Pearls brighten up forest (From Worcester News)

Pearls brighten up forest

9:49am Monday 9th August 2010 in

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TWO rare species of butterfly, which are both endangered and in rapid decline in England, are making a comeback in Wyre Forest, near Bewdley, thanks to conservation work funded by Natural England.

Small pearl-bordered and pearlbordered fritillary butterflies get their names from the series of “pearls” that run along the outside edge of the underside of the hindwing.

Patrolling males can be seen flying a couple of feet from the ground, alternating a burst of rapid wing beats with a short glide, searching out freshly-emerged females in the surrounding scrub.

The wing pattern, however, makes the adult butterfly difficult to follow in flight. It’s much easier to observe the species when it is basking or nectaring on flowers of bugle and other plants.

The two species can be seen together at certain sites, although the pearl-bordered fritillary emerges a couple of weeks before the small pearl-bordered and generally appears much paler as a result.

Over the last few years large scale work has been undertaken in the Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve in an attempt to reverse the loss of this species and latest reports show significant increases in breeding numbers in new flight corridors or ‘rides’ and coppices created in the woodland.

Dr Jenny Joy, regional development officer for the charity Butterfly Conservation said: “It’s difficult to count butterflies accurately, because there are variable factors such as weather conditions, but the most pearlbordered fritillaries in one controlled sighting in the forest is reported to have risen from 55 in 2008, to 127 in 2009, and this summer, so far, is equally encouraging, especially as most English butterflies remain in decline.

“Butterflies are indicators of overall environmental conditions, making these results important in so many ways for our biodiversity in the forest.”

The Wyre Forest area has always been a significant site for wildlife with open sunny banks, flower-rich meadows and corridors left by the railways and industry. The 1,500 hectares of woodland were once extensively coppiced for charcoal, firewood and timber products providing one of the most important English sites for fritillary butterflies.

In recent years partners including the Forestry Commission and Natural England have worked to restore the traditional ways of working in the forest in order to help improve habitats and encourage endangered species.

Saul Herbert, reserve manager for Natural England, said: “All the partners in this project are working, together with volunteers, to link the areas where fritillaries are breeding. These butterflies won’t travel far but if we provide small areas of open corridor they will move short distances to new nectar sources. That’s why they used to be called ‘woodman’s followers’.

“It’s a huge task and a balancing act, because we have so many areas of conservation work to consider, but a relatively small amount of work can make a huge difference to these species. We have recently completed our management plan for the National Nature Reserve in Wyre Forest with an exciting review of the whole area and, by combining the use of animals for grazing, traditional coppicing and volunteer and community engagement, we hope to be able to maintain these exciting results.”