The Small Blue went extinct in the West of Scotland at the end of the 1970s/early 80s.
For the last few years the local Butterfly Conservation branch (Glasgow & SW Scotland) in association with the Scottish Wildlife Trust have been working to attempt a reintroduction at one of their reserves in Ayrshire only ~1 mile from the last known record. Today we got photographic evidence from the local SWT Reserves Manager of the first known wild Ayrshire Small Blue in over 30 years! It was found on an adjacent golf course (who have been very supportive all along) to our reintroduction site.
One swallow (or butterfly) doesn't make a summer & all that but it is some encouragement for the years of sowing & planting kidney vetch, creating soil banks, driving hundreds of miles to get introduction stock etc. that at least we are on the right track.
Still don't think that we have the grazing regime right yet, though ...
