The Millennium Project Suffolk Branch Contacts ....................... Back Cover

The Millennium Project

by Richmd Stewart

In the last issue of The Suffolk Argus

(pages 8 & 9), Jim Asher described the

Millennium Project which will hopefully lead to an atlas of British butterflies to celebrate the new Century. The atlas will have national maps in 10 km squares but

for recording in Suffolk, the detailed

information essentially, needs to be in 1 km squares.

One look at any of the distribution maps in rhe excellent 'B11tterf/ies of S11.ffolk' (Men<lcl anti Piotrowski) rcveals che amount of recording necessary co cover che whole counry. However, there can be no doubt chat recording to this fine degree will be of great value. Here are just two good examples of chis:

I. The new information can be compare<l directly wich rhe 'B11ttaf/iu of S11.ffolk' which, by che en<l of the rnrvey, will he fourteen years old.

2. If in che future, any goo<l sites are rhreacened information will be rea<lily available 10 oppose their <lcscruccion.

I have alrea<ly ma<le contact wich every war<lcn in Suffolk, all Recor<lers who hclpetl by providing recor<ls for che 'Butterflies of Suffolk' and every member of che Suffolk Naturalises' Sociery is aware of the survey anti has a recording form. This now extends co the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation and soon, co all members of the Ipswich and District Natural History Sociery. To expand coverage still further, in the spring I shall be communicating with the Women's Institutes of Suffolk, Ra<lio Suffolk and all the local newspapers. How can you help? The obvious way is co recor<l as inany Suffolk sites as possible in 1995 using che enclosetl Bmcerfly Recor<l Sheet and send your results co me. This early response will also give early warning of under-recorded or completely missed sites

which can be utilised to avoid a 'mad scramble" in the final period. If everyone just recorded their garden b1111ernies this would be of great help. The recording sheet could also be sent to other organisat.ions who might he able to help or provide puhlicitr. Please give me a call (0473 688725) for more copies. The recordinl\ sheet itsdf should he simple to use. It requires only the site details and species ticked off in one column including if possible, maximum numbers seen. If your recording tends to focus on one place for example, your garden, you may find that you soon run out of space. My suggestion here would be to use one column per month or even one for the whole year with a note to indicate the extent of coverage such as 'Garden recorded every day from March to November'. If you visit a large site, it would help in appropriate instances, if you could include several grid references. Finally, experience has shown that two early-nying, single-brooded species are often under-recorded so please keep an eye out for these early on. We are talking about the Orange Tip which is on the wing in April and early May; impossible to confuse with any other if you see the male bu11erny. Also, the Green Hairstreak whose night period covers a similar time. Look out for a small brown butterfly in flight which has a wonderful, almost metallic green when settleu. It is most likely to be found on heathland especially near gorse and broom. Another species which can be easily overlooked particularly in gardens, is the Green-Veined White, so be sure to sort 0111 your '(;rem-Veim"from your 'Smt1lf' Whites. Fresh recording sheets will be distribmed each year so please return the 1995 records to me by December. Thank you and good luck!

Green Hairstreak

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