Star’s front row seat for sporting history
- Local newspaper week
Keeping an eye on county butterflies
Wednesday 6th May 2009, 8:45AM BST.
Bob Carter was a lucky man when he took his camera out to look for butterflies.
Bob found an “orange tip”, one of the UK’s 12 most endangered species of butterfly, in Coundmoor, near Shrewsbury.
The orange tip, pictured above, was once as common a sight as the garden sparrow.
But recent years have taken their toll.
Scientists are alarmed at the decline in the UK’s butterfly population. Last year saw the lowest number of butterflies recorded for 27 years.
There are 59 resident butterfly species in Britain, but 12 of those species have experienced their worst year since scientific records began in 1976.
The reasons for the decline are complicated: the loss of farmland, the use of pesticides, climate change and recent wet summers are all taking their toll.
In a few years time this once common symbol of summer could become very rare indeed.
- Have you noticed a decline in the number of butterflies in your garden? Send your pictures to us through this link, and add your comments to the section below
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Useful links
For an excellent collection of butterfly photos, many taken in Shropshire, check out Shrewsbury resident Danny Beath’s pictures on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickering_velvet/sets/72157600034228932/
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We had an orange tip in our garden last Sunday. I did not know that they were rare.
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I also briefly saw an orange tip in our garden last week – I used to see loads of them as a child and have noticed they have become an increasingly rare sight over the years.
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Living at Attingham I can remember 1996/7 the year of the ‘Painted Lady’ invasion. Hardly seen one since.
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I saw a butterfly in my garden the other day but it was so quick that I didn’t see what it was :(
I can remember collecting caterpillars, when I was young and releasing them when they became butterflies. I wouldn’t know where to find the caterpillars these days!
Perhaps we should have a survey in Shropshire, throughout the summer, of sightings and type. Anyone up for setting it up?
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I saw a butterfly in the garden the other day but it was gone so quickly I didn’t see what type it was :(
I remember when I was a child I would collect caterpillars and keep them until they emerged as butterflies. I wouldn’t know where to find them these days!!
Perhaps we should set up some sort of survey for Shropshire butterflies i.e. where and type if someone is able to set it up online for us?
Keeping fingers crossed that someone can and will :)
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Hilary, this is a good idea.
Maybe the Shropshire Star could keep this thread open in a prominent position, with handy pictures on a link to help amateur butterfly enthusiasts to identify them.
Then people could add their sightings over the summer.
Alternatively you and others might want to add your sightings to the Independent newspaper’s GREAT BRITISH BUTTERFLY HUNT ( http://community.livejournal.com/gbbutterflyhunt/ ), a survey praised by Sir David Attenborough, which started on 8th April.
Good idea, though, Hilary.
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I’ve seen the same 2 Orange Tips in our garden for a few weeks now. They flutter by together and always in the same place. I didn’t realise they were rare although thinking about it I can’t remember seeing one before. I feel very privileged!
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I’ve recently seen an Orange Tip so hopefully this year will be better than the last two. Lots of their food plant Cuckoo-flower out just now. There is a Shropshire Butterfly Group and they have a web site at:
http://www.NaturalShropshire.org.uk
There are species maps on this web site but not of butterflies yet. I’m involved and talking to Butterfly Conservation about sorting that out so keep looking… Dan
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Thanks for the link, Dan. This is exactly what the internet is for. Good luck with your work.
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great i think this is nice news for a change from all the bad news, we must do more to support invertabrates because they support all the other species
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I have millions of Cabbage White caterpillars every year, literally stripping cabbage, brussel sprouts and swedes bare. I have some stematic spray left but now they have banned it, I don’t know what to do – does anyone have any tips?
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