This year’s long warm and dry summer has been mostly favourable for dragonflies and damselflies, which together are known as Odonata. In contrast to butterflies, many odonata species have long flight periods. The emergence of adults from their aquatic larval stages is not synchronised so, in the right weather conditions, some species can be seen at any time between March and September. As long as the nights do not get too cold, and there are no long periods of wet weather (when they cannot hunt), the larger dragonflies can keep flying well into the autumn. Warm, dry days and evenings will give them plenty of time to feed and mate. As the males often fight over breeding territories, and dragonflies may be attacked as potential food by the hobby falcon, by late summer they can look so badly damaged and worn out that you wonder how they keep flying. Unlike several species of butterfly, dragonflies and damselflies do not hibernate as adults. Eventually they will become too damaged, or a sharp frost will bring their lives to an end. By then they should have mated, and the females laid their eggs in a suitable water body. The resulting carnivorous larvae will then spend months developing underwater, before emerging as flying adults in the following summer. Unfortunately, extended dry spells such as we have had this year can dry up their breeding habitat and the larvae lost, so the “good” summer is not necessarily all good news for odonata.

At 57 species, the list of odonata recorded in the UK is about the same size as that for our butterflies. A number of these, with very exacting habitat requirements, became extinct last century. However, the list is undergoing a period of unprecedented change as, in recent years, a number of species have been discovered for the first time. Some of these have gone on to become breeding species. This is largely a result of climate change, which is allowing a number of insects to expand their range northwards through Europe and across the channel. Notably, this summer has seen increased numbers of the strikingly marked Jersey Tiger Moth being seen in southern England. Once only plentiful in the Channel Islands, since 1990 this day flying moth has spread north and east from its mainland strongholds in south Devon, and several have been seen in and around Tisbury. It has become sufficiently numerous to be added to the list of target species for the national Big Butterfly Count.

And now, news comes that a species of butterfly from Southern Europe has been spotted in the UK for the first time. The Southern Small White, which even on close inspection doesn’t look that much different to a Small White, a Green Veined White or, er, a small Large White, just makes life more difficult for the butterfly recorder. It’s easy to see why most of us lump them all together as “cabbage whites”.

​Andrew Graham

I really struggle during heatwaves. At home, I do all I can to keep the house cool and to make sure there is some shade into which we can retreat at the hottest time of the day. But, how is wildlife, which has evolved over long time periods to be adapted to our normal climate, impacted by the increasingly frequent hot and dry spells? Well, in numerous direct and indirect ways.

We will see in our gardens how fruit and veg may mature too quickly and drop fruit prematurely. In the field, this can mean that crops of berries, nuts, and fruits that birds and animals normally rely on in autumn, may be gone by the time they need them. Although we can water our wilting garden plants and seedlings, in the wild they may perish, and a new generation will be lost. If the plants provide food for the larvae of insects like butterflies and moths become desiccated and die, the larvae won’t be able to grow sufficiently to progress to their overwintering stage, diminishing the numbers that emerge next year.

Anyone trying to dig into their flowerbeds will know how rock-hard the soil can get. Well, imagine if you rely on muddy soil with which to build a nest, or on digging into that soil to get food – as badgers, hedgehogs and many birds do. Life becomes very difficult for them. And things are just as bad for the creatures in that hardened soil, making it an inhospitable place. The worms and invertebrates that moles feed on are harder to find, so they must dig deeper to find moist soil and food.

While every creature needs to drink water in some way, amphibians such as frogs and toads rely on being able to keep moist, but as cool damp areas become increasingly rare, they risk death from dehydration. During heatwaves, water temperatures in ponds and rivers rise, resulting in reduced dissolved-oxygen levels, which in turn can kill fish. At the same time, the warmth encourages algal blooms, which can smother other wildlife and become toxic. If ponds dry out completely before tadpoles have competed their transition to froglets or toadlets, they will die.

Added to all these problems is the increasing risk of wildfires, or, even worse, deliberately started fires. This is a particular problem on our southern heathlands, many of which are close to built up areas, which seems to increase their vulnerability.

Obviously, it is not all bad news. Some species undoubtedly benefit from the heat and drought. But cumulatively, repeated heatwaves will favour the more resilient species, which can adapt in the short term or can move to more favourable locations and are able to recolonise later. Sedentary species, or those whose population take many generations to rebuild, may become locally extinct, eventually leading to a reduced flora and fauna of robust, adaptable species. Unfortunately, many of these are what we currently think of as pests. In future, our flora and fauna may be less diverse, less interesting, and significantly different to what we are comfortable with.

Andrew Graham

We have sent out an email to members to advise that we have had to cancel the Vernditch field trip this Sunday due to the high temperatures forecast. An alternative trip to Vernditch is being offered for Sat 19th July with Wiltshire and Dorset Butterfly Conservation group. This visit will also be led by Andrew Graham. Please get in contact if you are interested in finding out more information.

