Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at
their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet. A bit of a
sweeping statement and difficult to prove I would think but I have been
concerned. Having said that I have seen more at this stage than I
actually did last year. Plenty of Commas, Brimstones, Orange Tips and
Peacocks so far plus s few Small Tortoiseshells and Green Veined Whites.
Perhaps because April was better.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...ing-wet-summer

On 2013-05-15 17:18:25 +0000, Dave Cornwell said:

Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at
their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet. A bit of a
sweeping statement and difficult to prove I would think but I have been
concerned. Having said that I have seen more at this stage than I
actually did last year. Plenty of Commas, Brimstones, Orange Tips and
Peacocks so far plus s few Small Tortoiseshells and Green Veined
Whites. Perhaps because April was better.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...ing-wet-summer


I think that is does no harm to issue sweeping dramatic statements such
as that one - if only to wake most people (who think everything is rosy
in the countryside) out of their dreamworld before there are none left.

Most of the UK rare species are only prevented from extinction by
careful preservation and management of tiny areas of their habitat. If
they had been left to their own devices they would have all gone years
ago.

I have seen a few Orange Tips so far this year, but no Commas here yet.
However, it is noticeable how coastal walks do not now produce the
Small Heaths, Graylings, or even Common Blues, in numbers that were
common over twenty years ago.

On Wednesday, 15 May 2013 18:18:25 UTC+1, Dave Cornwell wrote:
Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at
their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet.

With fewer butterflies flapping their wings I guess the numerical models will have better forecasts with less chaos about...

Richard

On 15/05/13 18:40, yttiw wrote:
On 2013-05-15 17:18:25 +0000, Dave Cornwell said:

Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are
at their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet. A bit of a
sweeping statement and difficult to prove I would think but I have
been concerned. Having said that I have seen more at this stage than I
actually did last year. Plenty of Commas, Brimstones, Orange Tips and
Peacocks so far plus s few Small Tortoiseshells and Green Veined
Whites. Perhaps because April was better.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...ing-wet-summer


I think that is does no harm to issue sweeping dramatic statements such
as that one - if only to wake most people (who think everything is rosy
in the countryside) out of their dreamworld before there are none left.


Hmmm, not so sure about that. It seems in modern societies people in
general are so disconnected from the natural world that they may well
say "so what".

On Wednesday, 15 May 2013 20:42:59 UTC+1, Richard Dixon wrote:
On Wednesday, 15 May 2013 18:18:25 UTC+1, Dave Cornwell wrote:

Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at

their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet.



With fewer butterflies flapping their wings I guess the numerical models will have better forecasts with less chaos about...



Richard

Cynic ........ ;-)

On May 15, 8:42*pm, Richard Dixon wrote:
On Wednesday, 15 May 2013 18:18:25 UTC+1, Dave Cornwell *wrote:
Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at
their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet.

With fewer butterflies flapping their wings I guess the numerical models will have better forecasts with less chaos about...

Richard

mode="Black Country" I like it; it's a good one is that./mode

I'm sorry, I don't know enough about butterflies to be serious about
this.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

On 2013-05-15 23:31:56 +0000, Tudor Hughes said:

On May 15, 8:42*pm, Richard Dixon wrote:
On Wednesday, 15 May 2013 18:18:25 UTC+1, Dave Cornwell *wrote:
Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at
their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet.

With fewer butterflies flapping their wings I guess the numerical
models will have better forecasts with less chaos about...

Richard

mode="Black Country" I like it; it's a good one is that./mode

I'm sorry, I don't know enough about butterflies to be serious about
this.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

Does one need to know a lot about a subject in order to take it seriously?

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 12:49:47 PM UTC+1, yttiw wrote:
On 2013-05-15 23:31:56 +0000, Tudor Hughes said:



On May 15, 8:42�pm, Richard Dixon wrote:

On Wednesday, 15 May 2013 18:18:25 UTC+1, Dave Cornwell �wrote:

Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at

their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet.



With fewer butterflies flapping their wings I guess the numerical

models will have better forecasts with less chaos about...



Richard



mode="Black Country" I like it; it's a good one is that./mode



I'm sorry, I don't know enough about butterflies to be serious about

this.



Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.



Does one need to know a lot about a subject in order to take it seriously?

Seen plenty of orange tips, some large and small whites, red admirals, speckled woods and a peacock, but nothing else yet. I'd agree with the consensus that the winter has made inroads into the butterfly population. Given a decent summer, allowing several broods to hatch and they'll hopefully recover. Big crossed fingers on that one, as recording butterflies is an interest.

On May 16, 12:49*pm, yttiw wrote:
On 2013-05-15 23:31:56 +0000, Tudor Hughes said:





On May 15, 8:42 pm, Richard Dixon wrote:
On Wednesday, 15 May 2013 18:18:25 UTC+1, Dave Cornwell wrote:
Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at
their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet.

With fewer butterflies flapping their wings I guess the numerical
models will have better forecasts with less chaos about...

Richard

mode="Black Country" I like it; it's a good one is that./mode

I'm sorry, I don't know enough about butterflies to be serious about
this.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

Does one need to know a lot about a subject in order to take it seriously?-
It will be a lot less in some parts of the country with this new
threart to trees.

On Wednesday, May 15, 2013 6:18:25 PM UTC+1, Dave Cornwell wrote:
Following last year's wet summer Scientists are saying that they are at

their lowest numbers since humans inhabited the planet. A bit of a

sweeping statement and difficult to prove I would think but I have been

concerned. Having said that I have seen more at this stage than I

actually did last year. snip
================================================== ==========================

Today I noticed the first few greenfly of the season, which is good to see (even though I'm a gardener).

I was a bit worried that the ladybirds I've been seeing over the past week or two were all going to starve, as they also had a hard time of it in the early part of last year.

The winter seems to have culled the slugs and snails, which in my garden are markedly down on normal levels and hugely reduced from the enormous numbers of 2012.

Tom
Blackmore, SW Essex