July 24, 2010
“At some point over the coming week (24th July – 1st August) please consider taking part in our BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT, a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It’s really simple and I’m certain you’ll find it enjoyable and rewarding. Visit the site at www.bigbutterflycount.org “
- Steve Wheatley, Butterfly Conservation’s Rother Woods Project Officer
July 9, 2009
As a result of uploading my sightings, using KML files produced by GPS Logger, it’s now possible to see a list of trips on Google Maps and choose to display each one. Sightings from multiple days can be overlaid, gradually building up a picture of populations in an easy to visualise way.
This list will build as the summer progresses (weather permitting).
July 8, 2009
It’s been a while since my last post, but much has been going on in East Sussex and the Rother Woods Project has achieved a great deal with Steve Wheatley at the helm. Indeed, a walk in a local wood could well result in your bumping into him and possibly other butterfly enthusiasts!
Personally, I’ve been investing some time on recording methods using my recently acquired Blackberry Bold, whilst visiting a number of local woodlands.
With the aid of its inbuilt GPS and a newly customised version of GPSLogger (grateful thanks are due to Matthias at www.emacberry.com/gpslogger.html) I can record the exact locations of butterfly sightings and export them to a CSV format. Even more useful, is the ability to upload to Google Maps.
Today, in Beckley Woods I recorded a few Silver-washed Fritillary, including several in a ride widened by Butterfly Conservation volunteers, numerous Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Comma, Large and Small White, Peacock, Gatekeeper and a single White Admiral – the locations of all these can be seen on Google Maps.
February 27, 2009
On a walk in Beckley Woods today, a single male Brimstone was flying in the ride newly widened as part of the Rother Woods project.
Further up the main track, towards the power lines, I also encountered a pristine Peacock patrolling the track between the conifers, occasionally settling on the warm, sunlit ground.
The Forestry Commission are doing a fair bit of work to widen rides also, so it will be interesting to see what difference it makes this summer – assuming we get one this year!
June 12, 2008
On Monday evening I ran the Robinson MV trap here in my garden at Broad Oak Brede. Excluding the ones that scarpered when I opened the trap, the species count was 41:
Treble Lines
Light Brocade
Dark Arches
White-Point
Snout
Dusky Brocade
Pale Tussock
Bright-Line Brown-Eye
Vine’s Rustic
Square Spot
Foxglove Pug
Broken-Barred Carpet
Buff-Tip
Great Prominent
Brimstone Moth
Peppered Moth
Straw Dot
Lobster Moth
Lime-Speck Pug
Elephant Hawk-Moth
Peach Blossom
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Shoulder-Striped Wainscot
Clouded Silver
Clouded Border
White Ermine
Pebble Prominent
Angle Shades
Large Yellow Underwing
Buff Arches
Figure Of Eighty
Mottled Beauty
Heart And Dart
Burnished Brass
Ghost Moth
Willow Beauty
Scorched Wing
Garden Carpet
Hebrew Character
Orange Footman
and… Sword-Grass!
This particular moth hasn’t been recorded in Sussex since 2000 according to the County Recorder, Colin Pratt, who said “It probably migrated from the continent, although the last record was only about 9 miles away at Hurst Green.”
As a mothing novice myself, this just goes to show that everyone can improve our knowledge of species in our area. There are many knowledgeable “mothers” willing to share their knowledge and boundless enthusiasm and help you with identification.
Thanks to David Burrows for his id skills and considerable knowledge.
June 9, 2008
On Saturday night, four moth traps were run across the Rother Woods Project area. One in Brede High Woods, another at Great Dixter, a third at Iden and a fourth between Cripps Corner and Robertsbridge. The last of these was my responsibility. All were with the kind permission of the landowners.
Other than the occasional light drizzle that I experienced, the weather was mild, overcast and dry. We all met at Great Dixter at 8.30 on Saturday evening and then went our separate ways… I went off towards Robertsbridge to meet the landowner and then drive out into his marvellous organic orchards. We finally turned the trap off at 00:40 and I headed home, more than a little weary, with a full trap ready to be evaluated by folk more expert than I on Sunday morning.
We all met up at 8am on Sunday, back at Great Dixter to compare results and identify the contents of the traps. Full details of all catches will appear at www.rotherwoods.org – highlights from my trap, which contained 30 species, included a Small Elephant Hawkmoth and a Spectacle.
The stunning Small Elephant Hawkmoth
The obviously named Spectacle!
May 25, 2008
The official launch of this important project took place on Saturday 24th May in Beckley Woods. A reasonable crowd of enthusiastic butterfly hunters arrived by around 10am on a very blowy morning.
Steve Wheatley (Project Officer), resplendant in khaki complete with pith helmet, gave a brief welcome and we all then wandered off for what was expected to be a fruitless search, given the poor weather.
However, one eagle-eyed observer suddenly noticed a Green Hairstreak fly up into the trees! There then followed twenty minutes of staring at a sea of green leaves, waving around in the gusty wind, trying to get a view of a small, green butterly edge on. No easy matter.
Once seen though, it’s surprising how easy it is to find it again. After it had become bored with our attentions, it flew up into the air, only to be joined by a companion! Cue more happy butterfly folk.
May 18, 2008
The Rother Woods Project will be officially launched at Beckley Woods, at 10am on Saturday 24th May.
The event will be a get-together for project volunteers and supporters and I’d be really pleased if any branch members/web visitors could come along. There’s also the chance we’ll see some Grizzled Skippers (possibly aberration taras or aberration intermedia) and some other lovely butterflies. Visitors can also have a walk around Beckley Woods to see the challenge ahead or they can head off to a different site to record butterflies or just enjoy the start of the Bank Holiday weekend.
- Steve Wheatley (Rother Woods Project Officer)
May 12, 2008
A visit to Beckley Woods today to see Grizzled Skippers was well worthwhile. I’d visited the previous evening, but a little late to see more than one individual that disappeared almost immediately. We had encountered a Slow Worm however, which was missing part of its tail.
On a lovely warm morning, there were a number of Grizzled Skippers meandering about the entrance area to the woods. This particular type is an aberration (ab. intermedia); a variety determined by environmental conditions and heredity which only appears in a few locations. Examples of this and other aberrations can be seen on the Natural History Museum website.
This butterfly flies quickly close to the ground and changes direction rapidly, making it quite difficult to spot and to see where it has settled. A factsheet on the Grizzled Skipper can be obtained from the Butterfly Conservation website.
May 11, 2008
“This little Fritillary is one of the commonest of our woodland butterflies in the spring and early summer months” – Frohawk, British Butterflies, 1934.
Sadly, this is far from the case today! So, this morning we drove off to Abbots Wood to see one of the few colonies left in the south-east at this mixed woodland site, managed by Forest Enterprise. We were not to be disappointed, seeing plenty of butterflies in flight along a ride and in a sheltered clearing. Occasionally, one or two would take to the trees, pausing for a few moments on an oak leaf before returning to low flight over the ground. Rarely do they seem to have the time to settle long enough for us to have a good look at them.
There were probably as many members of Butterfly Conservation and other butterfly enthusiasts visiting the site today as there are fritillaries to see, judging from the number of people we bumped into during our two hour visit!
Let’s hope that one of the benefits of the South-East Woodlands Project is a return of this once common species to some more woods in Kent and Sussex.
A factsheet is available for the Pearl-Bordered Fritillary from Butterfly Conservation.
