo.79 Spring 2011 Comma www.westmidlands-butterflies.org.uk Registered Charity No. 254937 This male Orange-tip on Lady’s Smock was seen on the banks of the Mill Avon at Tewkesbury, Glos on 8 April (Roger Wasley) Spring has The Pearl-bordered Fritillary is flying again in Grafton Wood for the truly sprung first time in more than 30 years after the first batch of butterflies were This issue’s front cover released on abundant bugle on 2 May. (John Tilt) reflects the early emergence of some of ell, we have started the butterfly season in 2011 in the best our spring butterflies and possible way with the warmest April for years. We had three moths across the West Wdays with temperature in excess of 20°C at Grafton. As would Midlands branch area, as be expected there were butterflies everywhere! I recorded the earliest reported in our Orange-tip at Grafton on the 1st April. Small Tortoiseshells were seen Chairman’s notes. in good numbers showing signs of recovery. Inside you will find This year is a significant one at Grafton – we hope to release over 100 reports on the West Midlands Regional Pearl-bordered Fritillary . They have been raised by Nick Greatorex- Conservation Day; Davies through the winter and have been handed over to Trevor updates on conservation Bucknall now to get them through pupation. A large area of coppice was projects; details of a new cut at Grafton this winter exposing good quantities of violets in readiness book and guides; a for the release. So it’s fingers crossed for resident Pearl-bordered at summary of the branch Grafton from now on. committee meeting; a This year we are having our Spring Meeting at Ewyas Harold. This is message for recorders; a beautiful place and one of our West Midland reserves. Lots of volunteer and three pages of dates work has been done here over the last few years to improve the habitat for for your diary. Pearl-bordered Fritillary . Ian Hart recorded the first emergence on Copy deadline The deadline for Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468) editorial contributions to the Autumn edition of Registred office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QP The Comma is 25th September. Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268) 2 The Comma • Spring 2011 Notes from the Chairman 16th April this year. So by the Spring Meeting on 15th May we should have good numbers out. The site also has Grizzled Skipper which should be out too. Speaking of Grizzled Skipper , the Worcestershire work party group have also been working at Honeybourne railway line over the last few years. The butterfly was recorded there on 16th April which was pleasing after all the problems we have had there with neighbours’ objections to the work we have done. Seven were also seen on Throckmorton Landfill Site. John Tilt with the Midlands Fritillary Project’s We had a good meeting with the Malvern Group and new display board at the Tiddesley Wood discussed all the work done in the hills by the conservators open day on 1 May. (Harry Green) and volunteers. We will look for High Brown Fritillary again this year, although none have been seen over the last two years. A group of us will be visiting the Alun Valley in South Wales this year to see the good management work done there for this species. There are a number of events at Prees Heath this year with chances to see the emergence of Silver-studded Blue . There is also an exciting project in that area called the Meres and Mosses Partnership with a £1.5m Heritage Lottery Fund bid. This will enable the old aircraft control tower to be refurbished on the Prees Heath reserve. Hopefully, other work on the Large Heath sites in the same area will be included. There is a big effort this year into recording Wood Whites in the South Shropshire Woods organised by Mike Williams and also in some Herefordshire Woods south of Hereford. The Midland Fritillary Project will continue with recording Fritillaries organised by Nick Williams with particular emphasis on Small Pearl-bordered . On top of all this we will be running 43 Transects! So there is loads going on – if you would like to help with any of these projects do get in touch. John Tilt [email protected] Thanks to NFU Mutual The West Midlands banch would like to thank the NFU Mutual for sponsoring the postage of the last two issues of . Large Heath (Nigel Spencer) The Comma Spring 2011 • The Comma 3 West Midlands Regional Conservation Day ‘Re-connecting the Wyre’ targets mixed woodland utterfly Conservation’s Head future. Natural England aims to of Regions, Sam Ellis , convert 2ha per year into coppice Brevealed a £345,000 project management and hopes to eventually for the Wyre Forest during the West bring 