Introduction and News

Introduction

News

Introduction

Welcome to the website of the Upper Thames Branch of Butterfly Conservation. Founded in 1982, the Branch aims to protect butterflies, moths and their habitats in the three counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire, which includes the beautiful rolling hills of the open Downs and wooded Chilterns, the broad vales of Oxford and Aylesbury with the ancient Bernwood complex, the edge of the picturesque Cotswolds and the threatened heathlands of south-east Berkshire. We have some 550 members and the Branch is managed by the membership on an entirely voluntary basis.

The three counties are home to three quarters of the 60 or so British species of butterfly and two thirds of the 900 or so British macro-moths. Most notable amongst the butterflies are the Black Hairstreak, with half the UK colonies being found in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, and the Adonis Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper, with their most northerly UK populations in the Chilterns. Amongst the macro-moths Buckinghamshire is considered to be one of the strongholds of the Striped Lychnis, a population of the Heart Moth is to be found in Berkshire and colonies of the Barberry Carpet and Pale Shining Brown have recently been discovered in west Oxfordshire.

Thanks to the generosity of Beaconsfield Town Council the Branch has its own reserve at Holtspur Bottom in Bucks. Here we have transformed the northern side of Holtspur Valley from derelict agricultural land back to species rich chalk grassland and over the last few years the Green Hairstreak, Small Blue, Dark Green Fritillary, Chalkhill Blue and Striped Lychnis have all been recorded here. A report by Nick Bowles and Frank Banyard in the Conservation section will update you on the success of the Small Blue in the Holtspur Valley. If you would like to visit our reserve then the location can be found in the Sites section.

The Branch regularly monitors the butterflies and moths within the three counties. We have published two butterfly atlases in 1994 and 2005 and both are still available. Our rare species all receive special attention through our Species Champion programme.

During the winter we carry out conservation work at several sites, including regular work parties at our own reserve, and we arrange a limited number of indoor events. Most notable amongst these are our Members' Day in late October or early November and our Conservation Action Day in February or March. During the spring and summer we have a programme of Field Meetings across the three counties. You can find details of our programme in the Events section.

Butterfly and/or moth records from non-members are very welcome and information on submitting them is given in our Your Records section. Non-members are also very welcome to attend any of our events which are listed on the Events page. If you would like to become a member of Butterfly Conservation you will receive the national magazine, Butterfly, and automatic membership of the Upper Thames Branch if you live in the area. You will also receive our Branch newsletter which is produced three times a year. Please join us now and help save our butterflies, moths and their habitats.

---

News

Information about this website can be found in the Sitemap & Updates section. Please revisit this page in the future as it will contain latest news items and other general Branch information.

18th July 2010

Butterfly Conservation is teaming up with Marks and Spencer to launch the biggest ever public butterfly and moth count to date.

Butterflies are both beautiful and vital to the health of our environment. Their survival is crucial yet they are in serious decline. Be part of the big butterfly count from the 24th July to the 1st of August this year and help us gather information to save them. Just find a place where you might see butterflies and moths, such as a garden or park, and count the different butterflies and moths you see in just 15 minutes. You can make counts in several places during the week. Butterflies are disappearing fast and we can’t help them without your support. For more information, to download an ID chart and submit your sightings please visit the Big Butterfly Count website.
 

26th November 2009

UTB Member Becky Woodell receives the BC 2009 Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Becky is a founder member of the Upper Thames Branch of Butterfly Conservation and is also its Wood White Champion. However, her main contribution to the well-being of our lepidoptera has been through Whitecross Green Wood, a local Wildlife Trust reserve. Becky was highly instrumental in the Trust securing the site in the early 70’s and since then has acted as its voluntary Warden, playing a leading role in determining and carrying out the site management. In spite of being in her seventies Becky is still to be found every Sunday throughout the winter leading a work-party within the reserve. Largely through her efforts Whitecross Green Wood is now a premier butterfly site which attracts visitors from across the UK. During 2009 she has played a leading role in assessing the implications of the proposed re-opening of the Oxford to Milton Keynes railway line which was known to be home to colonies of Wood White, Grizzled Skipper and Dingy Skipper. The investigations inspired by Becky have also brought to light that a previously unknown Black Hairstreak colony is potentially threatened.

