RECORDS NEEDED FOR 2005-2009 ATLAS
by Bill Shreeves
Many thanks to all those recorders who sent in their 2005 km square records for the start of the next 5 years of recording. The Dorset atlas for 2005 now shows 782 out of 2,897 possible km squares [27%], which have had at least one butterfly record. This includes most of the Transect walks which David Jeffers can now enter into Levana automatically & of course the Regional Action Plan surveys and garden records. There is a long way to go if we are to at least equal our previous 5 year efforts – 1995-99 [85%] and 2000-04 [63%]. Failure to keep up an equivalent coverage rate, of course, makes it look as though Dorset’s butterflies are in serious decline and devalues the utility of the survey. 2006 recording has had a terrific boost from the 6 village days at Owermoigne, Godmanstone, Hazelbury Bryan, Cheselbourne, Bishop’s Caundle and Litton Cheney. 4073 butterflies from 27 species were recorded in 86 km squares and 324 new km squares were found where individual species had not been recorded in 1995-2004. If you have records for 2006 please send them in as quickly as possible-hopefully before the end of November at the very latest. The whole process of verifying the records, entering them on to the Levana programme, validating the maps & sending them in to Lulworth HQ to meet the national deadlines is complex and time consuming and it helps if we have all the data to hand. Nevertheless late data is still better than no data and I am ‘happy’ to receive ‘historical’ records!
Recording in 2007 will be of vital importance if we are to keep on target. It would help enormously if members walk the 9 squares around their homes in 2007-2009 so that each square is visited at least once in May, June, July and August over the 3 years in reasonable weather. Random recording of any species seen anywhere in Dorset is still important and for those who enjoy a challenge please try to target gaps on the Dorset maps [copies of the 2000-2004 Dorset Atlas can still be obtained from Bobby Knowles]. The village days have shown that empty km squares on the butterfly maps by no means indicates absence of butterflies and many surprising discoveries were made. A new square for Brown Argus or Silver Washed Fritillary can be much more exciting than yet another visit to the well recorded ‘honey pots’!
