New Dorset "Butterfly Conservation" Reserve Alners Gorse Opening
by Brian Dicker
On Tuesday, 12th July 2005, Alan Titchmarsh opened the new Dorset "Butterfly Conservation" Reserve at Alners Gorse in north Dorset. Alners Gorse is 14.5 Hectares of (wet) grass, scrub and woodland in the Blackmoor Vale between Hazelbury Bryan and King's Stag (GR ST736100). Butterfly Conservation (BC) had purchased Alners from the Trustees of the William Williams Trust with part of the Miss Pamela Lewis legacy, bequeathed to the BC in her memory. Visitors assembled in the marquee to see the moths, information about the Reserve, the Branch Sales Stall and a project done by Hazelbury Bryan School (to show the educational potential of the site). Alan Titchmarsh was welcomed to Alners by Dudley Cheeseman, the National Chairman of Butterfly Conservation, and Martin Warren. Alan responded with his usual humour to say how happy he was to be here and see the work that was being done. The 120 visitors, representing the Lewis family, the Trust, other Conservation organisations, Council, Government and Butterfly Conservation Branch members were then shown round the Reserve to see the butterflies on the wing. They did not disappoint with 20 species including the ab valezina form of the Silver-washed Fritillary and Purple Hairstreaks.
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Alan Titchmarsh and Dudley Cheeseman
opening the Reserve (© Jane Soole, Dorset Echo) |
Alners Gorse has an important conservation value as an unimproved remnant of the Vale with a potential to contribute to the metapopulation area of the Marsh Fritillary (a European red-data book species) colony. Other important butterfly species present are the Grizzled Skipper, Silver-washed Fritillary, White-letter and Brown Hairstreaks. In addition there are several notable moths the site will help. The site is already a significant reservoir for the Brown Hairstreak butterfly in the area, the only colony in Dorset, and which has been in decline due to the practice of annual flail hedge trimming of the Blackthorn hedgerows. The Branch currently also has a project to work alongside FWAG and DEFRA to inform the local farmers of how the fate of the Brown Hairstreak butterfly can be improved by rotational cutting on a 2 or 3 year rotation. Paul Butter and helpers ran moth traps the night before and the catch totalled 182 species in all, some 7% of the national list. Paul Butter will be willing to supply a full species list by e-mailing him on paulnbutter@hotmail.com.
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Paul Butter shows some of the previous night's moth
trap finds to visitors |
On the day the sun shone and after the guided tours everyone retired to the Green Man for a cup of tea, and cream scone before going home. Now the hard work begins to realise the Reserve's potential and get the grazing in hand. Before the opening the Branch volunteers had already put in some 40 man (and woman) days of scrub bashing to prepare the site for fencing. Nigel Spring will be taking on the role of Reserve manager and the winter timetable has already earmarked monthly work parties. Come along and join us.
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Jane Smith, Dorset Branch Secretary, and Brian Dicker,
Dorset Branch Chairman |
Butterfly Species List (27) recorded so far (Aug 2005):
Large Skipper
Small Skipper
Essex Skipper
Grizzled Skipper
Brimstone
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
Orange Tip
Purple Hairstreak
White-letter Hairstreak
Brown Hairstreak
Common Blue
Holly Blue
White Admiral
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock
Comma
Silver-washed Fritillary
Speckled Wood
Marbled White
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Clouded Yellow