26th September 2009

Sheepdrove Rare Butterfly Project needs volunteers to monitor and boost project progress.
The Upper Thames Branch of Butterfly Conservation is a founding partner of the Sheepdrove Rare Butterfly Project, which has ambitious plans to bring priority species back to Sheepdrove Organic Farm, located on the border of Oxfordshire and Berkshire. With help from local nature fans and the farm’s cattle, new habitat is being created to suit Marsh Fritillary, Small Blue, Chalkhill Blue and more. Hundreds of caterpillar host plants are being invested at key plots. "We aim to establish the most southern colony of Marsh Fritillary in Oxfordshire and the second colony known in Berkshire, where it is almost extinct.” explains Jason Ball, who devised the project, co-funded by Natural England and the farm.
The farm needs volunteers to monitor and boost project progress and 2 survey transects are up for grabs! Please contact Jason on 01488 674727 or email jason.ball@sheepdrove.com.
 

25th April 2009

Trevor Munns 1957-2009

(The following obituary will be appearing in our May 2009 newsletter.)

Several members were gladdened to see that Trevor maintained his passion for butterflies and moths in spite of being confined to a wheelchair when they met him and Caroline in Bernwood Forest a couple of summers ago. Trevor's cheerfulness and humour at the Branch barbeque later in the summer impressed all those present. Trevor is a great loss in the fight to save our local butterflies and moths and I am sure you would all like to join me in expressing condolences to Caroline and their two sons, Christopher and Robert, in their great loss.

David Redhead
 

Andrew Masterton of south-west Scotland branch is calling for help with some important surveys of Priority butterflies in south-west Scotland. They are Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Chequered Skipper, Mountain Ringlet, Dingy Skipper, Northern Brown Argus. Andrew has developed a marvellous website with interactive maps to show you where the colonies are that he wants re-surveyed. All records are to be sent to him via the website:
http://www.southwestscotland-butterflies.org.uk/
This is a vast area, in a beautiful part of Scotland, with some very important colonies so any help would be greatly appreciated. If you know somebody who is visiting this area please pass this link on.

9th April 2009

Stuart Hodges receives Outstanding Volunteer Award at BC's national AGM in York
For the last decade Stuart Hodges has been the Upper Thames Branch Black Hairstreak Champion and in this role has been an exemplar for other Species Champions. His work has greatly enhanced our understanding and conservation of the Black Hairstreak. It has directly led to not only the re-confirmation of several historic colonies which were thought to be extinct but also to the discovery of a number of new colonies. He regularly liaises with the relevant landowners to ensure the continuing well-being of the colonies on their land and as a result several now take a positive and active pride in their colonies. On 22nd November 2008 Stuart's achievements were recognised when he was presented with an Outstanding Volunteer Award by Chairman Maurice Avent at BC's national AGM in York.

14th March 2009

The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS) goes ahead in 2009
by Dr Katie Cruickshanks, WCBS co-ordinator
After two years of pilot testing, a new method of monitoring butterflies in widespread habitats, such as farmland and upland moorland, is to be rolled out nationwide this year. The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey method has been developed by Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology as part of the UKBMS project. The existing Transect network provides invaluable data on the status of butterflies, yet widespread habitats are under-recorded. More information on the fate of butterflies in these areas is needed. The new survey is intended to fill these gaps by complementing, rather than replacing, the existing Transect network.

The pilot testing has thrown up some interesting information. Last year, despite the unsettled weather, nearly two thirds of the 1-km squares visited in 2007 were revisited by volunteers. In total 40 species were recorded. Importantly all 23 target species were detected in both pilot years which means that trends can be analysed to test whether classic Transects provide a truly representative picture of butterflies in the UK landscape as a whole. Volunteers who have participated in the pilot testing have shown considerable enthusiasm and it is hoped this will continue to grow. There has been close involvement with the British Trust for Ornithology and the method is based on the highly successful Breeding Bird Survey. We hope that many BTO recorders will be returning to their bird sites this summer to collect butterfly data as part of the survey along with many new surveys completed by BC recorders.

