| Butterfly Conservation |  |
| 40 years of saving butterflies, moths and our environment |
| Butterfly Conservation | |
| 40 years of saving butterflies, moths and our environment |
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WORK PARTY REPORTS 2010/11
Devil's Dyke - 20th March 2011The forecast for the Branch’s final work party of the season boded well; predicting cloud, a little sun and temperatures exceeding 10°C which is exactly what we got.
Nine of us met up at the usual venue at the Devil’s Dyke, near Newmarket for the second visit this season; except this time we were working on the section west of the pine trees. Vince Lea, the Branch conservation officer for Cambridgeshire, was keen to continue his management regime of creating a mosaic of micro-habitats on the slope, thinning out the bramble and birch scrub, cutting the grass in patches and clearing some of the heavy scrub at the base of the ditch – with the aim of creating a variety of conditions for all manner of invertebrates, not least the Dyke’s colonies of Chalkhill Blues and Dingy Skippers. It was interesting to see the work recently carried out by contractors employed by the Dyke’s owners, The Jockey Club, who have successfully applied for funding under the Higher Level Stewardship scheme. Fortunately, the management plan allows for Butterfly Conservation’s continued involvement in this very special piece of chalkland, designated an SSSI because of its rich and varied flora and fauna. While the HLS agreement covers the dyke stretching from the Golf Course all the way to the A14, BC will continue to work on two sections; the first from about 300m northwest of the National Stud car park for another 300 metres or so towards the Cambridge Gap (the main Chalkhill Blue area) and the second sections runs from the pine trees northwest for about 400 metres to Well Gap, which is where we worked today. It was good to see John Dawson, whose early pioneering work on the Dyke laid the foundations for what we see today, able to join us. His search for rare ‘oil’ beetles (part of the blister beetle genus Meloea and currently the subject of a Buglife survey) was unfortunately fruitless but at least five Bloody-nosed beetles (Timarcha tenebricosa) and one Snail-eating beetle (Silpha atrata) was good consolation.
Three brushcutters were widely spread on this long section and soon made light work of the grass and the scrub, while the other volunteers lopped and sawed areas within the ditch and on the southern (north facing) slope. Lunch was accompanied by sightings of a single Comma, a flock of 30+ Golden Plovers flying over and a singing Chiffchaff in the distance. After lunch, brushcutting and lopping gave way to raking off and we were finished by 3:30pm, walking back in glorious sunshine.
Many thanks to all who gave their time and effort: John Dawson, Vince Lea, Louise Bacon, Lynne Farrell, Dave Seilly, Kevin Taylor, Anne Piper, Rob Smith and Tony Moverley. Langdon Lake & Meadows - 13th February 2011With the weather forecasters saying we were in for a wet day, and driving through drizzle on the way there, it was quite a surprise to go through the day 10.00am to 3.00pm in the dry.The aim for the day was to clear an area of mature hawthorn and bramble scrub on the downhill side of a large patch of the same ('compartment 3' in the NW part of the meadow; see the plan in last year's report). As in previous years, we are trying to entice Grizzled Skippers to re-colonise the meadow, a species which exists locally in areas not too distant.
The Work Party consisted of nine BC members, a student on a conservation course at Writtle College, two ladies who live locally and regularly contribute to work on the site, and Mick Coulson the Reserve Officer. With two brush cutters at work and the rest of us using saws and loppers the cleared area soon began to grow. An unfortunate incident occurred during the morning when Rob Smith’s eye was scratched by a piece of hawthorn. The eye was bathed with water and covered with a bandage and Rob retired in some pain to the Visitor Centre. To the relief of all, and not the least to Rob, he reappeared after lunch apparently none the worse for his accident. During the time spent in the Centre, he and Zoe agreed with Jonathan Wisbey, the Warden, to take turns carrying out a single species transect to monitor the number and locations of Grizzled Skipper butterflies on the site. A substantial area was cleared and the brush cuttings raked into piles for 'chipping' later in the week.
