Latest news with #BasilStow
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Rare heath fritillary butterflies surge in number on Exmoor after sunny spring
The combination of sunny spring weather and habitat improved by a herd of red Devon cattle has led to a surge in numbers of one of the UK's rarest butterflies on moorland in the English west country. As well as increasing in established pockets on Exmoor, the heath fritillary is spreading to new areas, which experts say is highly unusual. More than 1,000 heath fritillary butterflies, nicknamed the woodman's follower, have been seen at sites on the National Trust's Holnicote Estate on Exmoor and nearby land, a significant rise from about 600 at the same time last year. Three spots have been recolonised and one small site has had a dramatic increase, from just four butterflies in 2024 to 186 this year. The heath fritillary was almost extinct in Britain in the early 1980s, but targeted conservation work has brought it back from the brink. The National Trust and the charity Butterfly Conservation have tried to create the ideal conditions for the heath fritillary on Exmoor including using cattle to selectively graze and trample areas for the butterfly, removing bracken and cutting glades at the edge of woodland. It is not all good news, however. The National Trust is conscious that the exceptionally warm and sunny spring prompted the butterflies to emerge two to three weeks earlier than usual. Basil Stow, a National Trust area ranger at Holnicote, said: 'The early emergence is a mixed blessing. If unsettled weather follows, it could cut short the butterfly's flight season and disrupt its life cycle. It's a reminder of how delicately balanced nature is and how climate extremes can threaten even our most carefully managed landscapes.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Jenny Plackett, the south-west England conservation manager at Butterfly Conservation, said: 'It's wonderful to see such strong numbers of heath fritillary on Exmoor this year. They've clearly benefited from the warm, sunny spring, emerging as adults weeks ahead of schedule. 'We've recorded butterflies at several new sites, including areas where they haven't been seen since the 1990s. The heath fritillary is generally very sedentary, so this kind of expansion is highly unusual and suggests that recent habitat management is working.' The heath fritillary thrives in moorland and coppiced woodland – hence its nickname – where its caterpillars feed on common cow-wheat. It is restricted to four core landscapes: Exmoor, the Tamar Valley in south-west England, the Blean woods in Kent and woods in south Essex.
Times
12 hours ago
- General
- Times
Heath fritillary butterfly fights back against the odds
Against a backdrop of butterfly decline in the UK, one species is bucking the trend. The heath fritillary butterfly, nicknamed the woodman's follower, is undergoing a significant rise in numbers and range on Exmoor, conservationists revealed on Wednesday. Since 1976, the heath fritillary has seen a 96 per cent decline in its distribution, and is now only found in four areas of the UK. However, more than 1,000 of the butterflies were recorded during surveys in May and June across Exmoor, compared to 600 at the same time last year. The increase has been attributed to habitat management by the National Trust and Butterfly Conservation. The charities' efforts include using Devon Red cows to selectively graze land, removing bracken and cutting glades at the woodland's edge. The butterfly's comeback has been remarkable in places, including one site on Exmoor, rising from just four sighted last year to 186 this year. A particularly sunny spring has caused the heath fritillary to emerge two to three weeks earlier than usual. However, this has led to concerns that climate variability could affect the butterfly's life cycle, if wet weather arrives before the peak of the flight period. Basil Stow, the area ranger at the National Trust Holnicote Estate, an area of 12,500 acres within Exmoor National Park, said of the increase: 'It's a real testament to the dedication of our teams, volunteers and partners who have spent a huge amount of time since the 1980s understanding and caring for the needs of this vulnerable species.' Jenny Plackett, the south-west England conservation manager at Butterfly Conservation, said: 'The heath fritillary is generally very sedentary, so this kind of expansion is highly unusual and suggests that recent habitat management is working. We're hopeful these populations will establish and extend their range across the estate.' The heath fritillary and the high brown fritillary are among the UK's rarest butterflies and rely on carefully managed habitats. While the high brown favours woodland clearings where it lays eggs on dead bracken or leaves near to violets, the smaller heath fritillary thrives in moorland and coppiced woodland where its caterpillars feed exclusively on common cow-wheat. The heath fritillary remains restricted to Exmoor National Park, the Blean Woods in Kent, the Tamar Valley in the southwest, and south Essex woodlands. Exmoor is now considered the most important stronghold for the species and the early successional habitats it depends on — dominated by bracken, heather and gorse, with plentiful cow-wheat — require ongoing, sensitive management to sustain.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Exmoor estate sees resurgence of rare butterfly once on brink of extinction
One of the UK's rarest butterflies is seeing a significant rise in numbers and range in Exmoor, conservationists have revealed. More than 1,000 heath fritillaries have been recorded so far this year on the National Trust's Holnicote estate in Somerset. This is a significant rise from around 600 at the same time last year. The heath fritillary was almost extinct in Britain in the early 1980s but targeted conservation work has brought it back from the brink. An exceptionally warm and sunny spring has also prompted the heath fritillary to emerge two to three weeks earlier than usual. Staff and volunteers have adjusted their monitoring accordingly, although there is concern that climate variability could impact the butterfly's life cycle if wet weather arrives before the flight peak. Basil Stow, an area ranger at Holnicote, said: 'We're really pleased to be seeing such healthy numbers of heath fritillaries at Holnicote this year. 'It's a real testament to the dedication of our teams, volunteers and partners who have spent a huge amount of time since the 1980s understanding and caring for the needs of this vulnerable species. 'But the early emergence is a mixed blessing. If unsettled weather follows, it could cut short the butterfly's flight season and disrupt its life cycle. 'It's a reminder of how delicately balanced nature is and how climate extremes can threaten even our most carefully-managed landscapes.' Jenny Plackett, from the charity Butterfly Conservation, said: 'It's wonderful to see such strong numbers of heath fritillary on Exmoor this year. 'They've clearly benefited from the warm, sunny spring, emerging as adults weeks ahead of schedule. 'We've recorded butterflies at several new sites, including areas where they haven't been seen since the 1990s. 'The heath fritillary is generally very sedentary, so this kind of expansion is highly unusual and suggests that recent habitat management is working. 'We're hopeful these populations will establish and extend their range across the estate.' The heath fritillary and the high brown fritillary are both among the UK's rarest butterflies and rely on carefully-managed habitats. While the high brown favours bracken-covered woodland clearings and lays its eggs on violets, the smaller heath fritillary thrives in moorland and coppiced woodland where its caterpillars feed exclusively on common cow-wheat. The heath fritillary remains restricted to four core landscapes of Exmoor, the Blean Woods in Kent, the Tamar Valley in the South West, and south Essex woodlands. Exmoor is now considered the most important stronghold for the species. The early successional habitats it depends on – dominated by bracken, heather and gorse, with plentiful cow-wheat – require ongoing, sensitive management to sustain.