The new method involves making a minimum of two visits to a randomly selected square near to your home between May and August to count butterflies along two 1km survey lines running roughly north-south through the your square. The survey will be co-ordinated centrally by BC but we aim to find a Champion in each Branch to help find willing volunteers. We are aiming for 20 squares per Branch.

Please email survey@butterfly-conservation.org or call 01929 406036 to register interest in taking part and you will be contacted in early spring with instructions and the location of your random 1km survey square. Keep an eye on www.butterfly-conservation.org/wcbs for more information.

BC National Recorders’ Meeting: Saturday 4th April 2009
Booking is now open for the 2009 National Butterfly Recorders’ Meeting. It will take place once again at the Birmingham and Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BS (see www.bmi.org.uk for a map). The National Recorders’ Meeting provides key feedback to volunteers about the butterfly recording and monitoring undertaken through national projects – Butterflies for the New Millennium and the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. Butterfly population trends for 2008 will be unveiled for the first time at the meeting and we will also hear about the launch of the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey in 2009. Guest speakers will give presentations about several exciting butterfly projects making use of recording and monitoring data, including research into the decline of the Small Tortoiseshell by Owen Lewis (Oxford University). We do require advanced booking for this event and there is a (heavily subsidised) registration fee of £5 per person, which will be collected on the day, to help cover the costs of venue hire, tea/coffee and buffet lunch. If you would like to book a place please contact Ian Middlebrook at Butterfly Conservation providing your name and contact details (Telephone 01929 400209 or Email imiddlebrook@butterfly-conservation.org).

National Moth Night is on 18th and 19th September 2009
Recording can take place on either night or on both. There are no target species, but the theme is migration and we are planning some exciting activities. More details will follow later in the year.

National AGM / Members Day – Saturday 21 November 2009
This year’s BC AGM and Members Day will take place on Saturday 21 November at Winchester University and will be hosted by Hampshire & IOW Branch. Further details will be available later in the year.

International Symposium – March 2010
Butterfly Conservation will be holding its 6th International Symposium on 26-28 March 2010 at Reading University. The meeting will address the key target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010 which was set across Europe almost a decade ago. There will be reviews of progress from the UK, Europe, and countries throughout the world, as well as the latest science on how to reverse declines and conserve habitats. The Symposium will conclude with an analysis of future challenges, including the impact of climate change. Further information and details of how to book will be posted on BC’s national website over the coming months.

30th January 2009

MPs alarmed at butterfly declines - BC member and MP Bob Russell has produced an Early Day Motion which calls on Government departments to work co-operatively to help our beleaguered butterflies. He already has over 50 signatures from other MPs but your local MP might not have signed. Please visit this link to see the Early Day Motion (EDM 8):
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=37000&SESSION=899

Assuming you find this a sensible and positive proposal, please write to your MP. Even as few as 10 letters, on any one subject, will tend to dominate their correspondence and certainly make them think. An EDM which attracts large numbers of signatures is still unlikely to be debated in the House of Commons but just might be. They certainly alert the Government to the strength of feeling of the members (across all parties). For this reason they are assumed to impact on Government direction. There is a sample letter here (Word document) or here (plain text document) that you can download and use as a basis for your own. Of course, if your MP has signed then equally we wish to thank them. More details are available on the BC Head Office website, where you can also find the name of your local MP.

8th October 2008

On 8th October 2008, Professor Jeremy Thomas will give a ‘Café Scientifique’ in Wallingford entitled ‘Back from the brink? Saving Britain’s butterflies’. The venue is the Wallingford Corn Exchange Café/Bar. The talk is free and starts at 7.30 pm but due to the limited capacity of the venue it is best to get there at 7.00 pm.
For more details see the website: http://www.cafescientifique.org/wallingford.htm

22nd August 2008

Butterfly Week on BBC1's One Show next week (each night, from Monday 25th - Friday 29th August), will be presented by Miranda Krestovnikoff with contributions from Matthew Oates, National Trust. It will star the Large Blue at Collard Hill, an almost unsuccessful pursuit of the Swallowtail in the Broads (note that the larva shown is not a Swallowtail), a good performance from the High Brown Fritillary at Heddon Valley, Cabbage Whites etc. at Barrington Court garden, Soms, and best of all, Friday 29th: The Emperor's Breakfast, in Fermyn Woods. Do not miss the latter, it is Matthew Oates' personal fantasy acted out and shows that when it comes to eccentricity British natural history still has what it takes...

