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 NEWSLETTER No 2 - Winter 1979/80

WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

Field Trip Reports - 1979

Sunday, July 8th - Oxhouse Farm Reserve

On Sunday July 8th, a joint BBCS / WARNACT Summer Class on Butterflies was held at the above reserve. The reserve itself is situated behind a farm and, due to the fact that it is not accessible to the general public, and no insecticides are ever used, this small piece of land is a 'natural' for some species of butterflies.

Although it was a cloudy afternoon, there was a fair amount of sunshine, quite warm and very little wind. Apart from numerous butterflies, the whole area was full of wild flowers, insects, and spiders with webs of baby spiders.    

We saw the following species, some in great quantity: Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Common Blue, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Small Skipper and Large Skipper.

In Warwickshire, Roger Smith reports 1979 as being a Holly Blue year, the second in succession, with frequent sightings of both Spring and Autumn generations. A good year, too, for the Purple Hairstreak, which was common in most of its localities.

Two interesting sightings were a half-size Meadow Brown and a late Orange Tip. It was a delightful afternoon's outing which we hope to repeat next year.

June Tomlins

Sunday, July 15th - Visit to Bernwood Forest, Oxfordshire

For a report on this trip please refer to the BBCS News, No. 23.

Sunday, July 22nd - Butterfly Walk in the Brinklow area

This was the only outing that had to be cancelled due to bad weather.

Sunday, August 12th - Visit to Bourton-on-the-Water and the Cotswolds

(Some data is missing here......)

A dashing Small Copper flew by in front of us to settle on a flower head, showing all its splendid colours, only to immediately pursue a Speckled Wood in defence of its territory. Small Heaths, one of our most common butterflies, were in good numbers as we flushed them up from the grasses with Small Skippers in their company. A Dark Green Fritillary flew by only to land just in front of us.

By now the sun had gone in and rain clouds were gathering. Our field trip to the Cotswolds had been very successful, with 20 species seen during the day, including the three Large Whites and Large Skippers in addition to the species already mentioned.

Terry Green

Sunday, August 19th - Ashlawn Railway Cutting, Rugby

Really the only disappointing trip of the summer, with only 9 species seen but several in considerable quantity. Common Blues lived up to their name and were particularly abundant, as were the three Whites. Of particular interest was a very large Small Copper, probably one-third larger than the typical specimen. Small Coppers are well known for their variety in size, and George Hyde in his book for the Town & Country series, suggests that dwarf specimens are the result of starvation as caterpillars. If the converse is also true then this "giant" must have been some caterpillar! In addition to those already mentioned, Gatekeepers and one solitary Meadow Brown completed our tally together with Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks. Out of interest, has anyone a record of Meadow Browns in the West Midlands much later than this? Further south in Wiltshire they were still well in evidence, and on holiday in Cornwall I came across a colony in mid-September, which would indicate a second brood. More proof of a good summer!

Mike Williams

Sunday, August 26th - Return visit to sites in the Southam area

Unfortunately, when this trip was planned, we overlooked the fact that the Town & Country Festival was the same weekend, with a BBCS stall to be manned!