Newsletter: 02-Jul-2010

Season in Full Swing

With a busy start to the season, it's been difficult finding time to create the latest newsletter (I also have a day job to hold down!) - but here it is! In fairness, the majority of news appears on the UKB homepage and on the forum pages - so please check these now and again. In this newsletter I'd like to highlight a Trip Report from South-West Turkey, by Vince Massimo, and a Trip Report from the Loire Valley, France by Lee Hurrell, both posted creatively in the forums, and now linked to from the Reports section of the website.

Anyway, you can't have failed to notice that the season is now in full swing, with Purple Emperors making a showing in the last week. Many other species have emerged since the last newsletter and, rather than repeating them here, just take a look at the "Flying this Week!" list found on the UKB homepage (below the species listing on the left of the page).

I'm also pleased to report that several items will be forthcoming. I spent a day with Piers Vigus ("Felix") at the Natural History Museum, where we got to interview Geoff Martin, the Lepidoptera Collections Manager, as well as peruse draw upon drawer of historic specimens! The interview will appear in due course. I've also just returned from a week away in northern Spain, and a trip report will also be posted in the fullness of time (although getting IDs and actually writing the report usually takes quite some time!).

Personal Diaries

Not so long ago a new mechanism allowing UKB members to create their own personal diaries was launched. This new mechanism has been phenomenally successful - and many thanks to all that are contributing! If you'd like to join in, then simply register on the forums and create a personal diary as described here.

Apple iApp, and DVD listings

I've recently added a couple of lists for both Apple iApps (for iPhone, iPod and iPad owners) and DVDs. These lists complement the book listing already provided. Please let me know of any items that should be added.

Nature of Farming Award

The Nature of Farming Award celebrates the fantastic work farmers are already doing for wildlife - with a top prize of £1,000 for the very best. It takes particular dedication and care to run a farm that creates terrific wildlife habitat - and be economically viable. The RSPB has joined forces with Countryfile magazine, Plantlife and Butterfly Conservation to look for the top farms for wildlife from across the UK. Click here to see the nominations and cast your vote!

Butterflies - Messages from Psyche, a Review by Lynn Fomison

From the publisher: Butterflies – Messages from Psyche explores the phenomena of visual perception, illusion and reality, unveiling the tangled web that insects weave as they employ colour and pattern to deceive and confuse their predators. Philip Howse explains how these living tapestries have been designed by evolution to protect insects from their principal predators, which include birds, lizards, monkeys. There are features of owl eyes, snake heads, caterpillars, lizards, wasps, scorpions, birds’ beaks and feathers to be found there. Many butterflies and moths have bizarre combinations of images on their wings and bodies which prompt comparison with the works of art of the surrealists, such as Magritte and Dali. Many of the signs and symbols also resonate within the human psyche, surfacing in our art, architecture, stories and legends. Click here to read the review.

Large Blue at Collard Hill and a Blog!

Rob Holden, National Trust Area Warden for South and East Somerset, tells me that Large Blue are now on the wing at Collard Hill, first seen on 6th June. Collard Hill is the only open access site where you can see this species. There is a new hotline number for the site (07824 820 193) and the recorded message is updated at least twice a week. The most significant development, however, is a wonderful Large Blue blog, which is frequently updated by the Collard Hill volunteer warden, Sarah Meredith.