Suffolk Argus 36 Autumn 2006

Suffolk

Branch Contacts

Chairman Mike Dean, Coach House, lxworth, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 2HL (01284 705476) Membership Secretary Beryl Johnson, 28 Medway Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 0QH (01473 715701) Newsletter Editor Stuart Gough, 268 Spring Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 5NN (01473 429249) Publicity Officer (Vacant) Programme Secretary Alan Johnson, 28 Medway Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 0QH (01473 715701) County Recorder {Butterflies) Rob Parker (address above right) Regional Officer Eastern Region Sharon Hearle, c/o Busy Bee, 21 High St., Newmarket, Suffolk CBS 8LX (01638 731648) sharon@butterfly-conservation.org

The Butterfly

Conservation Conservation Officer (Butterflies) Rob Parker, 66 Cornfield Road, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3BN (01284 705476) Conservation Officer (Moths) Tony Prichard, 3 Powling Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 9JR (01473 270047) County Recorder (Moths) Tony Prichard (address above) Secretary Tony Prichard, (address above) Treasurer Jim Foster, Lugano, The Street, Stonham Aspal, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 6AH (01449 711484) Committee Members Stella Wolfe, President Howard Mendel, c/o The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW? 5BD (0171 938 8782)

Volunteers Needed If you feel you could help out now and then with the growing work of the Branch, please contact Beryl Johnson on 01473 715701.

Publishedby the Suffolk Branchof ButterflyConservation www.suffolkbutterflies.org.uk

The Newsletter of the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation

Butterfly Conservation Limited by Guarantee RegisteredOffice: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QPTel: (01929) 400209 © 2004 all rights reserved Reg.No. 2206468 Reg. Charity No. 254937 Ed.itori Jim Foster Logo: (Silver-scuddedBlue}Doug Hammersley Design: Stephen Ion, Cat & Mouse design Printen 321 Printing, 25 Brookhouse Business Park, Hadlcigh Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 0EF

Butterfly

Conservation

Autumn 2005 Volume36

Autumn2005

The SuffolkArgus

Contents Editorial Arger Fen and Tiger Hill Monks Wood Oaken Wood and Denbies Hillside Moth Night at West Stow Silver-studded Blue Workshop Ickworth Park Bentley Old Hall Wood National Moth Night at Wordwell Tattingstone and Alton Water Purple Hairstreaks My Favourite Butterfly The Butterflies and Moths of Martlesham Heath From the Train In Memoriam Donations Newsletter Details and General Information Suffolk Branch Contacts

For that difficult to find present, why not give a decorative butterfly or moth to mount on the front wall of someone's home ?

3

4 6 7 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 17 18 1 20 22 23 Back Cover

•Piij -·, f~PA (jJt,."i, •,; ..·r.;r,1·...,.

For that difficult to find present, why not give a decorative butterfly or moth to mount on the front·•· wall of someone's home ? Cast in aluminium and enamelled in very realistic colours at 'five times life-size,they will last for many years. Highly individual nameplates too, to your own design,with no-obligation colour preview. Suffolk Branch will receive one quarter of the purchase price.

Phone or fax Men:vn Crawford on Mildenhall (01638) 712600/or Coloizrbrochiuel Pricelist

2

l;::'_-.--l~9~P

Editorial Copy Dates Contributions for our newsletter should reach the Editor (address on back page) no later than: Spring

Christmas Eve

Summer

April Fools Day

Autumn

August Bank Holiday Cast in aluminium and enamelled in very realistic colours at five times life-size,they will last for many years, Highly individual nameplates too, to your own design, with no-obligation colour preview, Suffolk Branch will receive one quarter of the purchase price,

Any piece of writing that is considered to be of interest will be published together with line drawings/prints /photographs.

The Suffolk Argus is your magazine, so please let us hear from you.

To advertisein the Suffolk Argus please contact Stuart Goughon 01473 429249.

Phone or fax Mervyn Crawford on Mildenhall (01638) 712600for Colour brochure I Price list..

SUFFOL MOTH GROU

Come and see the wonders of the night. Regular field meetings and newsletter. Online guide to the larger moths of Suffolk.

Website: www.suffolkmoths.org.uk Conud: Tony Prichard for further details.

23

Autumn2005

The SuffolkArgus

In Memoriam Donations:

Editorial

A donation to Butterfly Conservation is a wonderful lasting tribute io anyone who gained pleasure from Butterffies and Moths during their life time. Every donation in memory of a loved one will hdp save the butterffies and moths from which they derived so much enjoyment.

Immigrant Lepidoptera appear to be low in number this year according to my garden records. We have had only a few sightings of Painted Ladies and our first 2005 record for a Silver Y was on 1st September, although Humming-bird Hawk-moth numbers have been similar to previous years. Also the number of Large and Small Whites at present is significantly lower than last year, however there is still time for a late influx of these two species.

As I am one of a diminishing breed of people who grow their own vegetables, organically I would add, I am glad that the 'Cabbage Whites' are down in number. It is quite difficult to grow brassicas organically and my solution is to net the greens with a mesh, but in due course the plant growth gets restrained and the mesh has to be removed. Still prior to removal it does provide some amusement watching frustrated Whites trying to access the greens to lay their eggs.

In the last issue I did appeal for more articles from members, but as you will see from this

Here are just a few examples of what can be achieved from donations in memory: ■ A donation of £100

will provide one days' vital habitat management on one of our reserves.

■ A donation of £300 will buy a moth trap, so volunteers can carry out ongoing survey work.

■ A donation of £500

will enable us to run a training event for landowners and farmers on better land management for butterflies and moths.

There are many ways ro give in memory. For example, you could make a donation to Butterfly Conservation instead of buying flowers for a funeral. You can make a one-off donation at any time, or you can donate on a regular basis, for instance to commemorate a loved ones birthday or an anniversary.

If you would like ro make a donation in memory of a loved one, then their name will be written in the In Memoriam book, which is held in the reception at the Lulworth Office. If you would like ro write a few words about your loved one, we would be happy to include these in the book as well. We will send a certificate to each donor marking the gifr. We will also, with the permission of the family, mention the donation in our annual review.

In Memoriam gifrs can be arranged through funeral directors or direct to Butterfly Conservation. All donations, no matter how small, are gratefully received and acknowledged.

Small White (Female)

by DouglasHammersley

by Jim Foster

edition I could still have done with more items. I have padded out the Argus with more illustrations than usual and at the deadline copy date I was expecting to drop four pages, however some material came in afrer the copy date and I have just managed to fill the pages.

Those of you who attended the Annual General Meeting will be aware that there are some changes to the Committee.

Rob Parker is standing down as Chairman but continues as County Butterfly Recorder and Mike Dean takes over the duties of Chairman. Graham Bull afrer about ten years of sterling service as Treasurer has resigned and I am taking over his duties. As I do not wish to wear two hats, it is timely that Stuart Gough has volunteered to be Editor and has joined the Committee. He will be responsible for the next issue of the Suffolk Argus and future articles should be sent to him.

So this is my last issue as Editor and I thank all those who have contributed to the Suffolk Argus during my Editorship and ask that you give Stuart similar support. Details of the revised Committee are as on the back cover of this newsletter.

I will sign off with illustrations of the two species of butterfly I love to hate!

If you would like further information or would like to discuss your gifr in person please contact Christine Simpson on 0870 7744309 or email csimpson@butterfly-conservation.org Thank you for thinking of us at this time.

Large White

by DouglasHammersley 22

3

Autumn 2005

The SuffolkArgus Admirals, but we later learned that although the wood did once suppon them, they hadn't been seen for many years.

Just outside the wood we examined a pond, in which something like conifer branches grew.

Beryl later identified this as a type of Water Crowfoot, (possibly Thread-leaved). Looking at the new area of arable land being taken in to form Hullback's Grove we could see evidence of Badger activity.The strength of these creatures was evidenr by the force they had used to push through the chicken wire fencing. Nearby was a fungus of the Puffball fumily.

Walking back through the lower reachesof the fen we saw the expected boggy plants such as Ransoms, Golden Saxifrage and Cuckoo Flower with the promise of later Orange-tip Butterflies.

Some of us chose to picnic in the comfon of our cars, bllt other intrepid souls sat at the picnic bench surrounded by opening Bluebellsand were rewarded with the sight of a couple of Peacockbutterflies.

Birds vouched for included Tree Creeper, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Skylark, Blackcap, Blue Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Tony's moth list reads: Stigmella aurella mines on bramble; Emmetia marginea - mines on bramble; Agonopterix assimiklla larva in spinning on broom; Argyresthia spinosella larva in spinning on blackthorn; Green-brindled Crescent young larva beaten blackthorn flowers.

Flora either in flower or in leaf included Red Deadnetde, Spring Beauty, Moschatel, Lesser Celandine, white Dog Violet, Primrose, Bluebell, Wood Anemone, Ground Ivy, Cuckoo Flower, Male Fern, Early Dog Violet, Broom, Cherry, Greater Stitchwort, Wood Spurge, Field Rose, Pignut, Yellow Archangel, Winrercress (thanks Geoff), Wood Sorrell, Foxglove,Dog's Mercury, 3veined Sandwort, Common Chickweed, Wood Sage, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage,Lilac Ivyleaved Veronica, (thanks Kathy) Wild Arum, Barren Strawberry flowering but Wild Strawberry leaves only showing. (Thanks to Margaret and the flora enthusiasts).

2005 Field Meetings Morning visit to Arger Fen 16th April

by StellaWolfe When this date was suggested for ow- first outing of the year there was always the chance that the spring would be cold and wet and bereft of butterflies. However, Arger Fen was chosen for the diversity of natw-al history interest in case butterflies failed to materialise.

Situated between Nayland and Bures, on the north side of the Stour valley,Arger Fen, (origin of name uncenain) isn't a fen in the Cambridgeshire sense, but is a fragment of the wildwood once covering Suffolk, with tree covered valley slopes and damp areas. It is owned by Suffolk County Council. Of interest are the Cherry trees, but these were engulfed in the 1960s by the Forestry Com.mission'sConifer planting. AJJthese are felled the natural habitat is returning.

So what did we see on this too-cool day?

There were the hoped-for spring flowers, either blooming or showing leaves as we walked round the outer paths hopefully seeking light and warmth. We broke our into the meadow where the fitful sunshine warmed the bursting leaves in a sheltered corner, and our first butterfly whisked by, probably a Small Tonoiseshell but not positively identified. Richard's keen eye followed flies to a warm tree trunk then spotted two Lizards basking.

Tony and Geoff between them found 7-spot Ladybirds and a Beefly with its long proboscis.

Noting Honeysuckle entwining the trees we thought a later visit might produce White

•The Suffolk Show Through this newsletter and on behalf of the committee I should like to thank the generous but anonymous member who has over the past few years kindly donated hand-made gift tags and greetings cards.

All the proceeds from the sale of these beautifully made cards, with a butterfly motif, go to our Branch Funds.

BerylJohnson

PaintedLady

by Beryl]ohmon

RedAdmiral

by DouglasHammersley

CloudedYellow byBerylJohnson

4

21

Autumn 2005

The SuffolkArgus I

Afternoon visit to Tiger Hill

From, the

Train

•

By RichardStewart I always try to sit by a window on a train journey. Both Marie and I find trains the ideal way to travel, particularly as the route often takes you through beautiful areas of unspoilt countryside, well away from other noisy traffic. Recent 2005 sightings have included Deer, Foxes, three separate Barn Owl sightings on the :EastSuffolk line and staring at a Little Owl perched close to the train when it came to a red signal stop just outside Westerfield station.

The East Suffolk branch line is panicularly good as the trains never travel very fast and once you are out oflpswich there is no large conurbation before reaching Lowestoft at the fur end of the line.

Often if the train has to stop at a red light, or in certain country stations such as Campsea Ashe and Brampton, there are also good opportunities to record butterflies from the comfort of your seat.

Often I can do this without having to fumble for binoculars tucked away inside my rucksack. Species such as Large White, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell can be accurately identified as they are only a few yards away and earlier in the year Peacock, Brimstone and Orange-tip are other possibilities.

A few stations have a now disused second platform and behind the one at Campsea Ashe I have twice recorded Purple Hairstreaks in the relatively short Oaks.

However, the best sighting so far was on July

reserve. Here we began to see Peacock butterflies.

This was a sheltered valley. Small Heaths abound later in the season on the sunny bank. All we saw was a Small Tortoiseshell nearby and returned to the stream where Nick produced Horse Leeches.

Back at our starting place we commenced a second circuit taking in the drive, hearing a Nightingale, seeing where Hornets nested and the as-yet untenanted Stag Beetle pyramid. Great Minotaur Beetles and Lesser Stag Beetles are found on this reserve, but only an accidentally introduced Stag Beetle has been seen.

We saw perhaps half a dozen Peacock butterflies and a Small Tortoiseshell during the afternoon, so from the point of view of butterfly watching the day was only just profitable in a reserve where up to 23 species have been recorded, but the wealth of natural history interest there made this a very enjoyable and worthwhile visit.