Thanks are due to Vince Lea, Louise Bacon and Tony Moverley who took it in turns using the brush cutters, and everyone else for hard work with the other tools: Rob Smith, Norman Feltwell, Steve Stuart and his son Jack, Zoe Ringwood; and the local EWT volunteers Nicola, Linda and Kerry. Last but not least thanks to Richard Bigg (Branch Conservation Officer for Essex) for co-ordinating the day. Thrift Wood - 23rd January 2011A dry day with a chilly north wind. We had an excellent turnout of fourteen members and the son of one of them, set to work at about 10.30am.Area 1 (see conservation plan below) at the southern end was left untouched and two brush-cutters worked down Area 2 which was only given a light cut last year. Where there were clumps of bramble these were left standing as they form a good source of nectar for the butterflies. Part of Area 3 was cut as guided by the Site Warden and Area 4 was left untouched, again as directed by the Warden. The cuttings were raked up and deposited amongst scrub along the edges of the glade.
The remainder of the group set about coppicing along the east side of Area 2. With so many in the party, by lunchtime, a fairly large area had been opened up by the tree-cutting gang and the target having been reached, we were able to finish at about 2.30pm, earlier than usual. We now await the verdict of the butterflies on our efforts!!!
Many thanks to all attending: Vince Lea and Tony Moverley on the brush-cutters, Louise Bacon, Rob Smith, Rob Fuller, Mark Bunch, Norman Feltwell, Guy Manners, John and Katherine Dawson, Zoe Ringwood, George Fletcher the Warden and particular thanks to Steve Stuart and his enthuiastic son Jack who were attending a C&E Branch work party for the first time - and of course Richard Bigg (Branch Conservation Officer for Essex) for organising the work. Tiptree Heath - 5th December 2010Heavy snow earlier in the week had cast some doubt on the WP going ahead, but a thaw set in on the Saturday and the snow was quickly disappearing. However, due to the snow, a decision had been taken to abandon any brush-cutting attempt, so in spite of the thaw the brush cutters did not attend. Thus just two Branch members, Rob Smith and myself, joined the Work Party organised by The Friends Of Tiptree Heath.
The party worked to open up an area of woodland by felling birch and other saplings. One member soon had a fire going (not sure how in the wet conditions) and the cut spoil was dragged to the fire and burnt. Operations stopped briefly for coffee and a natter, then continued to lunch time. Unbeknown to us (BC Members anyway) numerous potatoes had been put into the fire ashes wrapped in foil, from which they came out perfectly cooked. Butter and grated cheese was produced, and lunch was enjoyed by all – they know how to do things in Tiptree !!!! (C & E Branch take note)
Work finished at lunchtime as with 14 or 15 people the targeted area had been completed in good time. Before leaving, Rob and I with Joan the Warden, walked round the site, Joan giving us a run down on what was to be found in the different areas. At one point Rob spotted a Tree Creeper, an excellent end to the day. Thanks go to Richard Bigg (Branch Conservation Officer for Essex) and Rob Smith (Essex Butterfly Recorder); and of course the ‘Friends’ for providing the hot lunch. Brampton Wood - 21st November 2010Seven BC members met up at the entrance to Brampton Wood to join George Cottam, the voluntary warden of this important Black Hairstreak site. Roger Orbell, who has a lifetime association with the wood, was keen that we work on ‘Site 5’, one of five sites where regular monitoring of Black Hairstreak is undertaken each year and somehow appropriate for the Branch’s fifth visit in as many years. This site had not recieved any major attention for many years - a certain amount of opening up of the path itself was all that had previously happened, and it was the only site where numbers did not increase in 2010 relative to the previous year, although even without management the trend at this site has been upwards in recent years.As usual, the task was relatively simple if somewhat labour intensive; to remove bramble and hawthorn and then ‘layer’ the old mature Blackthorn in such a way that new growth is encouraged from horizontal stems and branches. Work was aided and abetted by George with his trusty chainsaw as he removed several larger trees to improve the sunlight reaching the glade. – it looks, and is, brutal but it works!