20ha into coppice management, Midlands Regional Conservation while the Forestry Commission will Day at Grafton Flyford in have 36ha of their land requiring Worcestershire. coppice management over the next 20 Sam said that, subject to funding, years. Contact has already been made the landscape-scale restoration of with local coppice workers who are coppice woodland and rides would interested in taking on this work. It is benefit threatened butterflies and proposed that coppice restoration be moths and would follow on the carried out on 57 plots across seven success of the £50,000 Back to sites. There would be thinning and re- Orange project. The Back to Orange spacing of 35ha of coppice and 3.6km project focuses on conserving the of deer fencing installed around 7.5ha Pearl-bordered Fritillary and of coppice. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Sam Ellis, Head of Regions In addition, there would be ride and moths such as the Common Fan-foot and Drab management on 11 sites involving 2.5ha of ride Looper . Management work to improve habitats is widening, 1.5ha of scrub clearance, 1ha of broadleaf being carried out in six areas of the forest. felling, 1.7ha of burning and chipping, 10.5ha of The Wyre Forest is one of our largest ancient stump grinding and 1.23km of deer fencing. semi-natural woodlands and covers over 2,400 Sam said: “This project, which targets lowland hectares. It has one of the highest butterfly and moth mixed deciduous woodland, will improve species counts in the entire UK. connectivity between the 15 sites. This is neglected There are 15 sites in the new project: Long coppice which needs thinning and re-spacing. After Coppice, Hurst Coppice, Birchen Valletts, the project, it is envisaged that local coppice workers Blackgraves Coppice, Longdon Pipeline, Longdon will take responsibility for ensuring sustainable Orchard, Longdon Wood, Withybed Wood, New coppicing in the future. If we get the go-ahead then Parks, Town Coppice, Shelfheld Coppice, Lord’s Yard, we are looking to volunteers from the West Midlands Hitterhill Coppice, Rock Coppice and Ribbesford Branch and elsewhere to play a key role.” Wood. Seven are Natural England sites and the other And looking further into the future, Sam added: eight are Forestry Commission England sites. “The Wyre Forest could even be a site for the re- A major challenge is to ensure that newly introduction of the High Brown Fritillary , now lost managed areas can be sustainably managed into the from the West Midlands.” Pearl-bordered Fritillary Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Common Fan-foot (Steven Cheshire) (Duncan Dine) (Dave Grundy) 4 The Comma • Spring 2011 West Midlands Regional Conservation Day Warwickshire’s Small Blue Small Blue (Andrew Daw) recovery plan ike Slater – probably best wet conditions are all unsuitable for known to West Midlands kidney vetch. Southam’s lias MBranch members for grasslands landscape area is also leading butterfly walks at his beloved important for Grizzled Skipper . We Ryton Wood Meadows reserve near are working with local farmers and Coventry – reported on a pioneering have cleared scrub and planted vast project to reverse the fortunes of the numbers of kidney vetch plants on rare Small Blue . By restoring flower- ridges and other suitable areas.” rich grassland on up to 21 new sites, Experimental butterfly banks have Butterfly Conservation and been established at Ryton Wood Warwickshire Branch are helping Meadows to demonstrate to farmers butterflies and other wildlife to thrive and landowners what can be created in the county. in small areas of land. As a The Small Blue, as its name consequence, butterfly banks have Mike Slater, Small Blue Project been created at Southam Quarry, suggests, is the smallest of the UK’s Officer for Warwickshire blue butterflies. Numbers have Nelsons Quarry, Fenny Compton plummeted in recent years due to the loss of chalk Tunnels and Napton Reservoir, and more are planned grassland habitats. The Small Blue feeds on kidney this year at Bishops Bowl, Draycote Embankment and vetch, which only grows on poor nutrient, alkaline Draycote Water. To date, 12,000 kidney vetch have (limey) soils. In Warwickshire it was clinging to been planted and seed sown. survival at just three sites around Southam, all of “We are also doing a lot of recording and which are active or former quarries. The creation of monitoring,” said Mike. “With the help of a student, new habitat within flying distance of existing butterfly some 300 Small Blue eggs were located in 2010. We colonies is the only way to help the dwindling have launched a training programme for volunteers to population of butterflies spread and expand.