26
Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 39
Butterfly Report for 2002 Red Admirals seen by Rob Macklin at North Warren heath on 12 February and by Michael Twist at Borley Green in the last week of February added to evidence of probable over-wintering. Rob Parker’s earliest ever Speckled Wood was soon eclipsed by Geoff Hayes on 28 March at Chevin’s Wood 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 171 tetrads (making it second only the Large White with 186). The transect index for the species at Center Parcs, Elveden was a very high 449. A dry April produced at least 20 Brimstone on an all day Butterfly Conservation meeting at Lineage Wood and along the old Lavenham railway line, on 20 April, one of the best single day counts of this species in Suffolk. My early Wall in the Fynn Valley on 24 April was the equal earliest and by the middle of May Rob Parker was recording 40 Orange Tips at Wordwell and Reg Etheridge had 31 Green-veined Whites at Boyton Marshes. The walk around North Warren and Aldringham Walks on 15 May, led by Rob Macklin, produced 13 different species and, also at North Warren, Rob had an early Green Hairstreak on 20 April. This species was only recorded in 22 Suffolk tetrads, just three in west Suffolk, but at Orford Ness (The Street) it was recorded on 15 separate dates, with a maximum of eight on one day. The 83 Holly Blues recorded at Exning by a Butterfly Conservation group must be a new single site record and by the third week of May the Painted Lady was being recorded in several gardens. By the end of this month a Clouded Yellow had been recorded during the Ipswich and District Natural History Society’s meeting at Piper’s Vale on 30 May. And this species beat its single record in 2001 with 30 tetrad records, including var. helice at Shotley 24 August (Roger and Stella Wolfe). The Dingy Skipper was just recorded at Center Parcs, Wordwell and R.A.F. Barnham and this year a complete Silverstudded 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 2 July, and there was exciting news of a new colony found by Dave Mason at Upper Hollesley and a second closer to Ipswich. Audrey Morgan also found one in a new tetrad at Sutton, possibly a vagrant but with seemingly suitable habitat nearby. However, sites at Martlesham and Purdis still need urgent work to remove encroaching scrub and the colony at Blackheath, Wenhaston, will probably need topping up, under licence. The three Skippers had poor years in terms of recording coverage: Large and Essex recorded in just 58 tetrads each 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 Sizewell cliffs of 4 August. Detailed records from North Warren, with a transect annual index of 241, the transect at Center Parcs with an annual index of 346 and a monthly count in July of 352 at Bradfield Woods point to an excellent year for the Ringlet. For tetrad 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
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 39 (2003)