The Suffolk Argus
Summer 2003
Scrub Clearance at Purdis Heath
Butterfly Report for
2002
Saturday January 25th 2003 Drinker
by RichardStewart Thanks to plenty of advance publicity, much of it generated by James Baker of the Greenways Project, this event was attended by about fifty people, some of whom stayed all day, others putting in several hours of work. Ac a minimum a total of210 volunteer hours was achieved, with chose present well fortified throughout che day by plentiful supplies of drinks and biscuits. One person used a chainsaw but most cackled the scrub with saws or loppers. In this souchwesc corner of the site, which has SSSI designation, I recorded a good count of Silverr--. scudded Blues in 200 l but numbers C )j~were low last year, mainly due co seedling Silver Birches shading ' out much of the site and reducing the hotspots ~ _,.,,__ ~ needed by the ant / /. - • • 1"' ";-.. colonies, which / •• • ~ ., are an integral 'j
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pare of the Silverscudded Blue's life cycle. If this colony declines ic could affect the status of the site ~ and resurrect \ "applications for • housing development.
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SilverStuddedBlue by Beryl Johnson
by Mervyn Crawford
Wildlife seen on a day chat had cloud, brief showers, a rainbow and bright sunshine, included Heron, Green Woodpecker, Great Spocced Woodpecker, Mistle Thrushes and some flowering Gorse. The Rabbits sensiblykept hidden. By the end . of the day a large area, much larger than anticipated, had been cleared of scrub, one large bonfire had taken place and other large heaps awaited burning the following week. Some of the longer poles will end up in racehorse fences and the longest will form part of sea defences on our Suffolk coast. The stumps were created with a herbicide co hopefully prevent regrowth and ic will be interesting co moniror this site co see if numbers improve. There is still the problem of the large row of Silver Birches nearby, which seed the area and need reducing in numbers. In the long term a wide corridor could be created co cry co link up this area with chat at the other end of the site, adjoining Purdis Farm Lane. Perhaps the best pare of what was a very successful and harmonious day was the list of organisations represented. I apologise if I have missed any but my list covers Buccerfly Conservation, Greenways Project, Ipswich and District Natural History Sociery, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, the Sandlings Group, Otley College, Ipswich Golf Club, a Park Ranger, local residents and members of the Parish Council, Bucklesham Road Action Group and, thankfully, several children. The local press also attended and spent some time caking details and photos. 20
by RichardStewart Red Admirals seen by Rob Macklin at North Warrenheath on 12th Februaryand by Michael Twist at Borley Green in the last week of February added to the evidence of probable overwintering. Rob Parker's earliest ever Speckled Wood was soon eclipsed by Geoff Hayes on 28th March at Chevin'sWood, a day, which included 22 Commas and nine Peacock. Despite its considerable spread in recent years the Speckled Wood is still colonising and in 2002 was recorded in 171 2km tetrads (making it second only to the Large White with 186). The transect index for the species at Center Pares, Elveden was a very high 449. A dry April produced at least 20 Brimstone on an all day Buccerfly Conservation meeting at Lineage Wood and along the old Lavenham railway line, on 20th April, one of the best single day counts of this species in Suffolk. My early Wall in che Fynn Valley on 24th April was the equal earliest and by che middle of May Rob Parker was recording 40 Orange Tips at Wardwell and Reg Etheridge had 31 Green-veined Whites at Boyton Marshes. The walk around North Warren and Aldringham Walks on 15th May, led by Rob Macklin produced thirteen different species and also at North Warren Rob had an early Green Hairscreak on April 20th. This species was only recorded in 22 Suffolk cecrads,just three in West Suffolk, but at Orford Ness (The Street) ic was recorded on fifteen separate dates, with a maximum of eight. The 83 Holly Blues recorded at Exning by a small Butterfly Conservation group muse be a new
single site record and by the third week of May the Painted Lady was being recorded in several gardens. By che end of this month a Clouded Yellowhad been recorded during the Ipswich and District Natural History Society's meeting at Piper's Vale on the 30th and this species beat its single record in 200 l with 30 2km cecrad records, including var. he/ice at Shocley24th August (Roger and Stella Wolfe). The Dingy Skipper was just recorded at Center Pares, Wardwell and RAF Barnham and this year a complete Silver-studded Blue count was made within the specified time limits. Rob Macklin had his highest total so far at Aldringham Walks, with a maximum of 206 on 2nd July, and there was exciting news of a new colony found by Dave Mason at Upper Hollesley and a second closer co Ipswich. Audrey Morgan also found one in a new cecrad at Succon, possibly a vagrant but with seemingly suitable habitat nearby. However, sites at Marclesham and Purdis still need urgent work co remove encroaching scrub and the colony at Blackheach, Wenhascon, will probably need copping up, under licence. The three Skippers had poor years in terms of recording coverage: Large and Essex recorded in just 58 2km cecradseach and Small in 63, but there was a welcome Small Skipper sighting at Landguard. In contrast Michael and Jenny Kelsey recorded approximately 200 Gatekeepers at Sizewellcliffs on 4th August. Detailed records from North Warren, with a transect annual index of 241, the transect at Center Pares with an annual index of 346 and a monthly count in July of 352 at Bradfield Woods point co an excellent year for the Ringlet. For once Meadow Brown was not the most commonly recorded Suffolk species, in cecrad terms, being third with 167. The Wall made a good recovery on the North Warren transect, with 73 being the best annual index since 1993. Roger and Stella Wolfe recorded three separate generations of this species in their garden at Belvedere Road, Ipswich, but the worrying lack of West Suffolk records continues, with just one in 2002. The concentration on the White-letter Hairscreak as 2002 target species produced four new records, from Mike Dean in the middle of Bury Sc.Edmunds, in Wicken Wood and at
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