Butterfly Conservation - Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch

RESERVES

We have three reserves totalling 130 acres, Magdalen Hill Down & Yew Hill near Winchester & Bentley Station Meadow adjoining the Alice Holt Forest, near Farnham. They are open to the public all the year round, without charge. Forty of the county's forty-six butterfly species may be seen on these reserves & their sensitive management is recognised by Countryside Stewardship Agreements. All reserves have educational access agreements. Visits are welcomed from other conservation bodies, photographic societies, U3A, WI's and children's groups like Brownies and Cubs. Please contact our Reserves Officer, whose details can be found in the Committee section.

If you would like to know more about the management of our reserves, then please contact our Reserves Officer, Jayne Chapman , whose details can be found in the Committee section. Jayne is employed by the branch to oversee policy regarding the management of our reserves and to ensure that they provide a suitable habitat for the conservation of butterflies and moths. From time to time she has announcements to make to the members of the branch and this web site is one of the suitable mediums to ensure that these quickly reach those with computers.

Click on the links below for more information on our reserves.

Autumn 2011 Reserves Bulletin

Getting started…The copy deadline for the Reserves newsletter came and went and so too the months which slipped by at an alarming rate. I expect you were all wondering if there was ever going to be a Reserves news update? Well, I am pleased to say that I now appear to be up-and-running following an induction period that included a fairly major hand-over from Lynn Fomison to me. As you are aware, Lynn has now retired after a very successful 14 year ‘reign’ with Butterfly Conservation, and has left me to tread carefully in her footsteps. It is not an easy task taking over from someone so well respected and knowledgeable, but I hope to be able to do as good a job as Lynn has over the coming years, and I would like to thank everyone I have met so far for their support and understanding and above all their patience while I have been settling in. I am especially grateful to Jenny Mallet, Peter Eeles and Penny Jefferys- who all went that extra mile for me.

Something I will remain mindful of is a snippet I happened to read in an earlier publication that went something like this…”If you get the management wrong, entire local populations [of butterflies] can be wiped out”!
So, no pressure there then!!

Introduction
By way of an introduction, I have spent the majority of the last 33 years in the manufacture and retail of ceramics - managing potteries, including running my own business for 19 years, alongside a lifetime interest in the outdoors leading to many years of working with, and owning, horses, cattle and sheep.

Photo: (c) Jake Gauntlett 2011

In 2007 I had a mid (late)-life crisis and attended Sparsholt College, graduating three years later with a Foundation degree in Conservation and Wildlife Management.

For those who do not know me, here is a photograph taken of me on MHD by my 13-year old son, Jake. At least you will be able to recognise me now when you see me out and about on the Reserves.

Photo: (c) Jayne Chapman 2011

The last 6 months have certainly been a roller-coaster ride, and getting to know and understand all three Reserves – Magdalen Hill Down, Yew Hill and Bentley Station Meadows.

There have inevitably been ups and downs – the ‘ups’ included witnessing the life-cycle and emergence of millions (?) of Six-spot Burnet Moth Zygaena filipendulae from the larval stage at MHD around May 21st through to their flight period from June onwards. The photo on the right was taken on the 26th June at Magdalen showing the moths on Field Scabious Knautia arvensis.

The downside has been that there have not been the hours in the day or days in the week to take it all in………
However, I am very much looking forward to the challenges ahead and to meeting and working with you all, and I will endeavour to do the very best job I can to manage the Reserves for the benefit of all Lepidoptera that inspired me as a 5 year old in 1965 and still continue to do so today. Enough about me! Now for some Updates!

July
It all started with the volunteer work-parties and Lynn’s comment about how important volunteers are to the success of the Reserves….
Ben and his ‘Wheels of Steel’ seen below mowing paths through the flowery meadows for the benefit and enjoyment of our visitors.

One man went to mow…

Went to mow a meadow….

Heigh ho, Heigh ho its off to work we go!!

Kelvin Richards, another regular volunteer, clears Ragwort on 6th July at MHD.

There have been many ‘Wednesday Wanders’ which happen on the first Wednesday of each month and apart from being very enjoyable, these walks have also given me an opportunity to get to know some of the more regular attendees. We had a lovely walk on the 22nd July to celebrate St Mary Magdalene day (here we all are having a rest on the Original Reserve).

The first walk I led alone was for a group who went by the name of ‘John Negus and friends’. After the initial nerves wore off, I ‘waffled’ for 2 hours and was pleased with how the walk had gone. John and his friends thanked me for an enjoyable visit and emptied their pockets insisting on making a donation to Butterfly Conservation, I was delighted.

Then John presented me with his card – John Negus – Horticultural Journalist! Thank you Lynn for not telling me who John was before the walk – ignorance is bliss!!

August

Steve Goodwin from The Kempshott Conservation Group held a seed-training afternoon for members of the group. Seed was collected from MHD for the group to use in future conservation projects.