Tony's moths: Stigmella aurella - mines on bramble; Emmetia marginea - mines on bramble; Agonopterix assimiklla larva in spinning on broom;

In the afternoon we 'moved across the road to this private reserve ~mprising several different habitats in a small ~ We were welcomed by the' warden, Nick Miller, who was generous with his time and ~thusiastic knowledge of this the area around his home. He told us that the area had been pllfl of the Assington estate untill it was dear-felled in 1938, whereupon the estate had been sold dff to its tenants. Tiger Hill (origin of name also uncertain) has five separate owners who set up ~s Local Nature Reserve with Suffolk County Council and is managed by the Dedham Vale and Stoor Valley Project.

Ledby Nick we explored the six main habitats - acid grass heath, wetter slopes, woodland, wet meadow, hedgerow, stream and ponds.

As we set out Geoff was quick to point out a Badger's latrine on the, heathland. There were old anthills, big areas of mosses. Someone found a Lizard, tailless. Richard explained that dropping a tail was a means of escaping predators when caught, and then they grow a new one. Nick said Grass Snakeshad already appeared that spring, but the site has no Adders. He added that the area hosted a good Dormouse population, and the Stour Valley Project thought they seemed to prefer black plastic tubes for nesting i~stead of wooden boxes.

We walked dmyn the slope towards the stream encountering first the secondary woodland of natural regeneration along the always-flowing Assington Brook,' then the older woodland, the change showing in the way the mature branches reached out on one side of the trees towards the erstwhile space. , Here, to our delight, Nick went fishing, bringing up stones fro'm the stream bed with the aquatic residents attacHed bearing testimony to the clean water; Freshw4ter Limpets, Caddis Fly larvae, Freshwater Shrimps, Nymphs, and even a Jenkins Spireshell, a ~pecies arrived from New Zealand five years ago, then virtually disappeared.

We walked through a Hazel coppice, out into a meadow, a more recent addition to the

Eriocrania subpurpurella,, Cokophora lithargyriru:lla

case on stitchwort.

Flora included much of the morning's list but additionally we saw Sheep's Sorrell, Wall Speedwell, Heath Bedstraw, Climbing Corydalis, Liverwort, Great Bittercress, Alternate-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Raspberry, Marsh Thistle, Cuckoo Flower, Meadowsweet, Angelica, Forgetme-not, Mouse-ear Chickweed, Peppermint, Campion (variety uncenain}, Creeping Buttercup, Gorse, Broom, Hoary Cinquefoil.

1

White Admiral

by BerylJohnson 16th, as I was returning to Ipswich from Lowestoft.

At Becclesa derelict platform has been colonised by a rich abundance of wild plants, including Buddleia, Wild Carrot, Ragwort and Mullein.

I was the right side to get a close view of a lovely orange Comma in flight then became aware of a similar sized butterfly, mainly black but with a flash of white, and flying nearby. Having seen White Admirals in woods not far from Becdes I instantly concentrated even harder, though I decided not to get my binoculars out as I might lose track of its flight path.

You are also acutely aware that at any second the train may start again. Fortunately at this moment the butterfly settled on a nearby leaf and I was able to add the White Admiral, with fully open wings, to my list of butterflies seen from the train.

20

by Beryl]ohnson

5

Autumn 2005

The Suffolk Argus

Monks Wood 11th May

by Sharon Hearle This outing was aimed at enthusing members to expand their repertoire to include the Grizzled Skipper, which has not been seen in Suffolk since 1979. Monks Wood in Cambridgeshireis well known as the home base of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), and is also a National Nature Reserve with plenty to offer besides the promise of Grizzled Skipper. The wood is well known for its butterflies, and species such as White Admiral and White-letter Hairstreak can be seen. The first British record of the rare Black Hairstreakwas made in Monks Wood in 1828, and this butterfly can still be found today.

No less than a dozen members made the journey and assembled under a bright sky with a temperature of 14°C. Monks Wood is situated just east of the Al (M) motorway, 10km north of Huntingdon and 20km south of Peterborough.

There is limited roadside parking available.

The southern edge of the wood is where Nick Greatorex-Davies had recorded Grizzled Skipper in the last few years but none were seen on this visit.

Nick walks a weekly transect route through the wood. Further into the wood there are two meadows with Tormentil, Wild Strawberry and Barren Strawberry but nothing that looked like ideal Grizzled Skipper habitat with much of the vegetation looking too tall and lush. It was bright enough for a picnic and by that time Orange lip, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Peacock were recorded, however there were no Grizzled Skippers to be found. The group also found several threequarters grown larvae of Six-spot Burnet on a patch of Bird's-foot Trefoil. There were Adders Tongue

GrizzledSkipper

by DouglasHammersley fern plants and a delightful glade of Bluebells studded with Stitchwon to be seen.

Nick Greatorex-Davies did not record Grizzled Skipper at the meadows inside the wood this year and the last time they were found was in 1997. Nick did however record Grizzled Skipper along the southern edge of the wood for the first time on 3 June but not before, despite searching.

Half of the group went on to visit Woodwalton Marsh which is a tiny nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest of no more than two acres managed by Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust. Woodwalton Marsh is a small but very rich area of grassland growing on poorly drained chalky clay. The grassland is unusually diverse, with herbs including Sulphur Clover, Greater Knapweed and Dropwon and is cut once a year in the autumn.

This group were rewarded with sightings of at least six Grizzled Skippers. Woodwalton Marsh is very sheltered with abundant anthills which may help explain the earlier appearance of Grizzled Skipper here compared to Monks Wood.

Woodwalton Marsh also lies next to the main railway line from Huntingdon to Peterborough which has many miles of suitable habitat for Grizzled Skipper and is thought to support additional colonies.

6

Small Heath but still leaving behind at least a dozen species to enjoy during this early autumn month. Now, most of the butterflies seem to be in the gardens busily nectaring on the last florets of Buddleja, Michaelmas Daisy, Sedum spectabile and Verbena bonariensis.

It is September when the garden moth trap may reveal what is perhaps the moth star of the heath the Lunar Yellow Underwing, a nationally notable and UK BAP Priority species whose presence has been fully confirmed by a Suffolk Moth Group larval survey. Altogether, 22 nationally notable moth species have been identified , from the garden including the two already mentioned and for instance; Tawny Wave, Grass Wave, Festoon, Yarrow Pug and Orange Footman. The total number of moth species so far recorded in the whole of Mattlesham Heath village is 546 with our garden total standing at 467.

As October arrives butterfly sightings become less frequent and are all but over by the month end although last year, our last Small Tortoiseshell was on November 19th and our last Peacock on December 9th! Moth trapping continues albeit rather sporadically over the winter period which keeps the lepidoptera interest going until the springtime moths are again joined by the buncrflies.

the Essex Skipper emerging right at the month end or just into July. The Painted Lady is usually seen this month too but as in most places not this year, with our first Suffolk sighting for 2005 being in the garden on August 4th. The same can be said for the Humming-bird Hawk-moth which has become a June regular in the garden except for this year.

Whilst sining in the garden on June 9th last year, it was quite a surprise to see a Broad-bordered Bee-hawk moth visiting Snowberry and almost certainly a female since it appeared to be 'tasting' the leaves. This sighting led to an examination of honeysuckle on the heath and soon the tell-tale feeding signs were found followed by two small larvae - a most pleasing find of this nationally notable species. This year feeding signs were again found together with a single larva but no adults this time.

July brings the first sightings of Gatekeeper, the ever-elusive Purple Hairstreak, Brown Argus and second broods of Holly Blue and Common Heath as well as the Six-spot Burnet. Around the middle of the month several of the glorious Peacocks are gracing our garden Buddleja variety 'loch inch' which seems ro flower early in readiness.

We don't normally see Grayling until early August and then only in low numbers but sadly only one individual has been found this year. Similarly, the first sightings of the Wall in our first two years here were in earlyAugust although again in low numbers however,whilst writing in the third week of August, for the second consecutive year none have been recorded. Both situations need to be monitored carefully.

By mid August, signs of a fading summer are betrayed by the decline in numbers of Meadow Brown, Small Skipper and Essex Skipper with the last sightings tending to come at the month end together with the last of the second brood of Pyrausta despicata.In the garden meanwhile, the second brood of Pyrausta aurata is again flying around its food plant, Origanum. The last two Augusts have seen Clouded Yellows on the heath but not alas, 2005!

On the arrival of September, the high summer emerging Gatekeeper is // ready to depart together with the 1/

Small Copper byDouglasHammersley 19

The SuffolkArgus

Autumn2005

Oaken Wood & Denbies Hillside, Surrey - 28th May

The Butterflies and Moths of Martlesham, Heath

the assistance of a marker put down six days previously during a Surrey Branch meeting) on the leaves of a Bitter Vetch. Such markers are aiding research which has revealed that spring Wood Whites within Chiddingfold favour short vetches growing in exceptionally warm microclimates almost akin ro open downland conditions.

Certainly the ova we observed now were laid on a plant whose growth had been cunailed to a few inches by the parched conditions of its ride side gully environment. By contrast, our 2000 expedition to Salcey Forest included numerous observations of Wood Whites ovipositing on luxuriant vetches growing at waist height, and it is this type of habitat most commonly cited in butterfly reference books.

Before us now lay an acre or so of young conifer plantation providing the only suitable spring fritillary habitat in the whole of Surrey. We picked our way along the compartment's perimeter, conscious of the vulnerability of the Dog Violet flora to carelessfootfalls and the parties of Wood Ants foraging away from their seething nests. An orange butterfly glided low along a channel between the conifers, flashing a fritillary's chequerboard uppers as it passed by. A few moments later tl1e underside of another such butterfly was observed, the mosaic of warm oranges and soft contrast yellows confirming Pearlbordered Fritillary. Moving on, each of the six fritillaries subsequently encountered was checked as carefully as possible in case an early Small Pearlbordered was amongst them. This was accompanied by much discussion (interspersed by the welcome sightings of Dingy Skipper and Small Heath) as to differentiating the two spring fritillaries by their uppersides and the power of imagination required to read the numbers 7 - 3 0 along the top edge of a Small Pearl-bordered's forewing.

We left the plantation buoyed by the good fritillary sightings, but perhaps mindful of just how precariously this species clings to its Surrey resident status in a habitat surely only suitable for another few years. The weak sunshine rousing the fririllaries had had a similar effect upon the Wood Whites, and our tally progressed steadily to a total

by PaulJohnson

EssexSkipper

by DouglasHammersley

by Steve Goddard We have been living on Martlesham Heath for four years now and in that time, 28 species of butterfly and nearly 500 species of moth have been identified in our recording area (TM2344).

This lies west of the village centre bordered by Dobbs Lane and forms a large part of what is known locally as the 'Western Corridor'. Most of the moths have come to light in the garden and of all the butterflies seen on the heath, only the Purple Hairstreak hasyet to visit us.

The year beginshere much as anywhere with Small Tonoiseshell,Peacock,Comma and perhaps a Red Admiralin March. By the end of April we are seeing: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Brimstone,Speckled Wood and Green Hairsueak along with the dayflying Common Heath and Pyraustadespicata,a small brown pyralid. Of these species, Orange-tip appears only in relatively low numbers with Brimstone sightings perhaps not surprisingly even less,although annual. The Green Hairstreakis always a delight to see especiallywhen your first one of the year is usually encountered by a chance distwbance or seen in spirallingflight with a rivalmale.

May introduces the Small Copper whilst an inspection of the hedgerows will find the 'longhorn' moth Adela reamurel/aand in more open areas the strikingly marked Cinnabar can be found. In the garden, the pretty little pyralid,

Pyraustaaurata, shows itself for the first time.

June heralds the star butterfly of the heath, the Silver-studded Blue. These days it can be seen by-the middle of the month and even after this relatively cool and dull spring it had emerged by the 11th. On June 27th, 67 were counted and the annual survey on July 10th produced a total of 377. This figure however, must be a real cause for concern since by coinciding closely with the peak emergence for this year it represents a significant drop from even just three years ago when the survey mark was 699 whilst the year before it was as high as 1470. The last sighting this year was of four worn females on August 10th The Common Blue appears in low numbers about a week before its more illustrious cousin to occur in greater numbers in August. Around midmonth the Large Skipper can be found daning from sunny hedges whilst at about the same time the last Green Hairstreak bows out. The Brown Silver-line, a bracken feeder also makes its appearance now and is regularly disturbed whilst out walking in the day and this year saw large numbers. The Small Heath is also on the wing but the first recording of this diminutive 'brown' does seem ro vary, usually mid-June, but this year as early as May 23rd. Towards the end of the month we see the first of our summer grassland species: Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Skipper with

18

Our rendezvous on the edge of the Chiddingfold Forest Enterprise complex was under a sky grown sullen and irascible following the excess of the previous day, during which a record high May temperature had been recorded in south-east England. Now, as we set off along an access ride, movement within the woodland seemed largely confined to the swaying of tree boughs, sounds to the soft hissing of the wind-swept leaves. However, the Speckled Wood butterfly is not readily deterred and its jaunty flight soon brightened our path before we had progressed too far.

