The Comma • Autumn 2011 - Butterfly Conservation

Cover story
The Comma
No.80 Autumn 2011 www.westmidlands-butterflies.org.uk
Regional magazine of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation
Registered Charity No. 254937
Bringing butterflies and moths back to Britain
Fritillaries
bounce back
This issue’s stunning
cover image taken by
Jason Kernohan
celebrates the
re-introduction of the
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
into Grafton Wood and
the explosion of Pearlbordered
Fritillaries in the
Wyre Forest this spring.
Trevor Bucknall reports
on the captive breeding
programme and
Dr Jenny Joy gives an
update on the success of
the Back to Orange
project and the invaluable
help of oganisations and
volunteers in turning
around the fortunes of
this spectacular butterfly.
Copy deadline
The deadline for
editorial contributions
to the Winter edition of
The Comma is
9 January 2012.
2 The Comma • Autumn 2011
Notes from the Chairman
Have van will travel: Here’s the West Midlands Butterfly Bus
which drew a lot of attention at many events this summer.
This year’s recording started with a bang – a brilliant warm and
sunny spring. Our monitoring of spring BAP species went well and
the numbers broke all records.
Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper and Pearl-bordered Fritillary did
exceptionally well. Even more interesting was the fact that these species
expanded their range.
Grizzled Skippers were found at Grafton Wood for the first time ever
and six miles from their nearest colony. Dingy Skippers were found in
Grafton for the first time, Monkwood, and on Bredon Hill for the first
time in 18 years. A large new colony was also found at Pennyhill, near
Martley.
Being a bit of a sceptic, I was a bit suspicious that these could have
been unofficial introductions. However, when I opened my copy of
‘British Wildlife’ I found an article by Nick Bowles and Richard Fox to
say that this phenomenon had been widespread. With the good weather
and wind directions species had significantly increased their range.
Analysis of recording will show this when all the records come in.
Pearl-bordered counts broke all records at our key sites at Wyre Forest
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