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Spring Meeting
18th April 2015 from 2.00pm at Cubbington Village Hall, Broadway, Cubbington, CV32 7JR.
A social event with slides, raffle, tea and cake! An opportunity to discover more about our butterflies and moths and learn more about the work being done in our region. Donations to the raffle prize table always welcome. A free event where everyone is welcome to attend.
Form more details, visit our web site.
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Open Day
Our annual Ryton Wood Meadows Butterfly Reserve Open Day will be on Sunday 19th July this year. As always, there will be plenty of refreshments and an opportunity for new members to
Gates open from 11.00am but you are welcome to join us at anytime througout the day. We will be finishing at 4.00pm.
For more details about our Ryton Wood Meadows Open Day, please visit our web site.
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Warwickshire Moths on Facebook
Ever wondered which moths are on the wing around Warwickshire, or what other moth-ers are getting in their garden traps?
Share your Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull garden species, photos and trip reports, and also get help with identification via our brand new Warwickshire Moths facebook page.
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Guided Walks
We have a variety of guided walks and moth nights planned for the 2015 butterfly and moth season. For more details about these walks, please visit our web site www.warwickshire-butterflies.org.uk. We look forward to seeing you <<First Name>>.
Dates for your diary
- 17th May from 2.00pm - Guided butterfly walk with Phil Parr at Malpass, Rugby.
- 27th May from 11.00am - Guided butterfly walk with Mike Slater at Cross Hands Quarry.
- 7th June from 11.00am - Guided butterfly walk with Keith Warmington at Purley Quarry.
- 13th June from 8.30pm - Moth Trapping with David Brown at Dollman Farm Orchard, Rugby.
- 27th June from 9.00pm - Moth Trapping with David Brown at Sunrising Nature Reserve.
- 12th July from 2.00pm - Guided butterfly walk with Phil Parr at Ashlawn Cutting, Rugby.
- 15th July from 11.00am - Guided butterfly walk with Keith Warmington at Snitterfield Bushes.
- 17th July from 8.30pm - Moth Trapping with David Brown at Swift Valley Nature Reserve, Rugby.
- 25th July from 8.30pm - Moth Trapping with David Brown at S.M.J. Nature Reserve, Cranhill.
- 5th August from 11.00am - Guided butterfly walk (leader tbc) at Alvecote Wood.
- 9th August from 11.00am - Guided butterfly walk with Steven Cheshire at Bardon Hill, Leicestershire.
- 22nd August from 11.00am - Guided butterfly walk with Mike Slater at Rough Bank, Gloucestershire.
For more details, please visit our web site www.warwickshire-butterflies.org.uk
Summer Programme Errors
Apologies for allowing a couple of date errors highlighted in red to creep into the newsletter which members received in the post recently. To confirm, the Moth Trapping event at Sunrising Nature Reserve is on the 27th June and not 13th as stated. The Butterfly Walk at Snitterfield Bushes is a mid week trip on Wednesday 15th July and not Sunday as stated.
I promise to pay more attention next year and not to get distracted dreaming of summer butterflies!!
Keith Warmington
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Help wanted!
Various habitat maintenance and conservation work parties take place throughout the summer, every Tuesday at key butterfly sites around Warwickshire. On Sundays, there is a regular work party at Ryton Wood and Ryton Wood Meadows.
In the south-west, the site of Grove Hill is receiving special attention where we will be planting plug plants of Horseshoe Vetch to make site more suitable for Chalkhill Blue (last recorded in the 19th Century in Warwickshire) and the Adonis Blue (there are no records of this species occurring in Warwickshire in the past) as colonies exist just over the county border in Gloucestershire.
Join the outdoor gym... its free!
If you would like to meet new people, get fit, breath fresh air, learn new wildlife conservation skills and make a real difference to wildlife conservation, why not volunteer some time and join / help our work parties. Please contact Mike Slater, email michael.slater50@ntlworld.com or call 01788 335881 for more information. |
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Recording Targets for 2015
Our fears about the local decline in the recorded numbers of White-letter Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak and Small Heath have been echoed by the national figures just released. White-letter Hairstreak had its second worst year on record last year and a 77% decline over the last 10 years. Meanwhile. Purple Hairstreak numbers are down 50% on last year (probably due to poor August weather) and Small Heath down 24% on 2014 figures.
We are still looking at the data to target specific sites for Small Heath in Warwickshire which we will circulate shortly.
Please remember to identify living Elms early in the season when they are in flower so that you can re-visit them again in July when the White-letter Hairstreak is on the wing. The Purple Hairstreak just needs 10 minutes staring at the top of a mature Oak tree on a late summer afternoon or evening in sunny. calm weather.
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The first 'Yellow Legs' in Warwickshire?
Following last years sightings of Scarce Tortoiseshell Nymphalis xanthomelas (also known as the Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell) butterflies along the east coast of the UK, it is hoped that these butterflies will successfully overwinter and breed in the UK in 2015.
Judging from observations already made in 2015, this is looking increasingly likely. A species worth keeping an eye open for, especially in the east of our region. Who will be the first to see a Yellow-legged in Warwickshire? The nearest sighting to our region was made on 19th July 2014 by Chris Gardiner who photographed one in a private garden in Belmesthorpe, Rutland.
For the latest sightings, visit the Bug Alert web site.
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Big Butterfly Count
17th July to 9th August 2015
After the success of previous Big Butterfly Count, the website will be open for submission of Big Butterfly Count sightings from 17th July to 09th August 2015. See www.bigbutterflycount.org for more information.
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National Moth Night 2015
10th to 12th September 2015
Theme: Migration
National Moth Night is an annual event, the date varying each year in order to focus the recording effort on different parts of the season. Participants are required throughout the British Isles with the results being pooled into Britain’s largest moth survey. Visit the National Moth Night web site for more information.
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<<First Name>>
We have found a great way to raise money for Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire for free. Simply swap your usual search engine (e.g. Google) to easysearch!
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Each time you search the web using http://www.bcw.easysearch.org.uk instead of your usual search engine, you'll raise half a penny for Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire. Search just 15 times a day and you can raise around £25 a year.
Why not give it a try? Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire will be really grateful for your donations.
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Species 2015 - First Sightings
5 species of butterfly have been recorded so far this year in Warwickshire (30/03/2015). Keep an eye open over the next few days for the next wave of new species taking to the wing including Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Holly Blue and Speckled Wood.
- Peacock - 1st January 2015 at Myton Crescent, Leamington by David Beal.
- Brimstone - 8th January at Old Nuns Wood by John Balls.
- Red Admiral - 9th January at Warwick by Stan Taylor and Coventry by Mathew Shepherd.
- Small Tortoiseshell - 7th February at Knowle by Peter Hanson.
- Comma - 10th March at Broom by Mark and Mary Preston.
Visit our web site for all the latest butterfly sightings or to submit your sightings online.
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