The Wood White, although apparently much frailer, is an amenable species too; its flight pattern characteristic almost to the point of being diagnostic, its overt counship ritual fascinating to observe, and roost sires chosen with lirtle attempt at concealment. A number of the latter were soon discovered amongst the long grasses bordering Oaken Wood and opportunities arose to discern the oval profile of the wings and the delicate underside markings - these seemingly little more than a dusting of dark scales which might be best applied by a gentle sweep of an air brush if one was to illustrate this species.

We passed Oaken Wood and headed towards its Tugley counterpart, walking along two shadier rides reminiscent of conifer plantations before the enlightenment of conservation. However, inspection of a modest Buckthorn bush did reveal the first two stages in the life-cycle of the Brimstone; four bottle-shaped ova on the underside of a leaf and six green larvae nearby amidst distinctive feeding damage. Later, once the sky had lightened its mood a little, three adults were also added to the day's list.

Prolonging the early stages' theme, five slender Wood White ova were noted (albeit with

7

The Suffolk Argus

Autumn 2005

of fourteen. Males had dominated the count; recognisable at roost earlier by the bright white ----..., tips ro their antennae, and in the current instance by their linear patrols and the dark markings revealed with each deliberate wing-beat. Our return was in keeping with the Wood Whites' behaviour - following the primary rides with an occasional pause ro investigate movement within the vegetation below. We again skirted Oaken Wood, the morning sufficiently to bend back the Whitebeam branches part of the field trip thus concluding as a highly at the crest of the scarp, had concentrated successful misnomer. butterflies along the sheltered length of the By mid afternoon, our group of 11 had left carriageway for blues were recorded in numbers the Wealden clay and moved to the chalk of the now - the violet shades of Common at first, North Downs on the western edge of Dorking. followed quickly by the vivid, unmistakeable Initially, we manoeuvred through dense woodland iridescence of male Adonis as we entered areas in before emerging onto the Denbies carriageway to which Horseshoe Vetch flourished. I had recorded the sight of a Holly Blue flashing its metallic Adonis Blues at Mount Caburn in Sussex a few undersides above our heads. days before, yet still felt the same rush of Perhaps the wind, which was still gusting excitement, the same intake of breath on encountering a first one here today.

We progressed slowly amidst the profusion of eye-catching blues; struggling to follow the frenetic flight of a Grizzled Skipper over the sward, waiting for the quickstep silver dance of a lycaenid to cease and allow our Brown Argus hypothesis to be confirmed, discerning a weathered Green Hairstreak against a backdrop of scrubby foliage. A number of Dingy Skippers whirred about the yellow trefoils, broad abdomens seemingly angled towards the ground as if laden with some unseen burden. Indeed, on one occasion a female Dingy was noted depositing a spherical egg into a tight trefoil floret - the act completed without a moment's hesitation.

With still at least half a mile until the Denbies site proper, we realised that we were witnessing an exceptional Adonis Blue emergence far exceeding our previous experiences of this species. Almost 100 males had been recorded to

by DouglasHammersley

He is thinning down the likely candidates, we can now see where he is heading, and we are going to end up with the Apollo. Sorry, wrong again, if you remember the lengths, distances, heights, times and even depths I went to, to find them you must by fames Mann agree that my The mind boggles. He relationship lives in the south of with them is France, what exotic likely to be of the love/hate insect is he going to __,--:,;,:rl~"!:::?~ nature. O.K. so come up with. ~ ,..-/ what was easy to We know it's ~<\:/:-::::::·;, ,{.,/:> going to be . ·-.:::•::::,'<.',-.,.,.·• find? He found one of the •. the beautiful Swallowtails he has Spanish Festoon gone on about. No, by just driving up far too common, they can be to Jujols and walking seen all summer long all over the place. The in the sunshine for ten Two-tailed Pasha?Againno, much less common but if you know where to go it is not difficult to Orange Tip find but generally limited, to hilltop habitats. by Douglas Hammersley How about one of the Blues or one of the Fritillaries, many different varieties of each species can be seen but with my limited knowledge, the minutes. This may be so, but with Jujols a three pleasure of watching them is tempered, by the hour round trip plus time spent there, then only headache I get trying to sort out which one I am being present for a few weeks of the year, this is looking at, and then, to find that many different not it. ones are quite happy to mix together to nectar.

The butterfly that is my favourite is one that Not like Suffolk where I, the expert, knew that I can see over several months, is seen in a variety of Bell Heather and July meant Silver-studded Blue habitats at different altitudes, can be looked anywhere else had to be Common Blue except for forward to, brings back memories and is easy to Newmarket Heath where it is possible to see a spot and identify. Not asking much is it?

ChalkhilJ Blue on a day out from Cambridgeshire.

In England, when he first appeared each year The Fritillary limited to the odd Queen of Spain. flitting along the hedgerows we knew that summer Each year several CamberwelJ Beauties can had arrived. His stay was somewhat limited, be seen together with lots of Large Tortoiseshells compared to here where he has been seen from the but these are only ever seen by chance so cannot be second week of April, at sea-level until the third looked forward to. I get a lot of pleasure spotring week of July at over 2000 Metre altitude. We see things that are common in Suffolk but are not so him most weeks during this period when on our often seen here. The "three whites" are rarely seen, Monday mountain walks. our common one is Black-veined. The SmalJ The clue is in the "he" my definite favourite Tortoiseshell is generaUy seen above the 1500 is the Orange-tip. The females are also around bur metre mark. Skippers abound, but the three for a shorter period, and in less number and of common to Suffolk are very seldom seen. course not so distinctive to spot.

8

17

Green Hairstreak

by DouglasHammersley

BrownArgus

My Favourite Butterfly

The Suffolk Argus

Autumn2005

of some comment on the other train that pulled in. As Mike remarked, you also need a thick skin. Our normal twelve minute walk back home was somewhat lengthened by observing them in no less than eighteen oaks along Westerfield Road then, closer to home, seeing one flying across from a Chestnut to a Lime. Then a gap of several hundred oakless yards, and the busy Valley Road, before the large Oak just a few yards past our house. Many times I have looked unsuccessfully but on this occasion we counted at least four.

Later, sitting near the bottom of our garden at about 7.40 pm, we were suddenly aware of them in a tall sunlit Sycamore that overhangs the far corner of our garden. We counted at least six, some flying between the Oak and Sycamore. We have had a single Purple Hairsueak in the garden for the last two years but, despite keeping detailed records and living there for almost ten years hadn't realised this until that evening.

The irony is that in the last few years we have dug out a small vegetable area and planted two apple trees and other fruits in this corner and have continually grumbled about the honeydew and shade from the overhanging Sycamore.

Purple Hairstreak

by DouglarHammersley

by Mike Hall I completely agree with Mike Dean, when he says in his article in the recent issue of "The Suffolk Argus" that "I have come to the conclusion that the Purple Hairstreak is really very much more common than the current distribution maps might suggest". This is the same conclusion that we came to in Norfolk in 1985, during surveying for the first of the recent Norfolk Butterfly Atlases. In that survey Stuart Paston made a point, in 1984, of specifically targeting the Purple Hairstreak and he concluded that "it occurs in more or less every parish between Norwich and the Suffolk border (including the city outskirts) - often in hedgerow trees some distance from woodland".

Despite the devastation caused to Oaks by the 1987 hurricane, from personal observations in South Norfolk I can see no reason to alter that assessment today.

16

mention Stuart's conclusions in 1985 because whilst most of his suggestions as to how to spot this butterfly are the same as those given by Mike Dean, one or two additional comments might be helpful to members looking for this species (probably in 2006 now!). The butterfly is much more noticeable around the crowns of trees in the early mornings - between 8.00 and 10.00 am when it is suitably sunny - and again in the evenings from 5.00 to 7.00 or 7.30 pm. Personally I recorded many more Purple Hairstreaks during the "early morning flight period", not least because on many days between mid July and early September by midday the early morning sun had gone and the rest of the day was cloudy or at least dull - and you don't get quite so many "funny looks" or "sarcastic comments" at this time of day.

Between these periods it is much less obvious although of course it can still be seen during the heat of the day. Mike mentions the effect of "tossing a silver coin in the sunlight" and if Stuart's comment of "dancing in clockwise and anticlockwise circling manoeuvres above the crowns of the trees" is also borne in mind then there should be very little doubt when people think they have seen this butterfly. Perhaps it is also worth emphasising Mike's point about Ash trees as well as Oaks, as in places hedgerow Ash is more common than the Oak and in such places the Purple Hairstreak can be just as common. I am sure that the Purple Hairstreak is to be found in virtually every parish between Norwich and Ipswich and well beyond in much of the rest of both counties.

this point, but the frequency of sightings now rendered any continuation of the count both impractical and a distraction from the spectacle unfolding before us. At this juncture we met Ken Wtllmott, one of Surrey's most knowledgeable lepidopterists, and he was able to recommend to us some fox droppings upon which many Adonis had congregated in search of minerals.

The Adonis Blue generally mineralises with closed wings, and the initial impression upon reaching the fox excreta was therefore not so much one of colour but of density of butterflies; 27 males counted, packed in abdomen to antennae, from a photograph kindly supplied by Richard Stewart. However, one or two sets of wings would regularly open to emit a burst of azure blue straight onto our retinas - the brilliance of the colour accentuated by the earthen backdrop and the suddenness with which the movements occurred.

Occasionally, there was a more widespread disturbance amongst the Adonis group and the visual effect would be magnified ten or twenty fold. Perhaps an appropriate analogy would be to walk along a shaded side street in a north African town and come unexpectedly upon a bazaar selling a dazzling array of turquoise silks and satins, all illuminated in a shafr of sunlight.

Ordinarily, I would have suggested exploring the open downland on Denbies bur there was little, if any, need to move further; the wind had dropped, the now strong sun was illuminating flowering Horseshoe Vetch growing so profusely that it appeared to have been sown as a crop, and with the time approaching five o' dock the blues were beginning to establish communal roosts about th_ecarriageway vegetation. At least twenty Adonis were settling, wings held fully open towards the sun, on the strip of grassland at the top of the carriageway with double, perhaps thrice, that number adopting similar poses on a little slope below our vantage point - these not total counts, merely what could be seen comfortably within any one person's field of vision.

As we walked back we sought out new superlatives with which to compliment the Adonis Blue, recalled individual butterflies which had held our gaze the longest by the particular opulence or

intensity of their upperwings. The final mile of the walk had a distinctly mammalian feel though - a Fox seen slinking about scrub below the carriageway and two Hares resting on the edge of a field, perhaps recovering from some unseen feats of athleticism earlier. However, on returning with a metaphorical jolt to urbanisation, the consensus was that it had been the Adonis's day.

Butterfly list; Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Wood White, Brimstone, Green Hairstreak, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Adonis Blue, Brown Argus, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Small Heath.

Acknowledgments; I would like to thank Stephen & Gail Jeffcoate of Surrey Branch of Butterfly Conservation for passing on their knowledge of the Wood White during two Wood White workshops held in May and June 2005.

Metamorphsis

by Richard Stewart

Beneaththe canopiedsuns Shaftsof.freckledlight And in the shatUJwy Leafdappied night, Delicatelyunfolding, A WoodWhite.

Wood White

0

by BerylJohnson 9

The SuffolkArgus

Autumn 2005

Moth Night at West Stow Country Park - 4th June

Species seen:Meadow Brciwn, Gatekeeper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Common Blue, Small Copper, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood (in the wood). Six-spot Burnet moth, Buff Arches moth.

by TonyPrichard This country park situated in the Suffolk Brecks has been visited by the Moth Group several times in the past and normally provides some moths of interest. As well as being a branch event the meeting was open to members of the public. With rather wet and windy weather earlier in the day it was not too surprising when no branch members turned up, although the public were more enthusiastic with around fifteen people turning up for the event. As most of the local recorders were away recording out of the country it was down to just myself to provide the entertainment with a couple of lights. Setting in the sbdter of the trees by the visitor centre and close to the car park seemed to pay dividends with good numbers and a varied selection of species appearing at the light.

I always think that this time of year is good for the public as a number of colourful large fluffy moths are on the wing, hopefully dispelling the myth that moths are just brown and boring. One of the earlier moths to appear was Small Elephant Hawk-moth, with several buzzing around the sheet. The colours of Cream-spot Tiger would rival any burcerfly and a couple of individuals again raised a bit of excitement amongst chose around the sheet light. A few more localised species, apart from the Cream-spot Tiger, also made an appearance with Cream-bordered Green Pea, Pinion-streaked Snout and Nascia cilialis.

At public events most people have lefr afrer a couple of hours and we would normally expect the more interesting moths to start turning up. This night was an exception with little new recorded afrer midnight. With only a couple of lights running clearing up was rather easy.

The full species list for the night was: Common Swift, Cochylis atricapitana, Celypha lacunana, Hedya pruniana, Rhyacionia pinivorana,

Cream-Spot Tiger byMervyn Crawford

Purple Hairstreaks The article in the last Suffolk Argusby Mike Dean bas provoked two members to contribute further comments on this under-recorded butterfly. Here are their comments.

Our visit to Tarcingstone continued during the afternoon with a circular walk around the western inlet of Alton Water Reservoir, where the water now covers the route of the old Al37 Ipswich to Brantham road.