The community meadow just behind the Nadder Centre is full of flowers this summer. After several years of careful ragwort removal, followed by taking an annual hay cut, the grass has become less dominant allowing other flowering plants to flourish. As well as the striking clumps of white ox-eye daisy, during a walk through the meadow you should be able to find knapweed, wild carrot, buttercups, clovers, and several members of the dandelion family, including goat’s beard and daintier ones such as cat’s-ears, hawkbits and hawkweeds. These can be tricky to identify accurately but the variety is what is so attractive.

Contributing to the decline in the vigour of the grasses is the yellow rattle, a plant that is a semi-parasite of grasses, feeding off the nutrients in their roots, suppressing their growth. Unsurprisingly, the flowers are yellow, but the other part of the name is derived from the papery brown calyx which creates a small bladder in which the seed ripens. When several on one stem are ripe, they will rattle in the wind and multiple plants can set up a dry rustling in the breeze. This species has spread rapidly across the meadow and is now prolific in places.

While taking the hay cut aims to reduce the fertility of the meadow, acting against this is the spread of the clumps of sainfoin. Like other members of the pea family, this plant, with bright magenta flowers, fixes nitrogen in its roots, which penetrate deep and bring up nutrients from the subsoil.

Although far less numerous, another unusual plant found scattered throughout the field is the common broomrape. Broomrapes are a group of striking, poker-shaped, parasitic plants that lack chlorophyll, so they are never green. There are nine native species in Britain, each generally associated with distinct species or groups of plants. Looking superficially like a faded, dried out orchid, their flower stems can remain in place through the winter, after shedding their dust like seed. If this seed lands close to a suitable host, it germinates in response to chemicals in the soil produced by that plant. It then grows towards and attaches to the host, from which it takes sufficient sustenance to produce a new flower. In the case of the common broomrape, these flowers can be quite variable but are generally between a brownish red and a creamy yellow in colour. It is most often associated with members of the pea family or wild carrot. While the latter is present in the field, it is most likely associated with the prolific red clover or sainfoin, both of which are flourishing there.

The flora of the meadow is visibly very dynamic as varied species increase or decline. However, the diversity of flowering species appears to be increasing all the time, to the benefit of the numerous insects, including the common grassland butterflies. Look out for Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Marbled Whites, all of which can be seen there in scores on a good day.

​Andrew Graham

​Andrew Graham will be leading us on a field trip to Vernditch Chase on the northern part of the Martin Down reserve on Sunday 13th July.  With plenty of sheltered areas and rich flora, the area is usually home to many species of butterfly at this time of year. No dogs.

Meet at the Nadder Centre car park for 10:30 am departure or at the Vernditch/Martin Down car park for 11:30 start.
OS: SU 037 201
What3words ///workloads.spoils.monkeys
 
Distance, Difficulty and Footwear. A gentle walk mostly on level paths but occasionally off into adjoining grassland. Walking at a gentle pace to observe insects and flora. Walking shoes/boots are advised. Bring a packed lunch and refreshments.

Email us to let us know if you're coming and whether you'll meet us at the Nadder Centre or at Vernditch.

Our field trip for June is early in the month, so don't forget! Andrew Graham will lead us on a walk over Whitesheet Hill (also spelt White Sheet Hill on OS map) starting at 11am from the car park. 

This prominent hill just to the north of Mere has some unimproved downland which is good for spring butterflies and flowers. We will hope to find the Glanville Fritillary which appears to have a self-sustaining population there. Bring close focus binoculars if you have them. No dogs.

Meet at the Nadder Centre car park  for 10:30 am departure or at 11:00 at the Whitesheet Hill car park at OS: ST 797350 (Map 142).
What3words  ///sheet.strikers.paying 
 
Distance, Difficulty and Footwear: – In places steep downland and depending on conditions paths may be slippery. Essential therefore to wear good stout shoes or boots rather than wellingtons. Bring your own refreshments.

Anticipated end time: Departing Whitesheet Hill at 2:00 pm to arrive back at the Nadder Centre by 2:30 pm.

When I was a child, apart from the “cabbage whites”, which I now know to cover several species, the easiest to identify butterfly and frequently seen in the garden was the Small Tortoiseshell. This pretty, bright orange butterfly splashed with yellow, black, white and blue, was a regular on nectar-rich flowers, such as buddleia and sedum. It emerges in spring, after hibernating somewhere sheltered, and making use of its widespread and often abundant foodplant, the common nettle, produces two broods during the summer. It is the second that provides the adults to overwinter.

