Almost 4,000 Marsh Fritillary caterpillars were distributed on suitable habitat by Wild Ennerdale Volunteers, Forestry Commission staff and Butterfly Conservation under a licence from Natural England.

The caterpillars were released a mile beyond the head of Ennerdale Water. The site was considered to be ideal as it contains an abundance of the plant Devils Bit Scabious that Marsh Fritillary caterpillars feed on.

More caterpillars were also introduced on a nearby privately-owned site at the head of the lake. There are now five sites occupied by the butterfly in the Ennerdale area, which widens the gene pool and helps survival chances.

Steve Clarke from Butterfly Conservation said: “The Marsh Fritillary is a rare and beautiful species which was present in Ennerdale until around 30 years ago when it became extinct. As part of an ongoing project we released caterpillars in 2007 and again last year in an attempt to reintroduce the species back into Ennerdale. This year’s release is a continuation of that project and we hope that these increased numbers will further help the re-establishment of Marsh Fritillary in the valley.”

The area where the caterpillars were released provides great opportunities for the butterflies to spread up and down the banks of the River Liza, one of England’s most natural rivers and an ideal habitat.

Walkers in Ennerdale this summer are being encouraged to look out for the flying brightly coloured adults in late May and early June. Annually butterfly numbers are monitored by Butterfly Conservation.

Gareth Browning, Area Forester with the Wild Ennerdale Partnership, said: “It is a measure of the success of The Wild Ennerdale Partnership that the habitats in the Ennerdale Valley have been restored over the last ten years to a point where this beautiful species can be reintroduced. “

More information about the Wild Ennerdale project is available by visiting www.wildennerdale.co.uk

An environmental project led by the Forestry Commission and Butterfly Conservation in the Wyre Forest has been hugely successful in boosting the numbers of rare butterflies living in the West Midlands.

Back to Orange, a three-year project, largely funded by SITA Trust, which aimed to conserve the fritillary butterflies of the Wyre Forest, has seen substantial increases in the numbers of many species and a doubling of the wood white butterflies.

Not only have the numbers of pearl-bordered fritillaries increased but they have also established new colonies. Another rare species, the wood white, has spread to new areas of the Forest.

And there is also good evidence that small pearl-bordered fritillary, dingy skipper and drab looper have moved into project work areas.

Phil Rudlin, Forestry Commission wildlife ranger who worked on the Back to Orange project – said: “The results of this project are fantastic. Butterflies are in decline in many places and we are very lucky to have a good population of such rare butterflies here in the Wyre Forest.

“Projects like this, which give them a boost, can only be good for the future of these insects.”

Work has been carried out to remove conifer trees in order to create corridors for the butterflies to spread from isolated areas of habitat to other favourable areas within the forest.

More than 30 volunteers helped to record the numbers of butterflies within the forest during 2010, which, because of the more favourable weather conditions, has been a great year for spotting butterflies.

The results of one of the biggest ever surveys of the UK’s butterfly population have been announced.

It reveals the top ten most common species are the Small White, Large White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Peacock, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell (right) and the Ringlet.

The exercise was designed to give scientists an indication of the state of the nation’s butterfly population, particularly in gardens and urban areas.
There was an impressive number of sightings of the Small Tortoiseshell which has been ravaged in recent years. Numbers have declined by 82 per cent in south-east England with the arrival of a parasitic fly called Sturmia bella.

The big butterfly count results indicate strong signs of recovery. The Small Tortoiseshell was the ninth most common butterfly seen across the UK and did even better in garden habitats.

The Gatekeeper’s results also pleased conservationists. The Gatekeeper has suffered a run of extremely bad years but ranked as number three in the top ten list during the count. It was seen in greatest numbers in fields and other rural habitats, but this orange butterfly was also found thriving in major cities such as London and Manchester.

Although no day-flying moths made it into the top 10, the most common moth reported during big butterfly count was the Six-spot Burnet, followed by the Silver Y (left) and then, some way behind, the Humming-bird Hawk-moth.

The full results of the count can be viewed online at www.bigbutterflycount.org.

Richard Fox, Butterfly Conservation’s Surveys Manager said: “A big thank you to all who have made the big butterfly count the biggest ever weekly count of butterflies anywhere in the world! It’s been a fantastic start and the big butterfly count will continue in 2011. With the public’s help, we’ll be able to compare how butterflies and moths have fared. We hope people from all over the UK will help us take the pulse of nature in years to come”.

Despite the pleasing results for some species, scientists at the charity Butterfly Conservation, who are analysing this year’s data, warn that most butterflies continue to face serious long-term decline.

Butterflies and moths are important as indicators, alerting us to underlying problems with the environment. If butterfly numbers are falling, inevitably other wildlife is also in decline.

The main factors causing the long-term decline of many butterfly species include the loss of crucial habitats such as flower-rich grassland and the intensification of farming methods. A lack of management is also causing problems in habitats such as woodlands. Butterfly Conservation is working with landowners and other conservation organisations to help reverse declines as a matter of great urgency.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene). Photo: James Lindsey at Ecology of Commanster - Click photo to enlarge.

Durham Wildlife Trust and Northumbrian Water have launched a new project to protect rare species in the face of climate change, starting with County Durham‘s rarest butterfly.

At the heart of the project is the small pearl-bordered fritillary, a butterfly which has declined by more than 93% in recent times.
Reasons for this include:

• Habitat loss through agricultural intensification, afforestation and development.
• Declines in habitat quality through agricultural abandonment and changes in woodland management.
• Habitat fragmentation and isolation

The historic range of the small pearl bordered fritillary in County Durham included the heaths and shallow valleys around the central belt of the County and the project area, over 29,000 sq ha concentrated around these areas.

Project officer Sue Charlton. Photo courtesy http://www.lowbarns.co.uk

Sue Charlton, Heart of Durham Project Officer, based at the Trust’s Low Barns offices near Witton le Wear, said: “With the help of local landowners and local communities, over the next five years, the project aims to secure the remaining relic areas of heathland, mire, wet and unimproved grassland by ensuring that existing designated Local Wildlife Sites are effectively managed.

“We then aim to, where possible, expand these sites and identify others with the aim of linking all these areas together. Ultimately this will increase the amount of available habitat and allow species to move through the landscape, not only to expand their range but also be able to move in response to a changing climate.”

These habitats are not only home to the small pearl bordered fritillary, but many other species of conservation concern, including the dark green fritillary, adder, grass snake, lapwing, curlew and many more.

The project funded by Northumbrian Water is part of a national network of projects run by the Wildlife Trusts (Living Landscapes) and Northumbrian Water (Branch Out), which eventually aim to provide a national network of high quality habitat which will allow wildlife to thrive and adapt in an uncertain future.

For more information, contact
Sue Charlton, ?Heart of Durham Project Officer
Durham Wildlife Trust?Low Barns, Witton-le-Wear, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, DL14 0AG ?Tel: 01388 488728

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