This inlet is designated a Nature Reserve by Anglian Water who have created a series of permissive paths around the shore-line. These taking us through varied habitats such as belts of trees, hedgerows, thick lush areas of reeds and rushes, also more open areas of scrub with rabbit grazed cur£ During our walk a total of 17 species of butterfly were noted. Those additional to the morning, being Peacock, Red Admiral, Holly Blue, Ringlet, and a Purple Hairstreak resting on a leaf, at eye level.

by RichardStewart As another masochistic neck-strainer, I was delighted to read Mike Dean's article on Purple Hairstreaks in the Summer 2005 issue. One point to add is their early morning activity if the host Oak gets full sunshine. Recently on holiday in the Spanish Pyrenees Marie and I located them not fur from our base at Casa Guilla. I was certain of the identity but a bit confused because bairstreaks feeding on Bramble close to the Oaks were of another species. I went back a few days later, before breakfast, and was soon able to confirm their identity. I did notice some querulous looks from others when I mentioned that they were often active early in the day.

As Mike indicated, this species can be vecy frustrating. I was looking all day on our recent meeting at Alton Reservoir bur with no success.

For once I and a few others were actually ahead of the main group who managed ro find one clearly visible and almost at eye level. However, sometimes you just sense that conditions are right for a 'Purple Hairstreak evening' and this is what happened early evening on July 12th.

Marie and I got off the train at Westerfield Station and as usual I looked at the Oaks close to the platform. I had noted Purple Hairscreaks there some years ago but not recently, probably because of disturbance when the derelict station building was converted into a house. Now they were there again and also moving to and from an ash across the rails near the other platform. We spent some time observing them and no doubt were the cause

0

BurnishedBrass byMervyn Crawford Scoparia pyralella, Scoparia ambigualis, Nascia cilia/is, Udea prunalis, Oak Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, Common Marbled Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Narrow-winged Pug, Scorched Carpet, Peacock Moth, Latticed Heath, Scalloped Hazel, Peppered Moch, Pale Oak Beauty, Bordered White, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Great Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Marbled Brown, Cream-spot Tiger, White Ermine, Cinnabar, Turnip Moth, Heart & Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Light Brocade, Common Wainscot, Alder Moth, Bird's Wing, Marbled Minor, Cloaked Minor, Treble Lines, Vine's Rustic, Marbled White Spot, Cream-bordered Green Pea, Burnished Brass, Beautiful Golden Y, Snout and Pinion-streaked Snout.

10

Also noced:Moths - Mother of Pearl, Riband Wave, Small Magpie.

Dragonflies - Brown Hawker, Black-tailed Skimmer, Banded Demoiselle.

Large Skipper

by DouglasHammersley 15

Autumn 2005

The Suffolk Argus rare migrant in the county with the larvae feeding on primarily Norway and Sitka Spruce and also Noble Fir. There is always the outside possibility that this species could be establishing itself in the area, as there would appear to be suitable habitat in the area. 'Moth of the night' status was rapidly reassigned co this species - we should learn co wait until the lase trap is packed away before making our choice.

Eighty-one species were recorded by myself with Ethmia dodecea, Helcystogramma rnfescem, Phalonidia manniana, Agapeta hamana, Celypha Lacunana, Hedya pruniana, Epib/ema uddmanniana, Eucosma cana, Chrysoteuchia cu/mel/a, Crambus pascue//a, Crambus per/e//a, Catoptria pinel/a, Dipleurina /acustrata, Pyrausta despicata, Eurrhypara hortulata, Perinephela /ancea/is, Udea olivalis, Pleuroptya rura/is, Pempelie//adilute/la, Peach Blossom, Buff Arches, Common Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, Riband Wave, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Royal Mantle, Common Carpet, Wood Carpet, Purple Bar, Barred Straw, Fem, Sharp-angled Carpet, Cloaked Pug, Toad.flax Pug, Green Pug, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Magpie, Clouded Border, Peacock Moth, Tawny-barred Angle, Brown Silver-line, Peppered Moth, Mottled Beauty, Clouded Silver, Pine Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, Rosy Footman, Four-dotted Footman, Scarce Footman, Ruby Tiger, Heart & Club, Heart & Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, True Lover's Knot, Shears, Grey Arches, White Colon, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Broom Moth, Brown-line Bright-eye, Clay, Smoky Wainscot, Common Wainscot, Grey Dagger, Brown Rustic, Small Angle Shades, Light Arches, Slender Brindle, Tawny Marbled Minor, Marbled White Spot, Beautiful Golden Y, Spectacle, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot and Fan-foot.

Tattingstone and Alton Water, 17th July

by Alan Johnson One of this summer's very hot days saw fourteen of our members meet in the car park at the southern e~d of Lemon's Hill Bridge, Tattingstone. Here we were greeted by Mike Ewart, our host for the morning and who was to show us around the nearby Nature Reserve, located at the rear of his and neighbouring houses, overlooking the southern shore of Ang1ianWater'sAlton Water Reservoir.

During our 'tour' Mike explained how the reserve, originally 5¼ acres of farmland was purchased by himself and two neighbours, eight years ago. Originally left to 'do its own thing', an area of meadow land has now been created, supporting a wide variety of wild flowers, a tribute to all the hard work chat has obviously been put in over the recent years.

We were also shown the adjacent wood which has grown up in the past 40 years, on the site of the 'paupers graveyard', which served the then Taningscone Workhouse. This wood is held in Trust as a 'Wildlife area'.

Our thanks to Mike, also his wife, for giving up their time co make this such an interesting morning.

CommonBlue

by DouglasHammersley 14

Silver-studded Blue Workshop 18th June

co an invading alien moss, the eruptions in the soil created by emerging Minotaur beetles, and the pies in the sand used by the Ant-lions to crap their prey - the very same ants that attend the larvae of the Silver-scudded Blue. Richard Fisk and Michael Kirby made valuable contributions on these broader topics, highlighting the benefits of a multi-disciplinary field meeting. Eventually, we spotted a couple of female P. argus, and accomplished the butterfly identification element of die workshop. Hazel Leggett, who lives nearby, showed us some rabbit topiary, where grazing has sculpted gorse into interesting shapes, and cold us about the Broad-bordered Bee Hawks she gets in her garden. With impressive alacrity, Tim Huggins inspected some honeysuckle, and came back with a leaf, co show us not only the characteristic feeding signs of the species, but also a tiny black skin, discarded by a first instar larva, and exhibiting a clearly recognisable tail horn.

Most of the group had the stamina to walk co the detached piece of the common, known as the Football Piech, where we saw a good area of the "pioneer heather" re-growth which suits the butterfly for breeding. In this case, it was a 50/50 mixture of Ling and Bell Heather. We also saw encroaching bracken at the margins, and Eric explained how the butterfly sometimes chooses bracken on which co lay its eggs, creating a management problem for those who seek to eliminate the bracken for the long-term good of the bunerfly.

The concept of a joint field meeting preceded by a specialist workshop, in a friendly village hall created an enjoyable and educational outing, and seems like a formula worth repeating.

by Rob Parker This event was organised jointly between the Suffolk Naturalists' Society and the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation and took place at Westleton. It was listed in the fldd meetings diaries of each society and given some publicity locally by the Westleton Common volunteers. As a result, it was better attended than many single-society events, and drew 30 participants.

The format was a morning in the village hall for a presentation on the Silver-scudded Blue, its life-cycle and habitat needs, with particular focus on myrmicophilia and site monitoring. In this, Rob Parker was assisted by Eric Parsons who had studied, bred and reported on the butterfly in the past, and by Michael Kirby who knows Westleton Common and its wildlife well. We had the benefit of Butterfly Conservation's recently acquired laptop/projection system, which was useful for displaying close-ups of the butterfly and its interaction with ants. Everyone present learned something from the morning "workshop", largely as a result of the sharing of knowledge.

In the afternoon, we moved on to Westleton Common co seek P/ebius argus in one of its most successful Sandlings habitats. The day had been timed co hit the short period between expected emergence dace and the population peak on which the site counts are best executed, yet the 2005 season ran much later than the previous two years, and we all knew that very few had been seen up till then. Happily, the butterfly knew what was expected of it, and males were soon being seen on the Bell Heather, albeit in lower numbers than we would have wished. There were enough, however, for everyone to get a good look at this UK Biodiversity Action Plan species. The group included people who were seeing them for the first time, as well as others who have been involved with the annual counts for many years. We also cook the opportunity co look at the loss of habitat

Postscript. Ironically, the planned Silver-studded Blue count at Minsmere just two days later failed because it was coo early in the season, and the back-up day failed because of poor weather.

Perhaps the message is that nature always has the upper hand!

11

The SuffolkArgus

Autumn2005

lckworth Park 30th June

by Rob Parker Thursday 30th June saw a team of seven optimistic would-be butterfly surveyors and the Estate Warden Mark Nisbett under heavy skies at the National Trust property at lckworth. The site atends into five tetrads, but casual records over the years have fallen short of an organised survey, and the plan for the day was to cover four of those tetrads, looking particularly for the species which had been missed.

Regrettablythe weather was to prevent us from completing the mission. We set out in the northernmost block at Arthur's Wood where good numbers of Meadow Browns and Ringlets were joined by an early Gatekeeper, a couple of Speckled Woods and a Comma. Large Skipper and Small Tortoiseshellwere enjoying a patch of thistle, and the day would have been off to a good start had it not been for the thunderstorm. With patience and dedication we moved on to the next location in heavy rain whilst waiting for the storm to pass. Sadly, it never did, and the rain set in for the rest of the day.

We have since picked up a few extra records individually, including the Purple Hairstreak chat Mark found, so an extended survey will eventually get done.

Gatekeeper

by BerylJohnson 12

Bentley Old Hall Wood, near Ipswich, 9th July

National Moth Night at Wordwell - 9th July

by Richard Stewart

by TonyPrichard

Colin Hawes arranged this joint meeting with the Suffolk Naturalists' Society with permission from the owners, John and Annie Owen. It was a particular pleasure for me to be able to explore long and inviting private paths previously just glimpsed from the footpath. On arrival the twenty three of us, with BC well represented, were welcomed with drinks by Doctor Michael Banford and bis wife Angela, who live in Bentley Old Hall.

Our BC contingent divided into two groups, with Alan Johnson and myself eventually following a long path adjacent to a stream right down towards the main Ipswich to London railway line, discovering many Dormouse boxes, an enormous Holly tree and, by lunch, the three whites, three skippers, ten plus Meadow Brown and Comma, hundreds of Ringlets, Red Admiral and eventually one White Admiral. This was viewed close to one of the many sunlit and flowering Bramble bushes along the wide main ride. The other group had seen three which was also our total by the end of the afrernoon, plus Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood, with someone else noting one Small Tortoiseshell.

Lunch was taken in the garden at Bentley Old Hall and I was able to confirm Purple Hairstreaks in one Oak. We had good views of eight or more Slow-worms and one Grass Snake by lifting a piece of boarding but undoubtedly the highlight was the good close views of White Admirals. Colin Hawes has calculated chat there has been a gap of forty four years between their last sighting and rediscovery in 2004. My own thoughts about colonising would be from Srour Wood in Essex, just a few miles away and I would imagine an adventurous White Admiral would have no problems crossing the river, bearing in mind what our migrants manage ro do each year.

The late Sam Beaufoy, formerly the Suffolk Bunerfly Recorder, spent some time studying the

For this year'sNational Moth Night we decided that attempting to search for the target species was unlikely to provide an interesting night fur any branch members who came along. The site we have recently started to record at in the King's Forest, near Wordwell, has produced a good selection of interesting and notable records since we began visiting the site. It was rather disappointing on arrival to find again that no branch members had decided to come along for the event. However,we were joined by John Chainey and Jenny Spence from nearby Hertfordshire. I also found that we had a bit of a problem when pulling into the car park as an earth bank had been thrown up blocking the trackthat we use to access the site. A quick scan of the Ordnance Survey map gave us hope of accessing the area via a more indirect route and after some skilful navigation along forest tracks we managed to arrive at the site.

With just two sets of equipment we decided to cover a couple of areas, including grassland and broad-leaved woodland habitats, between the conifer compartments. Weather conditions were fair and there was plenty of activity around the lights at the start of the evening. Several scarcer species that I would expect to find at a Breckland site, appeared during the evening; Pempeliella dilutel/a, Pyraustadespicata,Royal Mantle, Wood and Four-dotted Footman. A Beautiful Hook-tip was quickly assigned 'moth of the night' status when it came to one of my lights, this appears to be a species chat is rather erratic in appearance in the county, turning up here and there in low numbers.

As midnight came and went activity declined and we decided to call it a night and started clearing up the traps. While we were clearing up my traps John Chainey came up with rather an unexpected species chat they had spotted on the outside of their trap - Cloaked Pug. A very

White Admiral

by DouglasHammersley White Admiral in these woods. In his lovely book "Butterfly Lives" (pub. Collins, 1947) he writes of visiting "a certain wood near Ipswich" where "when I reached a clearing, where brambles abound, to my amaz.ementI found dozens of these butterflies, many feeding on the nectar in the bramble blossoms, some floating down from the tops of the trees where they had been resting, and others skimming over the tops of the bushes. It seemed as if they could not make too great a success of my first meeting with chem".