We reached the site and began work at about 10:30am and by lunch we had already opened up a surprisingly large area; thanks go to Vince, Louise and John Dawson (who unfortunately could not join the party due to illness) for keeping the bill-hooks and bow-saws so sharp, making the job that much easier for us all. It was too wet and muddy to sit down for lunch so was taken ‘on the hoof’. Consequently, it was a relatively brief affair but it gave us a chance to catch up on some of the other aspects of the Wood’s fauna and flora from George who told us, amongst other things, that the monitored Dormice boxes had much decreased numbers - perhaps they have been negatively affected by the recent two hard winters. Currently, the dormouse is monitored by inspection of c.250 nestboxes concentrated around the northern part of the wood. In the future, many more boxes will be erected all over the wood enabling volunteers to find out whether the mammal has genuinely undergone a severe decline or has just simply moved away from the northern part of the wood into more favourable habitat.
Roger's vision for the work was to connect the moribund blackthorn around the monitoring position to an area of more vigorous blackthorn further back into the wood, where a natural gap in the tree canopy had allowed the blackthorn to grow profusely. By about 2pm we had achieved this, and could see for 40 yards or so from the path to the healthy stand of blackthorn, all of which has potential to become Black Hairstreak habitat in the coming years as the blackthorn suckers regenerate.
Early completion of Site 5 meant that we had time to spend a further hour or so opening up a smaller glade on the way back. The area, although not one of the five monitoring sites, was known to hold a Black Hairstreak colony. We had in fact worked on this area in 2008, removing some biggish oak, pine and willow trees which were creating heavy shade over an area of blackthorn on their northern side. This patch is considered by Roger to be the best place to see Black Hairstreaks in the wood, although not good for photography as they tend to be too high. It is located on the southern side of the wood, between the large glade area and a gateway into a private garden. Many thanks to all: George Cottam (warden), Roger Orbell, Louise Bacon, Kevin Taylor, Rob Smith, Vince Lea, Tony Moverley and particular thanks to Frank Priest who was attending a C&E Branch work party for the first time (and thanks also to Richard Bigg who made the journey all the way from Chelmsford but missed the start time and was unable to locate us in the wood). Devil's Dyke - 24th October 2010The branch held its customary first work party of the season at Devil’s Dyke where the aim was to provide a section of short grassland habitat ideal for the summer breeding of the Chalkhill Blue. Although less hospitable for the Dingy Skipper that is also found at this location, the creation of a short sward of grass was the priority at the region’s best site for the Chalkhill Blue.Initial concerns over turnout were allayed by a good mix of locals, trekkers and first-time volunteers and the usual compliment of four brush-cutters was achieved. The mild conditions were excellent for working on the dyke with only a light breeze that didn’t disrupt raking duties, essential to expose the chalk scrapings for basking butterflies and to maintain a low soil fertility to encourage the Horseshoe Vetch, the larval host plant of the Chalkhill Blue. The brush-cutters got to work on the grass and light scrub on a 50-yard stretch of the steep, southwest-facing slope. The only debate of the day was whether to preserve the isolated hawthorns at mid-slope for perching Green Hairstreaks, but the Chalkhill Blue exponents won that argument. Extreme care was exercised however to afford sanctuary to a single Small Scabious and a Harebell still flowering near the top of the dyke. Meanwhile the remainder of the gang cleared the line of low hawthorns along the top of the dyke and the thick scrub in the ditch to reduce shade conditions. Initial progress was heavy going, shouldering into the dense wild privet, but a patch of Elder rapidly improved momentum. A confused shrew was seen scurrying along the ditch, presumably unimpressed by the new makeover. Both groups then helped rake off the grass and all brush cuttings were stacked in neat piles in the ditch to ‘decompost’ naturally. The planned habitat area was achieved by 3pm and all volunteers finished exhausted by their first seasonal outing, just as gloomier conditions were setting in. Thanks to Louise Bacon, John Dawson, Norman Feltwell, Vince Lea (Conservation Officer for Cambridgeshire), Chris Rybicki, Dave Seilly, Ken Thomson, Kevin Taylor and Rob Smith. |
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