20th June 2008

As a way of celebrating the 40th anniversary of Butterfly Conservation, the Gloucestershire Branch has produced a booklet of 40 good butterfly walks in the county. "40 Butterfly Walks in Gloucestershire" has even made members of the committee want to go out and visit places they have never been to before! About 25 members of the branch have contributed the walks and the whole project was co-ordinated by Roger Wasley. It is hoped that other people will find the booklet useful and that it will heighten their interest in butterflies and the countryside around them. As Matthew Oates says in his Forward 'This book opens up some of the most wonderful English butterfly walks imaginable. Enjoy, and engage!'
The price is £4.50 to include postage and packing and details of how to order your copy are available on the Homepage of the BC Gloucestershire Branch website:
http://www.gloucestershire-butterflies.org.uk/

12th May 2008

A UTB Conservation & Publicity Success - In September 2006 the Upper Thames Branch (UTB) was involved in the refurbishment of a small area in Wood Farm Estate, Oxford as part of the ITV Big Clean-up Campaign organised by the Conservation Volunteer Service (CSV). One element of this was the planting of a new hedge and blackthorn was included at the request of UTB as the Brown Hairstreak was known to be within 1km of the site. UTB members Caroline Steel, Jim Asher and David Redhead joined local residents in helping to plant the hedge. We are now very proud to announce that last summer a Brown Hairstreak found this new hedge and laid three eggs on it. The CSV Press Office announced this via a press release this morning (Monday 12th May) and this afternoon UTB Brown Hairstreak Champion, David Redhead, spent some time at the site with the Oxford Mail & Times photographer getting pictures of the 5mm long caterpillar which had emerged from one of these eggs. Hopefully, it will also be figuring on ITV local news in the next few days.
Update 16/05/07: An article appeared in the Oxford Mail on 13th May and is currently available to read on the internet at the following link:
http://www.oxfordmail.net/search/display.var.2265747.0.rare_butterfly_settles_in_city.php
The article may be largely repeated in the weekly sister publication on Friday 16th May, the Oxford Times.

22nd October 2007

New Publication: "THE MOTHS OF HERTFORDSHIRE by Colin Plant." As Hertfordshire is one of our neighbouring counties we thought that some of you might be very interested in this 500-page A4-sized colour atlas which is due for publication by the Hertfordshire Natural History Society during the spring of 2008. It will cover all 1,523 species of macro- and micro-moth that have been recorded in Hertfordshire between 1834 and 2006. Until 31st January 2008 advanced orders are being taken at a special pre-publication price offer of £26 (including post and packing). After that date the cost will rise to the cover price of £45. To reserve your copy, go to the Herts Moth Group web-site: http://www.hnhs.org/whatsnew1.html and download an order form.

20th March 2007

A new White-letter Hairstreak Recording Project has been initiated by the Herts & Middlesex branch of Butterfly Conservation.

This three-year nationwide project aims to discover the distribution of the White-letter Hairstreak Butterfly. It has two distinct phases: locating flowering elm in springtime and looking for active males in the treetops at the start of the flight period.
If you would like to help, or would just like to learn more about this fascinating butterfly, visit the following excellent website: http://w-album.hertsmiddx-butterflies.org.uk/

15th March 2007

A new group has been established for Butterfly Conservation members wanting to help conserve butterflies and moths in Europe.

The European Interests Group is a member-based organisation within Butterfly Conservation. It aims to promote conservation work, encourage recording in Europe and work with partner organisations to lobby European governments.

BC members can join for an additional £10 fee. All correspondence,newsletters, etc., will only be sent electronically. To ask for more information click here.

   Click the logo to visit EIG's website.