13

The SuffolkArgus

Autumn2005

lckworth Park 30th June

by Rob Parker Thursday 30th June saw a team of seven optimistic would-be butterfly surveyors and the Estate Warden Mark Nisbett under heavy skies at the National Trust property at lckworth. The site atends into five tetrads, but casual records over the years have fallen short of an organised survey, and the plan for the day was to cover four of those tetrads, looking particularly for the species which had been missed.

Regrettablythe weather was to prevent us from completing the mission. We set out in the northernmost block at Arthur's Wood where good numbers of Meadow Browns and Ringlets were joined by an early Gatekeeper, a couple of Speckled Woods and a Comma. Large Skipper and Small Tortoiseshellwere enjoying a patch of thistle, and the day would have been off to a good start had it not been for the thunderstorm. With patience and dedication we moved on to the next location in heavy rain whilst waiting for the storm to pass. Sadly, it never did, and the rain set in for the rest of the day.

We have since picked up a few extra records individually, including the Purple Hairstreak chat Mark found, so an extended survey will eventually get done.

Gatekeeper

by BerylJohnson 12

Bentley Old Hall Wood, near Ipswich, 9th July

National Moth Night at Wordwell - 9th July

by Richard Stewart

by TonyPrichard

Colin Hawes arranged this joint meeting with the Suffolk Naturalists' Society with permission from the owners, John and Annie Owen. It was a particular pleasure for me to be able to explore long and inviting private paths previously just glimpsed from the footpath. On arrival the twenty three of us, with BC well represented, were welcomed with drinks by Doctor Michael Banford and bis wife Angela, who live in Bentley Old Hall.

Our BC contingent divided into two groups, with Alan Johnson and myself eventually following a long path adjacent to a stream right down towards the main Ipswich to London railway line, discovering many Dormouse boxes, an enormous Holly tree and, by lunch, the three whites, three skippers, ten plus Meadow Brown and Comma, hundreds of Ringlets, Red Admiral and eventually one White Admiral. This was viewed close to one of the many sunlit and flowering Bramble bushes along the wide main ride. The other group had seen three which was also our total by the end of the afrernoon, plus Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood, with someone else noting one Small Tortoiseshell.

Lunch was taken in the garden at Bentley Old Hall and I was able to confirm Purple Hairstreaks in one Oak. We had good views of eight or more Slow-worms and one Grass Snake by lifting a piece of boarding but undoubtedly the highlight was the good close views of White Admirals. Colin Hawes has calculated chat there has been a gap of forty four years between their last sighting and rediscovery in 2004. My own thoughts about colonising would be from Srour Wood in Essex, just a few miles away and I would imagine an adventurous White Admiral would have no problems crossing the river, bearing in mind what our migrants manage ro do each year.

The late Sam Beaufoy, formerly the Suffolk Bunerfly Recorder, spent some time studying the

For this year'sNational Moth Night we decided that attempting to search for the target species was unlikely to provide an interesting night fur any branch members who came along. The site we have recently started to record at in the King's Forest, near Wordwell, has produced a good selection of interesting and notable records since we began visiting the site. It was rather disappointing on arrival to find again that no branch members had decided to come along for the event. However,we were joined by John Chainey and Jenny Spence from nearby Hertfordshire. I also found that we had a bit of a problem when pulling into the car park as an earth bank had been thrown up blocking the trackthat we use to access the site. A quick scan of the Ordnance Survey map gave us hope of accessing the area via a more indirect route and after some skilful navigation along forest tracks we managed to arrive at the site.

With just two sets of equipment we decided to cover a couple of areas, including grassland and broad-leaved woodland habitats, between the conifer compartments. Weather conditions were fair and there was plenty of activity around the lights at the start of the evening. Several scarcer species that I would expect to find at a Breckland site, appeared during the evening; Pempeliella dilutel/a, Pyraustadespicata,Royal Mantle, Wood and Four-dotted Footman. A Beautiful Hook-tip was quickly assigned 'moth of the night' status when it came to one of my lights, this appears to be a species chat is rather erratic in appearance in the county, turning up here and there in low numbers.

As midnight came and went activity declined and we decided to call it a night and started clearing up the traps. While we were clearing up my traps John Chainey came up with rather an unexpected species chat they had spotted on the outside of their trap - Cloaked Pug. A very

White Admiral

by DouglasHammersley White Admiral in these woods. In his lovely book "Butterfly Lives" (pub. Collins, 1947) he writes of visiting "a certain wood near Ipswich" where "when I reached a clearing, where brambles abound, to my amaz.ementI found dozens of these butterflies, many feeding on the nectar in the bramble blossoms, some floating down from the tops of the trees where they had been resting, and others skimming over the tops of the bushes. It seemed as if they could not make too great a success of my first meeting with chem".

13

Autumn 2005

The Suffolk Argus rare migrant in the county with the larvae feeding on primarily Norway and Sitka Spruce and also Noble Fir. There is always the outside possibility that this species could be establishing itself in the area, as there would appear to be suitable habitat in the area. 'Moth of the night' status was rapidly reassigned co this species - we should learn co wait until the lase trap is packed away before making our choice.

Eighty-one species were recorded by myself with Ethmia dodecea, Helcystogramma rnfescem, Phalonidia manniana, Agapeta hamana, Celypha Lacunana, Hedya pruniana, Epib/ema uddmanniana, Eucosma cana, Chrysoteuchia cu/mel/a, Crambus pascue//a, Crambus per/e//a, Catoptria pinel/a, Dipleurina /acustrata, Pyrausta despicata, Eurrhypara hortulata, Perinephela /ancea/is, Udea olivalis, Pleuroptya rura/is, Pempelie//adilute/la, Peach Blossom, Buff Arches, Common Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, Riband Wave, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Royal Mantle, Common Carpet, Wood Carpet, Purple Bar, Barred Straw, Fem, Sharp-angled Carpet, Cloaked Pug, Toad.flax Pug, Green Pug, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Magpie, Clouded Border, Peacock Moth, Tawny-barred Angle, Brown Silver-line, Peppered Moth, Mottled Beauty, Clouded Silver, Pine Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, Rosy Footman, Four-dotted Footman, Scarce Footman, Ruby Tiger, Heart & Club, Heart & Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, True Lover's Knot, Shears, Grey Arches, White Colon, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Broom Moth, Brown-line Bright-eye, Clay, Smoky Wainscot, Common Wainscot, Grey Dagger, Brown Rustic, Small Angle Shades, Light Arches, Slender Brindle, Tawny Marbled Minor, Marbled White Spot, Beautiful Golden Y, Spectacle, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot and Fan-foot.

Tattingstone and Alton Water, 17th July

by Alan Johnson One of this summer's very hot days saw fourteen of our members meet in the car park at the southern e~d of Lemon's Hill Bridge, Tattingstone. Here we were greeted by Mike Ewart, our host for the morning and who was to show us around the nearby Nature Reserve, located at the rear of his and neighbouring houses, overlooking the southern shore of Ang1ianWater'sAlton Water Reservoir.

During our 'tour' Mike explained how the reserve, originally 5¼ acres of farmland was purchased by himself and two neighbours, eight years ago. Originally left to 'do its own thing', an area of meadow land has now been created, supporting a wide variety of wild flowers, a tribute to all the hard work chat has obviously been put in over the recent years.

We were also shown the adjacent wood which has grown up in the past 40 years, on the site of the 'paupers graveyard', which served the then Taningscone Workhouse. This wood is held in Trust as a 'Wildlife area'.

Our thanks to Mike, also his wife, for giving up their time co make this such an interesting morning.

CommonBlue

by DouglasHammersley 14

Silver-studded Blue Workshop 18th June

co an invading alien moss, the eruptions in the soil created by emerging Minotaur beetles, and the pies in the sand used by the Ant-lions to crap their prey - the very same ants that attend the larvae of the Silver-scudded Blue. Richard Fisk and Michael Kirby made valuable contributions on these broader topics, highlighting the benefits of a multi-disciplinary field meeting. Eventually, we spotted a couple of female P. argus, and accomplished the butterfly identification element of die workshop. Hazel Leggett, who lives nearby, showed us some rabbit topiary, where grazing has sculpted gorse into interesting shapes, and cold us about the Broad-bordered Bee Hawks she gets in her garden. With impressive alacrity, Tim Huggins inspected some honeysuckle, and came back with a leaf, co show us not only the characteristic feeding signs of the species, but also a tiny black skin, discarded by a first instar larva, and exhibiting a clearly recognisable tail horn.

Most of the group had the stamina to walk co the detached piece of the common, known as the Football Piech, where we saw a good area of the "pioneer heather" re-growth which suits the butterfly for breeding. In this case, it was a 50/50 mixture of Ling and Bell Heather. We also saw encroaching bracken at the margins, and Eric explained how the butterfly sometimes chooses bracken on which co lay its eggs, creating a management problem for those who seek to eliminate the bracken for the long-term good of the bunerfly.

The concept of a joint field meeting preceded by a specialist workshop, in a friendly village hall created an enjoyable and educational outing, and seems like a formula worth repeating.

by Rob Parker This event was organised jointly between the Suffolk Naturalists' Society and the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation and took place at Westleton. It was listed in the fldd meetings diaries of each society and given some publicity locally by the Westleton Common volunteers. As a result, it was better attended than many single-society events, and drew 30 participants.

The format was a morning in the village hall for a presentation on the Silver-scudded Blue, its life-cycle and habitat needs, with particular focus on myrmicophilia and site monitoring. In this, Rob Parker was assisted by Eric Parsons who had studied, bred and reported on the butterfly in the past, and by Michael Kirby who knows Westleton Common and its wildlife well. We had the benefit of Butterfly Conservation's recently acquired laptop/projection system, which was useful for displaying close-ups of the butterfly and its interaction with ants. Everyone present learned something from the morning "workshop", largely as a result of the sharing of knowledge.

In the afternoon, we moved on to Westleton Common co seek P/ebius argus in one of its most successful Sandlings habitats. The day had been timed co hit the short period between expected emergence dace and the population peak on which the site counts are best executed, yet the 2005 season ran much later than the previous two years, and we all knew that very few had been seen up till then. Happily, the butterfly knew what was expected of it, and males were soon being seen on the Bell Heather, albeit in lower numbers than we would have wished. There were enough, however, for everyone to get a good look at this UK Biodiversity Action Plan species. The group included people who were seeing them for the first time, as well as others who have been involved with the annual counts for many years. We also cook the opportunity co look at the loss of habitat

Postscript. Ironically, the planned Silver-studded Blue count at Minsmere just two days later failed because it was coo early in the season, and the back-up day failed because of poor weather.

Perhaps the message is that nature always has the upper hand!

11

The SuffolkArgus

Autumn 2005

Moth Night at West Stow Country Park - 4th June

Species seen:Meadow Brciwn, Gatekeeper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Common Blue, Small Copper, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood (in the wood). Six-spot Burnet moth, Buff Arches moth.

by TonyPrichard This country park situated in the Suffolk Brecks has been visited by the Moth Group several times in the past and normally provides some moths of interest. As well as being a branch event the meeting was open to members of the public. With rather wet and windy weather earlier in the day it was not too surprising when no branch members turned up, although the public were more enthusiastic with around fifteen people turning up for the event. As most of the local recorders were away recording out of the country it was down to just myself to provide the entertainment with a couple of lights. Setting in the sbdter of the trees by the visitor centre and close to the car park seemed to pay dividends with good numbers and a varied selection of species appearing at the light.

I always think that this time of year is good for the public as a number of colourful large fluffy moths are on the wing, hopefully dispelling the myth that moths are just brown and boring. One of the earlier moths to appear was Small Elephant Hawk-moth, with several buzzing around the sheet. The colours of Cream-spot Tiger would rival any burcerfly and a couple of individuals again raised a bit of excitement amongst chose around the sheet light. A few more localised species, apart from the Cream-spot Tiger, also made an appearance with Cream-bordered Green Pea, Pinion-streaked Snout and Nascia cilialis.

At public events most people have lefr afrer a couple of hours and we would normally expect the more interesting moths to start turning up. This night was an exception with little new recorded afrer midnight. With only a couple of lights running clearing up was rather easy.

The full species list for the night was: Common Swift, Cochylis atricapitana, Celypha lacunana, Hedya pruniana, Rhyacionia pinivorana,

Cream-Spot Tiger byMervyn Crawford

Purple Hairstreaks The article in the last Suffolk Argusby Mike Dean bas provoked two members to contribute further comments on this under-recorded butterfly. Here are their comments.

Our visit to Tarcingstone continued during the afternoon with a circular walk around the western inlet of Alton Water Reservoir, where the water now covers the route of the old Al37 Ipswich to Brantham road.

