The UK Butterflies Team

Peter Eeles

I've always been interested in nature, and butterflies in particular - fostered by a childhood spent in rural Gloucestershire. Long summer days were spent roaming the Cotswold Hills in the area around Cheltenham and I remember with great fondness my encounters with Duke of Burgundy, Chalkhill Blue, Marsh Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Dark Green Fritillary, Small Blue, Grayling, Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper and a host of other species - all within a 10 minute walk from my home. Not too far away I could also find Adonis Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary and White-letter Hairstreak. Those sites, unfortunately, are mostly long gone. My interest was put on the back-burner as I focused on studies at university and, later, my family. This interest was then re-awoken in 2001 when a work colleague showed me his web photo album full of amazing butterfly images. Within a week I'd purchased my first digital camera and I was hooked, again.

In 2002 I created the UK Butterflies website in order to simply show my album of photos on the web. This has led to passion for fostering an interest in our ever-declining fauna and flora and, with that passion, the website has gone from strength to strength as my own interests have shifted from photography to ecology. The UK Butterflies website has grown accordingly and includes detailed information on sites, species, flight times and much more.

I support conservation activities in whatever way I can. I became a member of Butterfly Conservation in 2002, and took over the running of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight branch website in 2004, a responsibility I handed over in 2007. I was branch Chairman from 2010 to 2013 and subsequently took on my previous role of webmaster, before ultimately standing down from this role at the end of 2015 due to other commitments. I've also helped Butterfly Conservation in the past with some of their national IT-related projects.

In 2016 I was presented with the Marsh Award for the Promotion of Lepidoptera Conservation at Butterfly Conservation's AGM and Members' Day in Nottingham, where I was recognised for developing the UK Butterflies website and its associated community, for my contribution to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight branch of Butterfly Conservation and for creating Butterfly Conservation's Garden Butterfly Survey website. Receiving the award was one of my proudest moments. I can be contacted at pete@ukbutterflies.co.uk.

Guy Padfield

I now live in the Swiss Alps, but my passion for butterflies began in Suffolk, in the UK, which was, in times past, a rich hunting ground for butterfly collectors. Times have changed. In my lifetime the heathlands and hedgerows of Suffolk have been steadily reclaimed and the countryside described by the writers of old has become more and more inhospitable to butterflies. There are some success stories - the white admiral has returned, and the brown argus and speckled wood have moved east again from their strongholds in the west of the county. Suffolk is still a beautiful county but all in all the story has been a sad one, and one repeated all over the country.

Many individuals and bodies fight for the preservation of habitats in Suffolk and everywhere there are still habitats to preserve. But there is only real hope if the value of what remains is generally recognised - if ordinary people gain pleasure from taking time in the wild and resisting the temptation to let it be replaced with the tame. It is not enough realised how almost every act of taming threatens the species which have evolved to survive in an interlocking web of copses, hedgerows, heathlands and wetlands. Every road that increases our access to the countryside divides and conquers the land it crosses. Every prairie farm is tippex on the ecological map. Every bit of crafted landscaping has a sinister, hollow ring beside the wilderness it replaces.

Finding, identifying and watching butterflies is an enthralling hobby. Anyone can become an expert on their own patch in a summer. If you haven't done so already, buy a book and get out there! When you find what is there, protect it, so generations to come will be able to gain the same pleasure.

I'm generally known on the UK Butterflies website for assisting with identification of European butterflies species in the various forums. In addition to supporting the UK Butterflies website, I also run my own website at www.guypadfield.com. I can be contacted at guy@ukbutterflies.co.uk.

Vince Massimo

I was born and raised in Sussex, and presently live in Crawley. I am a member of the Sussex Branch of Butterfly Conservation and am active on several Sussex and Surrey nature reserves throughout the year.

My interest in the natural world in general and butterflies in particular began as a small boy but, in my late teens, it was a fascination with aircraft that was to dominate the next 25 years of my life and take me all over the world. The new millennium ushered in a change of direction, and my childhood interests were rekindled, mainly due to the advent of the affordable digital camera and the fact that I was fortunate enough to be able to retire from full-time work before my 50th birthday.

My first butterfly photo was taken in the spring of 2002, but things really took-off at the beginning of 2005 when I got my own dedicated camera. I presently shoot with a Canon Power Shot G10 compact which is perfect for my needs. I am out most days during each butterfly season and am fortunate to have an understanding wife. Originally, my ultimate aim was to compile a comprehensive gallery of images of all the species in the British Isles. As this challenge has progressed, my focus has widened to observing and photo-documenting the early stages of selected butterfly species, from egg to adult, with particular emphasis on the pupal stage and the hours before the adult butterfly emerges.

I am a strong advocate for just sitting and observing butterfly behaviour, in the hope of understanding and, therefore, appreciating them better.

I can be contacted at vince@ukbutterflies.co.uk.

Kevin Doyle

I was born and raised in Somerset where my passion for nature was encouraged and nurtured by my mother. I left Somerset back in the early 70s moving first to Bournemouth then London and, ultimately, Newport in South Wales where I have lived with my wife and two sons (now grown up) since 1989.

Photography is my primary interest, particularly butterflies, moths, dragonflies and landscapes. I use a Canon 700D with Canon and Sigma lenses - my Sigma 105mm macro lens with a 1.4x teleconverter is great for butterflies. The disappearance of much wildlife habitat is a genuine cause for concern as many of our species are now in decline and arresting that decline is hugely important. I am fortunate that I live close to areas such as the Brecon Beacons and the Gower Peninsula which are havens for wildlife.

Having spent a large part of my career in IT I have a passion for computer games (PC not console) and I also work with a local wedding photographer processing his images.

My wife and I are keen walkers and as we are now both retired we are able to devote more time to exploring the countryside in South Wales or taking our motorhome to other parts of the UK. I am strong advocate of people enjoying the great British countryside as we really do have some magnificent wild places.

I joined the UK Butterflies team in 2015 and am responsible for keeping all information regarding locations up-to-date.

I can be contacted at kevin@ukbutterflies.co.uk.