Unfortunately, this butterfly is becoming an increasingly rare sight. To coincide with the start of a new recording season, the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) has just released its analysis of results for 2024. This is the 50th year of this scheme, which collects data from more than 3000 sites, as well as sightings from the Big Butterfly Count and from randomly selected kilometre squares throughout the country. The impressive long-term body of data the UKBMS collects allows us to assess  the state of the environment, the impacts of climate change and the progress of government policy initiatives to conserve biodiversity.

Last summer, many people were asking, “Where have all the butterflies gone?”, so many were awaiting the 2024 analysis with some concern and the results are extremely worrying.

It was one of the worst years since 1976, when UKBMS started. Although numbers always fluctuate up and down to a certain extent, for the first time on record more than half of our species are in long-term decline. It was the worst year, since counting began, for nine species, including the Small Tortoiseshell, and the second worst year for some of the butterflies of the wider countryside, like the Common Blue and Gatekeeper.

So, is there anything we can do personally to help the plight of our butterflies? Well, research shows that if you have a garden, leaving some of it to grow wild with long grass can increase butterfly numbers by up to 93%. Avoid mowing between April and September to allow adults to shelter, drink nectar from flowers, breed, lay eggs, and for their caterpillars to feed. Nectar rich flowers, either in your beds or in pots, will attract whatever butterflies may be in the area, and if you have an unmown patch with the right food plants, they may stop to breed. Long grass and nectar sources will benefit other species of wildlife as well, and multiplied up across many gardens in towns and villages, can help species which are struggling in the wider countryside.

I shall be keeping my fingers crossed for the wonderful Small Tortoiseshell. It is not a specialist butterfly restricted to nature reserves; we should be seeing it everywhere. An 86% decline since 1976 reminds us that when people talk about a biodiversity crisis, it is not just happening in the Amazon rainforest, it is here at home, and all around us.

​Andrew Graham

Andrew Graham will lead us on a walk around Arne RSPB Reserve where we will pass through varied habitats of heathlands, woods and wetlands with views over Poole Harbour. Arne is a terrific place for wildlife and BBC Seasonwatch has been broadcast from here a number of times, it is so good. It would therefore be a shame not to see a good part of its varied habitats. So, weather permitting, we will aim to spend the day here and we will be walking 4-5 miles. 

Please let us know if you are planning to join the trip and where you will meet us. No dogs. 
 
Meet at the Nadder Centre car park at 9:30am or at the Arne car park at 11:00 am    (OS Grid reference SY972 878) or What3Words wings.poetic.crown. The car park (charges for non- RSPB members) is located on the right at the beginning of Arne village from the Stoborough direction.
 
Distance, Difficulty and Footwear: There is relatively easy walking on paths and tracks with some slopes. Stout shoes should suffice unless wet. Bring binos, a packed lunch and refreshments.

Anticipated end time: Conclude at Arne by 3pm returning to Nadder Centre by 4pm.
 
https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/arne/location

On Saturday 6th July, we have a visit to Wild Woodbury, Bere Regis, with a walk of approximately 4km/2.5 miles across uneven ground around this rewilding community project guided by Dorset Wildlife Trust Ranger, Seb Haggett. There is a portaloo on site at the car park.

If you are used to walking poles it will be worth bringing them. Walking shoes/boots are advised and please bring a packed lunch and refreshments. The weather is looking good for Saturday, with dry, sunny spells forecast. There are ticks on site, along with longer vegetation, so trousers are recommended. Also bring along any wildlife spotting equipment, binoculars, cameras etc. 

Please let us know if you are planning to join the trip and where you will meet us. No dogs. 

Meet at the Nadder Centre car park at 9:30am or at 10:30am up a short track off Southbrook Road, opposite Eldon Road in Bere Regis.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qXbC482vgk4pZ6Qt6
What3words:  permanent.kings.chef

Those of you that came along to our meeting in January will recall the fascinating presentation by Rob Farrington of the work he has been leading for the past two and a half years to re-wild the 170-hectare site, south-east of Bere Regis. The plot acquired by Dorset Wildlife Trust was In September 2021 with plans to return what was previously intensively farmed arable land to its natural state. The goal was to create an example of sustainable land use, contribute to tackling the climate and ecological crises, reduce high nitrate levels in the area (and prevent them from entering Poole Harbour), and to engage the local community.

In the first year of the project, the land was allowed to naturally regenerate: there was an immediate increase in biodiversity and abundance, with the site list reaching 1300 species. During 2023, the second year of the project, work was carried out to ‘re-naturalise’ the headwaters of the River Sherford that run through the site. More information: https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/blog/tag/wild-woodbury

Anticipated end time:  Returning to Tisbury by 3:30pm

There will be space for members to join the YNW activity at the Hinton Hall on Sunday 14th July at 10am. Do come along to see what Andrew Graham has found in his moth traps from the previous night.