This inlet is designated a Nature Reserve by Anglian Water who have created a series of permissive paths around the shore-line. These taking us through varied habitats such as belts of trees, hedgerows, thick lush areas of reeds and rushes, also more open areas of scrub with rabbit grazed cur£ During our walk a total of 17 species of butterfly were noted. Those additional to the morning, being Peacock, Red Admiral, Holly Blue, Ringlet, and a Purple Hairstreak resting on a leaf, at eye level.

by RichardStewart As another masochistic neck-strainer, I was delighted to read Mike Dean's article on Purple Hairstreaks in the Summer 2005 issue. One point to add is their early morning activity if the host Oak gets full sunshine. Recently on holiday in the Spanish Pyrenees Marie and I located them not fur from our base at Casa Guilla. I was certain of the identity but a bit confused because bairstreaks feeding on Bramble close to the Oaks were of another species. I went back a few days later, before breakfast, and was soon able to confirm their identity. I did notice some querulous looks from others when I mentioned that they were often active early in the day.

As Mike indicated, this species can be vecy frustrating. I was looking all day on our recent meeting at Alton Reservoir bur with no success.

For once I and a few others were actually ahead of the main group who managed ro find one clearly visible and almost at eye level. However, sometimes you just sense that conditions are right for a 'Purple Hairstreak evening' and this is what happened early evening on July 12th.

Marie and I got off the train at Westerfield Station and as usual I looked at the Oaks close to the platform. I had noted Purple Hairscreaks there some years ago but not recently, probably because of disturbance when the derelict station building was converted into a house. Now they were there again and also moving to and from an ash across the rails near the other platform. We spent some time observing them and no doubt were the cause

0

BurnishedBrass byMervyn Crawford Scoparia pyralella, Scoparia ambigualis, Nascia cilia/is, Udea prunalis, Oak Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, Common Marbled Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Narrow-winged Pug, Scorched Carpet, Peacock Moth, Latticed Heath, Scalloped Hazel, Peppered Moch, Pale Oak Beauty, Bordered White, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Great Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Marbled Brown, Cream-spot Tiger, White Ermine, Cinnabar, Turnip Moth, Heart & Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Light Brocade, Common Wainscot, Alder Moth, Bird's Wing, Marbled Minor, Cloaked Minor, Treble Lines, Vine's Rustic, Marbled White Spot, Cream-bordered Green Pea, Burnished Brass, Beautiful Golden Y, Snout and Pinion-streaked Snout.

10

Also noced:Moths - Mother of Pearl, Riband Wave, Small Magpie.

Dragonflies - Brown Hawker, Black-tailed Skimmer, Banded Demoiselle.

Large Skipper

by DouglasHammersley 15

The Suffolk Argus

Autumn2005

of some comment on the other train that pulled in. As Mike remarked, you also need a thick skin. Our normal twelve minute walk back home was somewhat lengthened by observing them in no less than eighteen oaks along Westerfield Road then, closer to home, seeing one flying across from a Chestnut to a Lime. Then a gap of several hundred oakless yards, and the busy Valley Road, before the large Oak just a few yards past our house. Many times I have looked unsuccessfully but on this occasion we counted at least four.

Later, sitting near the bottom of our garden at about 7.40 pm, we were suddenly aware of them in a tall sunlit Sycamore that overhangs the far corner of our garden. We counted at least six, some flying between the Oak and Sycamore. We have had a single Purple Hairsueak in the garden for the last two years but, despite keeping detailed records and living there for almost ten years hadn't realised this until that evening.

The irony is that in the last few years we have dug out a small vegetable area and planted two apple trees and other fruits in this corner and have continually grumbled about the honeydew and shade from the overhanging Sycamore.

Purple Hairstreak

by DouglarHammersley

by Mike Hall I completely agree with Mike Dean, when he says in his article in the recent issue of "The Suffolk Argus" that "I have come to the conclusion that the Purple Hairstreak is really very much more common than the current distribution maps might suggest". This is the same conclusion that we came to in Norfolk in 1985, during surveying for the first of the recent Norfolk Butterfly Atlases. In that survey Stuart Paston made a point, in 1984, of specifically targeting the Purple Hairstreak and he concluded that "it occurs in more or less every parish between Norwich and the Suffolk border (including the city outskirts) - often in hedgerow trees some distance from woodland".

Despite the devastation caused to Oaks by the 1987 hurricane, from personal observations in South Norfolk I can see no reason to alter that assessment today.

16

mention Stuart's conclusions in 1985 because whilst most of his suggestions as to how to spot this butterfly are the same as those given by Mike Dean, one or two additional comments might be helpful to members looking for this species (probably in 2006 now!). The butterfly is much more noticeable around the crowns of trees in the early mornings - between 8.00 and 10.00 am when it is suitably sunny - and again in the evenings from 5.00 to 7.00 or 7.30 pm. Personally I recorded many more Purple Hairstreaks during the "early morning flight period", not least because on many days between mid July and early September by midday the early morning sun had gone and the rest of the day was cloudy or at least dull - and you don't get quite so many "funny looks" or "sarcastic comments" at this time of day.

Between these periods it is much less obvious although of course it can still be seen during the heat of the day. Mike mentions the effect of "tossing a silver coin in the sunlight" and if Stuart's comment of "dancing in clockwise and anticlockwise circling manoeuvres above the crowns of the trees" is also borne in mind then there should be very little doubt when people think they have seen this butterfly. Perhaps it is also worth emphasising Mike's point about Ash trees as well as Oaks, as in places hedgerow Ash is more common than the Oak and in such places the Purple Hairstreak can be just as common. I am sure that the Purple Hairstreak is to be found in virtually every parish between Norwich and Ipswich and well beyond in much of the rest of both counties.

this point, but the frequency of sightings now rendered any continuation of the count both impractical and a distraction from the spectacle unfolding before us. At this juncture we met Ken Wtllmott, one of Surrey's most knowledgeable lepidopterists, and he was able to recommend to us some fox droppings upon which many Adonis had congregated in search of minerals.

The Adonis Blue generally mineralises with closed wings, and the initial impression upon reaching the fox excreta was therefore not so much one of colour but of density of butterflies; 27 males counted, packed in abdomen to antennae, from a photograph kindly supplied by Richard Stewart. However, one or two sets of wings would regularly open to emit a burst of azure blue straight onto our retinas - the brilliance of the colour accentuated by the earthen backdrop and the suddenness with which the movements occurred.

Occasionally, there was a more widespread disturbance amongst the Adonis group and the visual effect would be magnified ten or twenty fold. Perhaps an appropriate analogy would be to walk along a shaded side street in a north African town and come unexpectedly upon a bazaar selling a dazzling array of turquoise silks and satins, all illuminated in a shafr of sunlight.

Ordinarily, I would have suggested exploring the open downland on Denbies bur there was little, if any, need to move further; the wind had dropped, the now strong sun was illuminating flowering Horseshoe Vetch growing so profusely that it appeared to have been sown as a crop, and with the time approaching five o' dock the blues were beginning to establish communal roosts about th_ecarriageway vegetation. At least twenty Adonis were settling, wings held fully open towards the sun, on the strip of grassland at the top of the carriageway with double, perhaps thrice, that number adopting similar poses on a little slope below our vantage point - these not total counts, merely what could be seen comfortably within any one person's field of vision.

As we walked back we sought out new superlatives with which to compliment the Adonis Blue, recalled individual butterflies which had held our gaze the longest by the particular opulence or

intensity of their upperwings. The final mile of the walk had a distinctly mammalian feel though - a Fox seen slinking about scrub below the carriageway and two Hares resting on the edge of a field, perhaps recovering from some unseen feats of athleticism earlier. However, on returning with a metaphorical jolt to urbanisation, the consensus was that it had been the Adonis's day.

Butterfly list; Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Wood White, Brimstone, Green Hairstreak, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Adonis Blue, Brown Argus, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Small Heath.

Acknowledgments; I would like to thank Stephen & Gail Jeffcoate of Surrey Branch of Butterfly Conservation for passing on their knowledge of the Wood White during two Wood White workshops held in May and June 2005.

Metamorphsis

by Richard Stewart

Beneaththe canopiedsuns Shaftsof.freckledlight And in the shatUJwy Leafdappied night, Delicatelyunfolding, A WoodWhite.

Wood White

0

by BerylJohnson 9

The Suffolk Argus

Autumn 2005

of fourteen. Males had dominated the count; recognisable at roost earlier by the bright white ----..., tips ro their antennae, and in the current instance by their linear patrols and the dark markings revealed with each deliberate wing-beat. Our return was in keeping with the Wood Whites' behaviour - following the primary rides with an occasional pause ro investigate movement within the vegetation below. We again skirted Oaken Wood, the morning sufficiently to bend back the Whitebeam branches part of the field trip thus concluding as a highly at the crest of the scarp, had concentrated successful misnomer. butterflies along the sheltered length of the By mid afternoon, our group of 11 had left carriageway for blues were recorded in numbers the Wealden clay and moved to the chalk of the now - the violet shades of Common at first, North Downs on the western edge of Dorking. followed quickly by the vivid, unmistakeable Initially, we manoeuvred through dense woodland iridescence of male Adonis as we entered areas in before emerging onto the Denbies carriageway to which Horseshoe Vetch flourished. I had recorded the sight of a Holly Blue flashing its metallic Adonis Blues at Mount Caburn in Sussex a few undersides above our heads. days before, yet still felt the same rush of Perhaps the wind, which was still gusting excitement, the same intake of breath on encountering a first one here today.

We progressed slowly amidst the profusion of eye-catching blues; struggling to follow the frenetic flight of a Grizzled Skipper over the sward, waiting for the quickstep silver dance of a lycaenid to cease and allow our Brown Argus hypothesis to be confirmed, discerning a weathered Green Hairstreak against a backdrop of scrubby foliage. A number of Dingy Skippers whirred about the yellow trefoils, broad abdomens seemingly angled towards the ground as if laden with some unseen burden. Indeed, on one occasion a female Dingy was noted depositing a spherical egg into a tight trefoil floret - the act completed without a moment's hesitation.

With still at least half a mile until the Denbies site proper, we realised that we were witnessing an exceptional Adonis Blue emergence far exceeding our previous experiences of this species. Almost 100 males had been recorded to

by DouglasHammersley

He is thinning down the likely candidates, we can now see where he is heading, and we are going to end up with the Apollo. Sorry, wrong again, if you remember the lengths, distances, heights, times and even depths I went to, to find them you must by fames Mann agree that my The mind boggles. He relationship lives in the south of with them is France, what exotic likely to be of the love/hate insect is he going to __,--:,;,:rl~"!:::?~ nature. O.K. so come up with. ~ ,..-/ what was easy to We know it's ~<\:/:-::::::·;, ,{.,/:> going to be . ·-.:::•::::,'<.',-.,.,.·• find? He found one of the •. the beautiful Swallowtails he has Spanish Festoon gone on about. No, by just driving up far too common, they can be to Jujols and walking seen all summer long all over the place. The in the sunshine for ten Two-tailed Pasha?Againno, much less common but if you know where to go it is not difficult to Orange Tip find but generally limited, to hilltop habitats. by Douglas Hammersley How about one of the Blues or one of the Fritillaries, many different varieties of each species can be seen but with my limited knowledge, the minutes. This may be so, but with Jujols a three pleasure of watching them is tempered, by the hour round trip plus time spent there, then only headache I get trying to sort out which one I am being present for a few weeks of the year, this is looking at, and then, to find that many different not it. ones are quite happy to mix together to nectar.

The butterfly that is my favourite is one that Not like Suffolk where I, the expert, knew that I can see over several months, is seen in a variety of Bell Heather and July meant Silver-studded Blue habitats at different altitudes, can be looked anywhere else had to be Common Blue except for forward to, brings back memories and is easy to Newmarket Heath where it is possible to see a spot and identify. Not asking much is it?

ChalkhilJ Blue on a day out from Cambridgeshire.

In England, when he first appeared each year The Fritillary limited to the odd Queen of Spain. flitting along the hedgerows we knew that summer Each year several CamberwelJ Beauties can had arrived. His stay was somewhat limited, be seen together with lots of Large Tortoiseshells compared to here where he has been seen from the but these are only ever seen by chance so cannot be second week of April, at sea-level until the third looked forward to. I get a lot of pleasure spotring week of July at over 2000 Metre altitude. We see things that are common in Suffolk but are not so him most weeks during this period when on our often seen here. The "three whites" are rarely seen, Monday mountain walks. our common one is Black-veined. The SmalJ The clue is in the "he" my definite favourite Tortoiseshell is generaUy seen above the 1500 is the Orange-tip. The females are also around bur metre mark. Skippers abound, but the three for a shorter period, and in less number and of common to Suffolk are very seldom seen. course not so distinctive to spot.

8

17

Green Hairstreak

by DouglasHammersley

BrownArgus

My Favourite Butterfly

The SuffolkArgus

Autumn2005

Oaken Wood & Denbies Hillside, Surrey - 28th May

The Butterflies and Moths of Martlesham, Heath

the assistance of a marker put down six days previously during a Surrey Branch meeting) on the leaves of a Bitter Vetch. Such markers are aiding research which has revealed that spring Wood Whites within Chiddingfold favour short vetches growing in exceptionally warm microclimates almost akin ro open downland conditions.

Certainly the ova we observed now were laid on a plant whose growth had been cunailed to a few inches by the parched conditions of its ride side gully environment. By contrast, our 2000 expedition to Salcey Forest included numerous observations of Wood Whites ovipositing on luxuriant vetches growing at waist height, and it is this type of habitat most commonly cited in butterfly reference books.

