2007 Magazine Version 05.indd - Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire

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Above: Senior Ranger Corinne Thorpe & Phil Parr planting disease-resistant Elms at Draycote has negotiated for an area of the Hensborough Embankment which has a magnificent display of wild flowers each year, but is in a less critical position from the engineer’s point of view, to be cut much less regularly. This should much benefit the butterfly population as well as our enjoyment of the plants. Large numbers of Bee Orchid have occurred here. Photograph © Keith Warmington 2007 Corinne granted us permission to plant a couple of disease-resistant elms. A tremendous number of dead elms are in the hedgerows of the old Bridle Road but we think White-letter Hairstreak is still present. Severn Trent has been advertising a position for a Ranger with biodiversity skills and this is a very positive step in the right direction. I understand they had a good response to the advert, but Corinne was very disappointed to find that problems with funding have meant that the employment of someone for this position has been put on hold. Due to poor weather and my not being available in the spring we didn’t see more than a couple of Grizzled Skipper, but are confident the Farborough colony is still strong. Small Heath haven’t been seen for a couple of years now on the Farborough Embankment but Cyril Cleaver reports seeing some on the top of Hensborough Hill in the Country Park. Five Clouded Yellows were seen by Sarah Parr on Farborough Embankment on 26th September. Fenny Compton Tunnel Following on from our meetings with British Waterways Ecologist Penny Foster in 2005 we produced a detailed site plan. Penny was keen to see some progress being made, but Waterways had some unexpected serious problems with all its canal side maintenance when a man was drowned when a mini tractor ended up in the cut (not local). She persuaded her boss to let her do the work herself with fellow ecologist Hannah Graves, and they spent a number of days working hard. 28 Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire Branch Magazine 2007
Photograph © Phil Parr 2007 Above: British Waterways Ecologist Penny Foster in action at Fenny Compton When I found out I went and joined them. Penny is pretty efficient with a chain-saw and two substantial areas of Hawthorn and Blackthorn were cleared to encourage the spread of Cinquefoil for the benefit of Grizzled Skipper. They were rewarded on a later visit by finding two Grizzled Skipper eggs, and on yet another visit seeing two adult butterflies. It is most pleasing to meet and work with two such enthusiastic people and a very good start to this project, and they are hoping to continue management work this year. On later visits I recorded a Marbled White here for the first time since 1999. It’s pleasing to think that if they are not currently breeding here, that an improvement in habitat could soon encourage their return. There was a good showing of Peacock here on 29th July. Elliot’s Field Canal Embankment This is another site where we have been able to meet Waterways ecologist Penny Foster. She was fascinated by the presence of White-letter Hairstreak in the Wych Elms and we were both pleased to find that most of the Elm re-growth along the embankment showed the tell-tale signs of larval feeding. This appears to be the best year for a long time for this species here. As was typical for this year the sun went in as we got to the site so we were only able to catch a glimpse of a couple of adults high in a bush. The Elms on the embankment are still succumbing to Dutch Elm disease, but the two disease-resistant Elms we planted earlier in the year seemed to have established well. Penny says she will monitor both the numbers of White-letter and the state of the diseased Elms and re-growth. I’m sure we can provide some useful help. The Malpass Site – Rugby Cement Apart from the successful guided walk, we held a couple of work parties. BC members John Rea, Cyril Cleaver and Chris Johnson and enthusiast Tony Wynn worked hard and we are just about managing to keep up with the inevitable scrub invasion, on this private site. Our thanks to Cemex for allowing us access. It was at this site that we had the best number of Grizzled Skipper sightings on what was otherwise a poor year for spring species, seven being seen on 17th June. Just two Green Hairstreak had been seen a week earlier. Marbled White and Small Heath numbers remain stable. Phil Parr 29 Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire Branch Magazine 2007
Page 1 and 2: Butterfly Conservation Magazine War
Page 3 and 4: The First Ten Years by Margaret Vic
Page 5 and 6: utterflies and their habitats. Rath
Page 7 and 8: Ryton Wood Meadows Warwickshire Bra
Page 9 and 10: Apart from the Lobster, other macro
Page 11 and 12: One September Morning at Highlands
Page 13 and 14: Photograph © Debbie Hibbitt 2007 P
Page 15 and 16: The highlight of July was a day tri
Page 17 and 18: My garden (wilderness more like it)
Page 19 and 20: A Flying Start for Brownfield Butte
Page 21 and 22: A key outcome from the meeting is t
Page 23 and 24: Countdown 2010 Conserving Butterfli
Page 25 and 26: Therefore, in future a brief summar
Page 27: 2006 Rugby Area Reports by Phil Par
Page 31 and 32: Guided Walks in the Rugby Area by P
Page 33 and 34: Warwickshire Garden Butterfly Surve
Page 35 and 36: Clearwings And Furry Gnomes by Keit
Page 37 and 38: 2006 Butterfly Highlights - A Trium
Page 39 and 40: Immigrant Larger Moths in Warwicksh
Page 41 and 42: 2nd August, Earlsdon, Coventry, (D
Page 43 and 44: Warwickshire Branch Committee Marga

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