The Suffolk Argus
ranging ~ut from the house and its more formal garden. Other properties nearby had similar habitats rich in wildlife, with RSPB North Warren close by. The proposal for a. caravan p_a.rkon adjacent land met with strong disapproval in the local newspaper and BC's written objection no doubt helped in the eventual rejection of the scheme. As the wise Confucius remarked, 'Better co light one small candle than to complain about the dark'
Summer 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.
Early and Late dates: by Richard Stewart In addition to those changed by records in 200, the following are now different, as a. consequence of detailed records from the previous County Survey only recently being ma.de available to me:
Essex Skipper (early): Stuart Ling - Belstea.dWoods TM 134412 - 29.5.1983.
Essex Skipper (late): Alan Hubbard - Bromswell TM 2950- 12.9.1984.
Large Skipper (late): Alan Hubbard - Bromswell TM 2950- 31.8.1984.
Din~ Skipper (late): D. Croxson - La.ckford TL 804739, TL 806744 - 4.7.1983.
Silver-studded Blue (late): C.R. Naunton - Dunwich Forest TM 4571 - 21.8.1983.
Small Heath (early): M. Burnside-Aldringha.m TM 4560 and 4660- 5.5.1983.
Ringlet (late): S. Green at West Stow TL 8272 and LG.Palmer at Mayday Farm TL 805838 - both 27.8.1984.
4
Finally, a comment, by comparison, on the national situation. Nick Bowles in 'British Wildlife' and Mark Tun more in 'Atropos' commented on early records in County Wexford (22 nd. April) and Cheyne (Dorset) the next day. June migration was accompanied by influxes of Silver Y, Painted Lady and Red Admiral, mainly in the southeast bur moving quickly through the Midlands and into northern England. Nick Bowles specifically refers to substantial Clouded Yellow influx on 9'h. June and I decided to contact other Branches of Butterfly Conservation to see how closely their records for the species echoed the Suffolk scenario:
Also, after the 2000 report was completed, I received the following: 9'h. December - Peacock a.t Creeting St. • Mary, TM 093557 - Nigel Smarr. l 2'h. December - Comma. a.tAldringham, TM 462616- David Gawin and Simon Travis. This beats the previous la.test by over a. month. l ". J a.nuary 2000 - Small Tortoiseshell a.t Walberswick, TM 500743 -Alan and Edwina. Beaumont (earliest ever) and Peacock at Ness Point, Lowestoft, TM 556937 - same two recorders plus P. Hansford - equal earliest ever. This brings the l". January total to 7 a.t 6 different sites: 4 Red Admiral, 2 Pea.cock and 1 Small Tortoiseshell. Note: 2000 Report, Argus 22, p.21 - the record of the Painted Lady at Spa Gardens Felixstowe on 5'h. November should have been two, not one, recorded by Jean and Ken Garrod.·
Lancashire: A record year, with sightings from 29'h. June to 13'h. October. Hampshire and IOW Oohn Taverner) precise data not available as the yearly report was at the press but a modern record, well above the previous 'invasion', the Isle of Wight particularly conspicuous in numbers that probably exceeded, by a factor of five, the total for the whole of the nineties.
Kent Oohn Maddocks) - 1994-1999:
recorded 1n 186 2 km tetrads; 2000: recorded in 324: 'early arrivals in June were clearly successful in breeding over here as the butterfly was found in high concentrations later in August'. Var. helice records were accompanied by a probable Pale Clouded Yellow at RSPB Dungeness but the most unusual was '50 found in August pa.trolling an elongated mound of clover just south of the Millennium Dome. Who said it didn't have any visitors'. Norfolk (Brian Mcllwrath): A majority of inland sightings, with records from 31 2 km. tetrads compared to 1998 (14) and 1999 (2). Essex/Cambs (Val Perrin): Records from 64 2 km. tetrads though 1996 had 82. Val noted an interesting sequence from 1991 to 2000, of very poor years being alternated with better ones, the respective figures being: 4,24,0,24,1,82,4,27,9 and 64.
It would be interesting to know if records from other Branches are similar.
Sussex Ooyce Gay) - thousands recorded, many var. helice, probably about 6 Pale Clouded Yellows. 284 recorded at Eastbourne, David Burrows in East Sussex had a season total of 505 and Suffolk's Richard Champion, on holiday, recorded a. pale yellow specimen near Eastbourne on 20'h. August. Detailed garden records from August suggested these maximum numbers were home bred.
21