Before us now lay an acre or so of young conifer plantation providing the only suitable spring fritillary habitat in the whole of Surrey. We picked our way along the compartment's perimeter, conscious of the vulnerability of the Dog Violet flora to carelessfootfalls and the parties of Wood Ants foraging away from their seething nests. An orange butterfly glided low along a channel between the conifers, flashing a fritillary's chequerboard uppers as it passed by. A few moments later tl1e underside of another such butterfly was observed, the mosaic of warm oranges and soft contrast yellows confirming Pearlbordered Fritillary. Moving on, each of the six fritillaries subsequently encountered was checked as carefully as possible in case an early Small Pearlbordered was amongst them. This was accompanied by much discussion (interspersed by the welcome sightings of Dingy Skipper and Small Heath) as to differentiating the two spring fritillaries by their uppersides and the power of imagination required to read the numbers 7 - 3 0 along the top edge of a Small Pearl-bordered's forewing.

We left the plantation buoyed by the good fritillary sightings, but perhaps mindful of just how precariously this species clings to its Surrey resident status in a habitat surely only suitable for another few years. The weak sunshine rousing the fririllaries had had a similar effect upon the Wood Whites, and our tally progressed steadily to a total

by PaulJohnson

EssexSkipper

by DouglasHammersley

by Steve Goddard We have been living on Martlesham Heath for four years now and in that time, 28 species of butterfly and nearly 500 species of moth have been identified in our recording area (TM2344).

This lies west of the village centre bordered by Dobbs Lane and forms a large part of what is known locally as the 'Western Corridor'. Most of the moths have come to light in the garden and of all the butterflies seen on the heath, only the Purple Hairstreak hasyet to visit us.

The year beginshere much as anywhere with Small Tonoiseshell,Peacock,Comma and perhaps a Red Admiralin March. By the end of April we are seeing: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Brimstone,Speckled Wood and Green Hairsueak along with the dayflying Common Heath and Pyraustadespicata,a small brown pyralid. Of these species, Orange-tip appears only in relatively low numbers with Brimstone sightings perhaps not surprisingly even less,although annual. The Green Hairstreakis always a delight to see especiallywhen your first one of the year is usually encountered by a chance distwbance or seen in spirallingflight with a rivalmale.

May introduces the Small Copper whilst an inspection of the hedgerows will find the 'longhorn' moth Adela reamurel/aand in more open areas the strikingly marked Cinnabar can be found. In the garden, the pretty little pyralid,

Pyraustaaurata, shows itself for the first time.

June heralds the star butterfly of the heath, the Silver-studded Blue. These days it can be seen by-the middle of the month and even after this relatively cool and dull spring it had emerged by the 11th. On June 27th, 67 were counted and the annual survey on July 10th produced a total of 377. This figure however, must be a real cause for concern since by coinciding closely with the peak emergence for this year it represents a significant drop from even just three years ago when the survey mark was 699 whilst the year before it was as high as 1470. The last sighting this year was of four worn females on August 10th The Common Blue appears in low numbers about a week before its more illustrious cousin to occur in greater numbers in August. Around midmonth the Large Skipper can be found daning from sunny hedges whilst at about the same time the last Green Hairstreak bows out. The Brown Silver-line, a bracken feeder also makes its appearance now and is regularly disturbed whilst out walking in the day and this year saw large numbers. The Small Heath is also on the wing but the first recording of this diminutive 'brown' does seem ro vary, usually mid-June, but this year as early as May 23rd. Towards the end of the month we see the first of our summer grassland species: Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Skipper with

18

Our rendezvous on the edge of the Chiddingfold Forest Enterprise complex was under a sky grown sullen and irascible following the excess of the previous day, during which a record high May temperature had been recorded in south-east England. Now, as we set off along an access ride, movement within the woodland seemed largely confined to the swaying of tree boughs, sounds to the soft hissing of the wind-swept leaves. However, the Speckled Wood butterfly is not readily deterred and its jaunty flight soon brightened our path before we had progressed too far.

The Wood White, although apparently much frailer, is an amenable species too; its flight pattern characteristic almost to the point of being diagnostic, its overt counship ritual fascinating to observe, and roost sires chosen with lirtle attempt at concealment. A number of the latter were soon discovered amongst the long grasses bordering Oaken Wood and opportunities arose to discern the oval profile of the wings and the delicate underside markings - these seemingly little more than a dusting of dark scales which might be best applied by a gentle sweep of an air brush if one was to illustrate this species.

We passed Oaken Wood and headed towards its Tugley counterpart, walking along two shadier rides reminiscent of conifer plantations before the enlightenment of conservation. However, inspection of a modest Buckthorn bush did reveal the first two stages in the life-cycle of the Brimstone; four bottle-shaped ova on the underside of a leaf and six green larvae nearby amidst distinctive feeding damage. Later, once the sky had lightened its mood a little, three adults were also added to the day's list.

Prolonging the early stages' theme, five slender Wood White ova were noted (albeit with

7

Autumn 2005

The Suffolk Argus

Monks Wood 11th May

by Sharon Hearle This outing was aimed at enthusing members to expand their repertoire to include the Grizzled Skipper, which has not been seen in Suffolk since 1979. Monks Wood in Cambridgeshireis well known as the home base of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), and is also a National Nature Reserve with plenty to offer besides the promise of Grizzled Skipper. The wood is well known for its butterflies, and species such as White Admiral and White-letter Hairstreak can be seen. The first British record of the rare Black Hairstreakwas made in Monks Wood in 1828, and this butterfly can still be found today.

No less than a dozen members made the journey and assembled under a bright sky with a temperature of 14°C. Monks Wood is situated just east of the Al (M) motorway, 10km north of Huntingdon and 20km south of Peterborough.

There is limited roadside parking available.

The southern edge of the wood is where Nick Greatorex-Davies had recorded Grizzled Skipper in the last few years but none were seen on this visit.

Nick walks a weekly transect route through the wood. Further into the wood there are two meadows with Tormentil, Wild Strawberry and Barren Strawberry but nothing that looked like ideal Grizzled Skipper habitat with much of the vegetation looking too tall and lush. It was bright enough for a picnic and by that time Orange lip, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Peacock were recorded, however there were no Grizzled Skippers to be found. The group also found several threequarters grown larvae of Six-spot Burnet on a patch of Bird's-foot Trefoil. There were Adders Tongue

GrizzledSkipper

by DouglasHammersley fern plants and a delightful glade of Bluebells studded with Stitchwon to be seen.

Nick Greatorex-Davies did not record Grizzled Skipper at the meadows inside the wood this year and the last time they were found was in 1997. Nick did however record Grizzled Skipper along the southern edge of the wood for the first time on 3 June but not before, despite searching.

Half of the group went on to visit Woodwalton Marsh which is a tiny nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest of no more than two acres managed by Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust. Woodwalton Marsh is a small but very rich area of grassland growing on poorly drained chalky clay. The grassland is unusually diverse, with herbs including Sulphur Clover, Greater Knapweed and Dropwon and is cut once a year in the autumn.

This group were rewarded with sightings of at least six Grizzled Skippers. Woodwalton Marsh is very sheltered with abundant anthills which may help explain the earlier appearance of Grizzled Skipper here compared to Monks Wood.

Woodwalton Marsh also lies next to the main railway line from Huntingdon to Peterborough which has many miles of suitable habitat for Grizzled Skipper and is thought to support additional colonies.

6

Small Heath but still leaving behind at least a dozen species to enjoy during this early autumn month. Now, most of the butterflies seem to be in the gardens busily nectaring on the last florets of Buddleja, Michaelmas Daisy, Sedum spectabile and Verbena bonariensis.

It is September when the garden moth trap may reveal what is perhaps the moth star of the heath the Lunar Yellow Underwing, a nationally notable and UK BAP Priority species whose presence has been fully confirmed by a Suffolk Moth Group larval survey. Altogether, 22 nationally notable moth species have been identified , from the garden including the two already mentioned and for instance; Tawny Wave, Grass Wave, Festoon, Yarrow Pug and Orange Footman. The total number of moth species so far recorded in the whole of Mattlesham Heath village is 546 with our garden total standing at 467.

As October arrives butterfly sightings become less frequent and are all but over by the month end although last year, our last Small Tortoiseshell was on November 19th and our last Peacock on December 9th! Moth trapping continues albeit rather sporadically over the winter period which keeps the lepidoptera interest going until the springtime moths are again joined by the buncrflies.

the Essex Skipper emerging right at the month end or just into July. The Painted Lady is usually seen this month too but as in most places not this year, with our first Suffolk sighting for 2005 being in the garden on August 4th. The same can be said for the Humming-bird Hawk-moth which has become a June regular in the garden except for this year.

Whilst sining in the garden on June 9th last year, it was quite a surprise to see a Broad-bordered Bee-hawk moth visiting Snowberry and almost certainly a female since it appeared to be 'tasting' the leaves. This sighting led to an examination of honeysuckle on the heath and soon the tell-tale feeding signs were found followed by two small larvae - a most pleasing find of this nationally notable species. This year feeding signs were again found together with a single larva but no adults this time.

July brings the first sightings of Gatekeeper, the ever-elusive Purple Hairstreak, Brown Argus and second broods of Holly Blue and Common Heath as well as the Six-spot Burnet. Around the middle of the month several of the glorious Peacocks are gracing our garden Buddleja variety 'loch inch' which seems ro flower early in readiness.

We don't normally see Grayling until early August and then only in low numbers but sadly only one individual has been found this year. Similarly, the first sightings of the Wall in our first two years here were in earlyAugust although again in low numbers however,whilst writing in the third week of August, for the second consecutive year none have been recorded. Both situations need to be monitored carefully.

By mid August, signs of a fading summer are betrayed by the decline in numbers of Meadow Brown, Small Skipper and Essex Skipper with the last sightings tending to come at the month end together with the last of the second brood of Pyrausta despicata.In the garden meanwhile, the second brood of Pyrausta aurata is again flying around its food plant, Origanum. The last two Augusts have seen Clouded Yellows on the heath but not alas, 2005!

On the arrival of September, the high summer emerging Gatekeeper is // ready to depart together with the 1/

Small Copper byDouglasHammersley 19

Autumn 2005

The SuffolkArgus I

Afternoon visit to Tiger Hill

From, the

Train

•

By RichardStewart I always try to sit by a window on a train journey. Both Marie and I find trains the ideal way to travel, particularly as the route often takes you through beautiful areas of unspoilt countryside, well away from other noisy traffic. Recent 2005 sightings have included Deer, Foxes, three separate Barn Owl sightings on the :EastSuffolk line and staring at a Little Owl perched close to the train when it came to a red signal stop just outside Westerfield station.

The East Suffolk branch line is panicularly good as the trains never travel very fast and once you are out oflpswich there is no large conurbation before reaching Lowestoft at the fur end of the line.

Often if the train has to stop at a red light, or in certain country stations such as Campsea Ashe and Brampton, there are also good opportunities to record butterflies from the comfort of your seat.

Often I can do this without having to fumble for binoculars tucked away inside my rucksack. Species such as Large White, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell can be accurately identified as they are only a few yards away and earlier in the year Peacock, Brimstone and Orange-tip are other possibilities.

A few stations have a now disused second platform and behind the one at Campsea Ashe I have twice recorded Purple Hairstreaks in the relatively short Oaks.

However, the best sighting so far was on July

reserve. Here we began to see Peacock butterflies.

This was a sheltered valley. Small Heaths abound later in the season on the sunny bank. All we saw was a Small Tortoiseshell nearby and returned to the stream where Nick produced Horse Leeches.

Back at our starting place we commenced a second circuit taking in the drive, hearing a Nightingale, seeing where Hornets nested and the as-yet untenanted Stag Beetle pyramid. Great Minotaur Beetles and Lesser Stag Beetles are found on this reserve, but only an accidentally introduced Stag Beetle has been seen.

We saw perhaps half a dozen Peacock butterflies and a Small Tortoiseshell during the afternoon, so from the point of view of butterfly watching the day was only just profitable in a reserve where up to 23 species have been recorded, but the wealth of natural history interest there made this a very enjoyable and worthwhile visit.

Tony's moths: Stigmella aurella - mines on bramble; Emmetia marginea - mines on bramble; Agonopterix assimiklla larva in spinning on broom;

In the afternoon we 'moved across the road to this private reserve ~mprising several different habitats in a small ~ We were welcomed by the' warden, Nick Miller, who was generous with his time and ~thusiastic knowledge of this the area around his home. He told us that the area had been pllfl of the Assington estate untill it was dear-felled in 1938, whereupon the estate had been sold dff to its tenants. Tiger Hill (origin of name also uncertain) has five separate owners who set up ~s Local Nature Reserve with Suffolk County Council and is managed by the Dedham Vale and Stoor Valley Project.

Ledby Nick we explored the six main habitats - acid grass heath, wetter slopes, woodland, wet meadow, hedgerow, stream and ponds.

