The Suffolk Argus
Churchyard Survey: A form will be sent later and this should be used for just one site. Others can be obtained, if needed, from Richard Stewart or your local library - or you can photocopy the original one. This is a one-year Survey which may go into a second year if necessary. le is joindy being organised by ourselves, the Suffolk Wildlife T ruse and che Suffolk Naturalists' Society. The form is self-explanatory but it does require a minimum of four visits to each churchyard and there are over 500 in Suffolk. We are hoping not just co list species but also look at egg-laying and nectaring activities and hopefully recommend good management techniques. Churchyards are often a rich but isolated relic habitat and in che Millennium Survey there was a wide variety of Suffolk breeding butterflies recorded. There is bound to be some form of graveyard close to where you live so please consider surveying at least one site in 200 I.
4
Spring 2001
Articles for the Suffolk Argus If any members have articles for future editions of the Suffolk Argus could they please send them to Paul Gilson at 18, Cheltenham Avenue, Ipswich IP1 4LN. Myself and Richard Stewart will be overseeing the production of the newsletter until a new Editor is found.
rwo separate pairs of recorders (the J ohnstones and the Stewarts) established thac at Sizewell, the largest colony, Restharrow was also being used as a larval food plant. The newly established Silver-studded Blue colony ac Aldringham Walks had an encouraging m.uimum count of 61 and I recorded much higher 101.&ls for boch sites ac Holbley. Stella Wolfe, Rob P.ukcr .md myself joined Minsmere uill for a count of their wide-rmging colonies but 1his species is only just surviving in several periphcr .J md isolated colonies, with particular problems a1 Bluhall, Wenha.ston and 1he sm.JI relic colony on 1he industrial csu1c: al Ipswich. Rc:grmably 1he lack of dau from Manlc:sham ha.s necessitated a separa1e Branch-organised count from 200 I. Although The White Admiral was only recorded in 12 mrads, the count of eight from Minsmere on 6•hJuly was very welcome, though in 2000 the best recorded Suffolk site was North Warren and Aldringham Walks, with 28 species, 26 of these on the transect, which has now been accepted into the national monitoring scheme, the only other Suffolk location included being at Walberswick NNR. Two new 2000 transects were at Bury Sc Edmunds (Rob Parker) and in the Fynn Valley (myselO. Other later records worth noting were the Brown Argus which came co Neil Sherman's moth lamp at Ipswich Golf Course on 2 nd August, 50 red Admirals noted by John Walshe at Haughley on g•h September, Marie Stewar~'s rwo lace Small Coppers at Tangham on 26'h October, a Painted Lady seen by Jean and Ken Garrod on 5•hNovember and an aberrant Wall, Bradanfelda, recorded by Glynnis Jenner at her St Olaves garden on 11,h September. The latest record I have so far is of a Peacock near Monks Eleigh on 7'h
December (Arthur Watchman). The Small Tortoiseshell had a particularly poor year, probably caused by the weather, but there is some tentative evidence that its earlier stages may now be subject to a speciesspecific parasite. Finally, one worrying trend needs to be no1ed-rl1e absence of records from several former recorders in West Suffolk produced jw1 23 per cent coverage of ce1rads, compared 10 41 per cent for the res1 of the couniy: leading to many gaps and just three mrads records for Grayling, 1hree for Green Hairmeak, and none for the Wall. To end on amore optimistic note: records were received from 169 recorders, which is very encouraging for the year immediately after a major survey and also is very hopeful for extensive coverage in next year's Churchyard Survey.
Clouded Yellow
by BerylJohnson
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