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Report on Butterfly Transect - Year 2006

Introduction - Early in 2006, the BMCG Committee invited Dr Andy Barker of the Butterfly Conservation (BC) organisation to conduct an 'Information / Training Session' for our members.

The session took place in the meadow on 1st April, with 10 members attending on a pleasant early spring day. Andy gave a very enlightening and informative talk, telling us that the BC has a 25-year history, has 800 supporters and that 70 sites in Hampshire submit Transects each year.

He said that the meadow was a very suitable sheltered site for a transect and fully described the 'standard conditions' necessary including -

· The minimum air temperature in the shade

· Recording of weather conditions

· Definition of a standard route in sections

· The need for a rota of recorders

· Start and finish times for recording

· Recording season to be 26 weeks starting 1st April

· Minimum requirement for 20 weeks recordings

Andy also handed out sample recording sheets and colour identification charts covering the most common native butterflies.

Finally, he helped the group to define a 'fixed route' around the meadow and then conducted 2 trial circuits of the route to record any sightings, giving useful guidance en-route.

Attending members gave a very enthusiastic reactions to the training session and resolved to organise the first BMCG Transect on the meadow in 2006, using the route planned by Dr Andy Barker. The organisational task was given to W. Osborne.

Recorders and Rota - The following members volunteered to join the Transect Rota as Recorders: Heather Archer, Sally Church, Frances Jannaway, Jennifer Rye, Pat Walsgrove, Graham Walsgrove and Wally Osborne. The Rota devised, ensured that we had at least 2 Recorders assigned to each of the possible 26 weeks and occasionally 3 Recorders. The arrangement was that Recorders should retain all of their input sheets until the end of the Transect schedule and then send them to W. Osborne for co-ordination and input to Dr Andy Barker on the 'Index Figure' chart.

Results - All volunteer recorders did a great job and consequently, we were able to submit results for all of the possible 26 weeks. Many thanks to you all for your efforts, through a sometimes-difficult season.

The following is a summary of the recordings:

· 16 different species of butterfly were seen over the 26 weeks

· The total number of butterfly's recorded was 360

· The most common species was the 'Small White' with 119 seen

· The Meadow Brown was the next most common with 88 seen

· The most rare was the Small Copper with just 1 seen on 8th July

A series of charts have been devised to display all of the results, with numbers based upon the 'average' of sightings submitted by all of the recorders in a particular week. This is the approach recommended by Dr Andy Barker.

 

Chart 1 shows the total quantities of each of the 16 species of Butterfly seen.

 

Chart 2 shows the totals of all Butterfly species seen each week over the 26 weeks of the transect.

 

Chart 3 shows the range and number of each of the species seen over each of the 26 weeks of the transect.

 

Year 2007 - The committee have agreed that we should continue the practice of annual Butterfly Transects and the week 1 of the 2007 transect will probably begin on Saturday 30th March.

We will again be seeking Recorder volunteers and will be sending out a blank schedule shortly, so that you can nominate the week numbers you can cover.

The committee are also considering some small changes to the transect route and the sections thereof. Marked up maps will again be circulated and we may need a short meeting on the meadow, to ensure that all recorders are quite clear on the route / sections.

W. Osborne - January 2007