On the 17th we welcomed a group of children from the Winnall district of Winchester. These visits are arranged by volunteers and the travel costs are subsidised by a local group of people who organise a variety of outings for the children during the course of the year. Apart from experiencing spiders and rain, the children were delighted to see Chalkhill blues and Meadow Browns – at least one child expressed a desire to return - this is what makes the educational visits so worthwhile.

September

On the 28th, Steve Goodwin returned to MHD to give a training day to members of the Kempshott Conservation Group in the Identification of the three species of Scabious - Devil’s- bit, field and small. Marjoram and Thyme seed was collected for their own, local conservation efforts.

19th – I saw this Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae basking on a pile of flints near to Chalk-corner.

October
Peter Clarke was joined by Patrick and Colin Beyer in the tumuli area of MHD on Saturday 1st October for a moth evening. Five MV lights and one Actinic attracted over 170 moths of an estimated 30 species. The most noteworthy of these being: Large Wainscot, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Figure of Eight and Deep-brown Dart.

And finally some well-written words from Patrick, which I think beautifully sum-up all Lynn’s astonishing achievements:
"Our first Autumn work-day for volunteers took place on Wednesday October 5th. We concentrated our efforts on our bare chalk area known as chalk-corner where Ash saplings, wild Clematis and other scrubby invaders threaten to take hold. Around 2005, plug-plants of Scabious, Rock-rose, and both the vetches – horseshoe and kidney – were planted. All are doing well and producing their own seedlings. A bonus at the end of a rather cloudy day was a brief appearance of a Humming-bird Hawk-moth near the cemetery.
On our 2 most recent moth evenings, we have recorded 20 species, not bad for early Autumn. These included Deep-Brown Dart, Figure of Eight, Dusky Thorn, and Beaded Chestnut. All of which have declined nationally by 90% or more.
A late Clouded Yellow was spotted at MHD by Herbie, one of our regular volunteers. This migrant species has been scarce here this year with only a couple of sightings earlier in the summer.
Each of the Reserves seemed to be saying ‘Thank you’ to Lynn in their own special way:
At Yew Hill, the Dingy Skipper seems to have re-established itself for the first time since 1994. At Bentley Station Meadows the Pearl-bordered Fritillary appeared in numbers for the first time since the Reserve opened in 1992. At Magdalen Hill Down Green Hairstreak, Grizzled Skipper and Chalkhill Blue enjoyed one of their best years ever in 2011."

REF: The State of ‘Britain’s Larger Moths’ Butterfly Conservation, Rothamsted Research

And a message from Lynn, which I apologise in not getting to the website before now, but I think it will be well received by you all regardless….. “I am overwhelmed by all your kind comments & good wishes for the future. Together with Reserves Sub Committee, Patrick, Colin & all the other volunteers, we have been a good team and the Reserves show the benefit of that. I hope your involvement will long give you pleasure.
Basil Thyme Some of you will remember that when the Extension first sprouted plants in 1998 after being sown in 1997 one of the arable weeds that grew just an odd plant or two was Basil Thyme. Tim & I were able to collect some seed off a disturbed roadside in Andover & I sowed this in the chalk corner on MHD N on 16th September so it will be nice if a few plants grow”.

4th September 2011

August 2011 Reserves Newsletter HERE...

2nd August 2011

And now a fully up to date July 2011 Reserves Newsletter HERE...

31st July 2011

A rather late May 2011 Reserves Newsletter available HERE... (Delay due to Webmaster not Lynn)

16th May 2011

Lynn Fomison's Reserves Newsletter for March and April 2011 can be obtained HERE... (348 KB PDF file)

15th February 2011

Lynn Fomison's January 2011 Reserves Newsletter can be obtained HERE... (126 KB PDF file)

29th December 2010

Lynn Fomison's December 2010 Reserves Newsletter can be obtained HERE... (433 KB PDF file)

19th April 2010

Lynn Fomison's Spring 2010 Reserves Newsletter (including work party dates) can be obtained HERE... (273 KB PDF file)

28th September

Lynn Fomison's new style Autumn 2009 Reserves Update (including work party dates) can be obtained HERE... (2263 KB PDF file)

Friday 13th February 2009

Bentley Station Meadow

We had a really successful work party on Wednesday 11th February. A contractor had felled a number of oak trees in the oak copse by the railway line and nine of us cleared up the branches & twigs & had a well controlled bonfire.
The photo ( taken by Janet Jones) shows how good the area is looking. All the bramble was cut down and raked up by Blackwater Valley Conservation Volunteers on 27th January.
The area is developing splendidly to be superb habitat for Silver-washed Fritillaries. The oak trees are being thinned out over a number of years to give several room to grow as good specimens & in the meantime to create dappled shade - the ideal growing conditions that violets need. We shall be watching for breeding activity in this area this summer - courting flights, females flying low searching for violets before hopefully laying eggs on the tree trunks.
Our next work party & final one of the 2008/9 season is on Wednesday 4th March. If you have thought about coming along to help this winter & have not yet managed it we hope to see you then.
Lynn Fomison Branch Reserves Officer