As we set out Geoff was quick to point out a Badger's latrine on the, heathland. There were old anthills, big areas of mosses. Someone found a Lizard, tailless. Richard explained that dropping a tail was a means of escaping predators when caught, and then they grow a new one. Nick said Grass Snakeshad already appeared that spring, but the site has no Adders. He added that the area hosted a good Dormouse population, and the Stour Valley Project thought they seemed to prefer black plastic tubes for nesting i~stead of wooden boxes.

We walked dmyn the slope towards the stream encountering first the secondary woodland of natural regeneration along the always-flowing Assington Brook,' then the older woodland, the change showing in the way the mature branches reached out on one side of the trees towards the erstwhile space. , Here, to our delight, Nick went fishing, bringing up stones fro'm the stream bed with the aquatic residents attacHed bearing testimony to the clean water; Freshw4ter Limpets, Caddis Fly larvae, Freshwater Shrimps, Nymphs, and even a Jenkins Spireshell, a ~pecies arrived from New Zealand five years ago, then virtually disappeared.

We walked through a Hazel coppice, out into a meadow, a more recent addition to the

Eriocrania subpurpurella,, Cokophora lithargyriru:lla

case on stitchwort.

Flora included much of the morning's list but additionally we saw Sheep's Sorrell, Wall Speedwell, Heath Bedstraw, Climbing Corydalis, Liverwort, Great Bittercress, Alternate-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Raspberry, Marsh Thistle, Cuckoo Flower, Meadowsweet, Angelica, Forgetme-not, Mouse-ear Chickweed, Peppermint, Campion (variety uncenain}, Creeping Buttercup, Gorse, Broom, Hoary Cinquefoil.

1

White Admiral

by BerylJohnson 16th, as I was returning to Ipswich from Lowestoft.

At Becclesa derelict platform has been colonised by a rich abundance of wild plants, including Buddleia, Wild Carrot, Ragwort and Mullein.

I was the right side to get a close view of a lovely orange Comma in flight then became aware of a similar sized butterfly, mainly black but with a flash of white, and flying nearby. Having seen White Admirals in woods not far from Becdes I instantly concentrated even harder, though I decided not to get my binoculars out as I might lose track of its flight path.

You are also acutely aware that at any second the train may start again. Fortunately at this moment the butterfly settled on a nearby leaf and I was able to add the White Admiral, with fully open wings, to my list of butterflies seen from the train.

20

by Beryl]ohnson

5

Autumn 2005

The SuffolkArgus Admirals, but we later learned that although the wood did once suppon them, they hadn't been seen for many years.

Just outside the wood we examined a pond, in which something like conifer branches grew.

Beryl later identified this as a type of Water Crowfoot, (possibly Thread-leaved). Looking at the new area of arable land being taken in to form Hullback's Grove we could see evidence of Badger activity.The strength of these creatures was evidenr by the force they had used to push through the chicken wire fencing. Nearby was a fungus of the Puffball fumily.

Walking back through the lower reachesof the fen we saw the expected boggy plants such as Ransoms, Golden Saxifrage and Cuckoo Flower with the promise of later Orange-tip Butterflies.

Some of us chose to picnic in the comfon of our cars, bllt other intrepid souls sat at the picnic bench surrounded by opening Bluebellsand were rewarded with the sight of a couple of Peacockbutterflies.

Birds vouched for included Tree Creeper, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Skylark, Blackcap, Blue Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Tony's moth list reads: Stigmella aurella mines on bramble; Emmetia marginea - mines on bramble; Agonopterix assimiklla larva in spinning on broom; Argyresthia spinosella larva in spinning on blackthorn; Green-brindled Crescent young larva beaten blackthorn flowers.

Flora either in flower or in leaf included Red Deadnetde, Spring Beauty, Moschatel, Lesser Celandine, white Dog Violet, Primrose, Bluebell, Wood Anemone, Ground Ivy, Cuckoo Flower, Male Fern, Early Dog Violet, Broom, Cherry, Greater Stitchwort, Wood Spurge, Field Rose, Pignut, Yellow Archangel, Winrercress (thanks Geoff), Wood Sorrell, Foxglove,Dog's Mercury, 3veined Sandwort, Common Chickweed, Wood Sage, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage,Lilac Ivyleaved Veronica, (thanks Kathy) Wild Arum, Barren Strawberry flowering but Wild Strawberry leaves only showing. (Thanks to Margaret and the flora enthusiasts).

2005 Field Meetings Morning visit to Arger Fen 16th April

by StellaWolfe When this date was suggested for ow- first outing of the year there was always the chance that the spring would be cold and wet and bereft of butterflies. However, Arger Fen was chosen for the diversity of natw-al history interest in case butterflies failed to materialise.

Situated between Nayland and Bures, on the north side of the Stour valley,Arger Fen, (origin of name uncenain) isn't a fen in the Cambridgeshire sense, but is a fragment of the wildwood once covering Suffolk, with tree covered valley slopes and damp areas. It is owned by Suffolk County Council. Of interest are the Cherry trees, but these were engulfed in the 1960s by the Forestry Com.mission'sConifer planting. AJJthese are felled the natural habitat is returning.

So what did we see on this too-cool day?

There were the hoped-for spring flowers, either blooming or showing leaves as we walked round the outer paths hopefully seeking light and warmth. We broke our into the meadow where the fitful sunshine warmed the bursting leaves in a sheltered corner, and our first butterfly whisked by, probably a Small Tonoiseshell but not positively identified. Richard's keen eye followed flies to a warm tree trunk then spotted two Lizards basking.

Tony and Geoff between them found 7-spot Ladybirds and a Beefly with its long proboscis.

Noting Honeysuckle entwining the trees we thought a later visit might produce White

•The Suffolk Show Through this newsletter and on behalf of the committee I should like to thank the generous but anonymous member who has over the past few years kindly donated hand-made gift tags and greetings cards.

All the proceeds from the sale of these beautifully made cards, with a butterfly motif, go to our Branch Funds.

BerylJohnson

PaintedLady

by Beryl]ohmon

RedAdmiral

by DouglasHammersley

CloudedYellow byBerylJohnson

4

21

Autumn2005

The SuffolkArgus

In Memoriam Donations:

Editorial

A donation to Butterfly Conservation is a wonderful lasting tribute io anyone who gained pleasure from Butterffies and Moths during their life time. Every donation in memory of a loved one will hdp save the butterffies and moths from which they derived so much enjoyment.

Immigrant Lepidoptera appear to be low in number this year according to my garden records. We have had only a few sightings of Painted Ladies and our first 2005 record for a Silver Y was on 1st September, although Humming-bird Hawk-moth numbers have been similar to previous years. Also the number of Large and Small Whites at present is significantly lower than last year, however there is still time for a late influx of these two species.

As I am one of a diminishing breed of people who grow their own vegetables, organically I would add, I am glad that the 'Cabbage Whites' are down in number. It is quite difficult to grow brassicas organically and my solution is to net the greens with a mesh, but in due course the plant growth gets restrained and the mesh has to be removed. Still prior to removal it does provide some amusement watching frustrated Whites trying to access the greens to lay their eggs.

In the last issue I did appeal for more articles from members, but as you will see from this

Here are just a few examples of what can be achieved from donations in memory: ■ A donation of £100

will provide one days' vital habitat management on one of our reserves.

■ A donation of £300 will buy a moth trap, so volunteers can carry out ongoing survey work.

■ A donation of £500

will enable us to run a training event for landowners and farmers on better land management for butterflies and moths.

There are many ways ro give in memory. For example, you could make a donation to Butterfly Conservation instead of buying flowers for a funeral. You can make a one-off donation at any time, or you can donate on a regular basis, for instance to commemorate a loved ones birthday or an anniversary.

If you would like ro make a donation in memory of a loved one, then their name will be written in the In Memoriam book, which is held in the reception at the Lulworth Office. If you would like ro write a few words about your loved one, we would be happy to include these in the book as well. We will send a certificate to each donor marking the gifr. We will also, with the permission of the family, mention the donation in our annual review.

In Memoriam gifrs can be arranged through funeral directors or direct to Butterfly Conservation. All donations, no matter how small, are gratefully received and acknowledged.

Small White (Female)

by DouglasHammersley

by Jim Foster

edition I could still have done with more items. I have padded out the Argus with more illustrations than usual and at the deadline copy date I was expecting to drop four pages, however some material came in afrer the copy date and I have just managed to fill the pages.

Those of you who attended the Annual General Meeting will be aware that there are some changes to the Committee.

Rob Parker is standing down as Chairman but continues as County Butterfly Recorder and Mike Dean takes over the duties of Chairman. Graham Bull afrer about ten years of sterling service as Treasurer has resigned and I am taking over his duties. As I do not wish to wear two hats, it is timely that Stuart Gough has volunteered to be Editor and has joined the Committee. He will be responsible for the next issue of the Suffolk Argus and future articles should be sent to him.

So this is my last issue as Editor and I thank all those who have contributed to the Suffolk Argus during my Editorship and ask that you give Stuart similar support. Details of the revised Committee are as on the back cover of this newsletter.

I will sign off with illustrations of the two species of butterfly I love to hate!

If you would like further information or would like to discuss your gifr in person please contact Christine Simpson on 0870 7744309 or email csimpson@butterfly-conservation.org Thank you for thinking of us at this time.

Large White

by DouglasHammersley 22

3

Autumn2005

The SuffolkArgus

Contents Editorial Arger Fen and Tiger Hill Monks Wood Oaken Wood and Denbies Hillside Moth Night at West Stow Silver-studded Blue Workshop Ickworth Park Bentley Old Hall Wood National Moth Night at Wordwell Tattingstone and Alton Water Purple Hairstreaks My Favourite Butterfly The Butterflies and Moths of Martlesham Heath From the Train In Memoriam Donations Newsletter Details and General Information Suffolk Branch Contacts

For that difficult to find present, why not give a decorative butterfly or moth to mount on the front wall of someone's home ?

3

4 6 7 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 17 18 1 20 22 23 Back Cover

•Piij -·, f~PA (jJt,."i, •,; ..·r.;r,1·...,.

For that difficult to find present, why not give a decorative butterfly or moth to mount on the front·•· wall of someone's home ? Cast in aluminium and enamelled in very realistic colours at 'five times life-size,they will last for many years. Highly individual nameplates too, to your own design,with no-obligation colour preview. Suffolk Branch will receive one quarter of the purchase price.

Phone or fax Men:vn Crawford on Mildenhall (01638) 712600/or Coloizrbrochiuel Pricelist

2

l;::'_-.--l~9~P

Editorial Copy Dates Contributions for our newsletter should reach the Editor (address on back page) no later than: Spring

Christmas Eve

Summer

April Fools Day

Autumn

August Bank Holiday Cast in aluminium and enamelled in very realistic colours at five times life-size,they will last for many years, Highly individual nameplates too, to your own design, with no-obligation colour preview, Suffolk Branch will receive one quarter of the purchase price,

Any piece of writing that is considered to be of interest will be published together with line drawings/prints /photographs.

The Suffolk Argus is your magazine, so please let us hear from you.

To advertisein the Suffolk Argus please contact Stuart Goughon 01473 429249.

Phone or fax Mervyn Crawford on Mildenhall (01638) 712600for Colour brochure I Price list..

SUFFOL MOTH GROU

Come and see the wonders of the night. Regular field meetings and newsletter. Online guide to the larger moths of Suffolk.

Website: www.suffolkmoths.org.uk Conud: Tony Prichard for further details.

23

Suffolk

Branch Contacts

Chairman Mike Dean, Coach House, lxworth, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 2HL (01284 705476) Membership Secretary Beryl Johnson, 28 Medway Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 0QH (01473 715701) Newsletter Editor Stuart Gough, 268 Spring Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 5NN (01473 429249) Publicity Officer (Vacant) Programme Secretary Alan Johnson, 28 Medway Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 0QH (01473 715701) County Recorder {Butterflies) Rob Parker (address above right) Regional Officer Eastern Region Sharon Hearle, c/o Busy Bee, 21 High St., Newmarket, Suffolk CBS 8LX (01638 731648) sharon@butterfly-conservation.org

The Butterfly

Conservation Conservation Officer (Butterflies) Rob Parker, 66 Cornfield Road, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3BN (01284 705476) Conservation Officer (Moths) Tony Prichard, 3 Powling Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 9JR (01473 270047) County Recorder (Moths) Tony Prichard (address above) Secretary Tony Prichard, (address above) Treasurer Jim Foster, Lugano, The Street, Stonham Aspal, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 6AH (01449 711484) Committee Members Stella Wolfe, President Howard Mendel, c/o The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW? 5BD (0171 938 8782)

Volunteers Needed If you feel you could help out now and then with the growing work of the Branch, please contact Beryl Johnson on 01473 715701.

Publishedby the Suffolk Branchof ButterflyConservation www.suffolkbutterflies.org.uk

The Newsletter of the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation

Butterfly Conservation Limited by Guarantee RegisteredOffice: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QPTel: (01929) 400209 © 2004 all rights reserved Reg.No. 2206468 Reg. Charity No. 254937 Ed.itori Jim Foster Logo: (Silver-scuddedBlue}Doug Hammersley Design: Stephen Ion, Cat & Mouse design Printen 321 Printing, 25 Brookhouse Business Park, Hadlcigh Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 0EF

Butterfly

Conservation

Autumn 2005 Volume36