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Welcome To The London Butterfly Survey

1976-2015+

This survey is a personal snapshot of arguably the most critical period in the natural history of Britain since the last ice age. The study comes from thousands of individual records, many of which are represented here. A simple system of abbreviations is used to define the areas under study - which by the nature of butterflies is loosely defined. Precise map locations and logged charts support the records where needed. I do not pretend that this survey is wholly scientific in the way of modern methodology, and it does not grow from a study of lepidotera and collecting, which I despise, but what it provides is a realtime record of the butterfly life in our area. I am also gratified to realise that 'alternatives' need not be exclusive and in that respect I welcome the discourse that such social media platforms as Twitter allow where records and images can be shared nationwide and beyond, enhancing the love and study of our treasured butterflies.

The areas studied

If a rough triangular segment of the map of South London and Kent is taken, it will encompass the environs of Grove Park, then East to Sidcup through to Dartford Heath, including Joydens Wood and Wilmington. Then moving South West it encompasses Swanley Village, Horton Kirby, Eynsford, Lullingstone, Shoreham and Otford/Kemsing. This is its extent, the line then moves West along the M25 to encompass Poll Hill, then North to Pilots Wood, Andrews Wood, Badgers Mount, High Elms, Keston, Hayes and then Bromley Common. Areas closer to Central London and the Thames

Recorded areas are defined as abbreviations:

BC - Bromley Common, including Bickley, Hook Farm, The Rookery and Elmfield. Ha-Hayes, including Hayes Farm and all areas towards Hayes Common and Keston. BN-Bromley North, including Grove Park and Downham. HE - High Elms country park and environs. Ey-Eynsford, including Lower and Upper Austin Lodge, Preston Hill and the Rifle Range. WH - White Hill Shoreham, including FAC Fackenden Down and areas East of Shoreham Village towards Otford telephone exchange. Orp-Orpington, including Ruxley Reserve, Hobblingwell and Petts Wood. Lu - Lullingstone, including Golf course and surrounding areas and villages. AW - Andrews Wood, Pilots Wood, Badgers Mount and all the adjacent areas to the West and North West of Shoreham Village - TQ map, GPS, or nearest landmark places are also acceptable if submitting records.

Decline and redistribution of butterflies

There is no doubt that invertebrate populations in the UK have crashed. This decline includes our butterflies. We cannot reverse climate change, but the main causes of butterfly decline are far more obvious and far more insidious and in the majority of our local countryside there is a clear correlation between modern farming practices and the disastrous decline in the prevalence of invertebrates - and in all those species that depend upon them. In the remaining areas of public and private utility, such as parks and gardens, the picture is not so clear. Most of our butterflies now depend on areas, either set aside for them, or parks and gardens, and the remaining small patches of rough land that is left through neglect. These neglected areas are some of the most exciting and 'natural', but hang in a precarious balance that some day soon the land will be grabbed for development.

Gardeners have a duty to preserve wildlife as much as conservationists, and any small patch left for wild flowers and nettles will help the cause. Education and the will to override the twin evils of ignorance and prejudice is now imperative, but unfortunately, among those directly related to land management, and I mean those that weild the tools as well as the power, there is a pitiable lack of direct knowledge and a far too ready tendency just to pay lip service to conservation. Worse still, are those that practice out of date and illegal actions under the cloak of landowner privacy and ignorance of modern conservation law.

Images and Video

All of the images and video have been produced as close as possible to the actual scale of the butterflies - as an accurate guide to others and an aesthetic pursuit for myself - this work is ongoing and the details of the techniques and equipment I use is available on request. Anyone wishing to submit relevant images or video may do so using the contact link above.

Emergence and Climate Change

First emergence dates is a guide to the identification of butterflies in the field, but over a long period it also provides a guide to the changing patterns of butterfly activity. Taken with weather charts, emergence is also a simple climate change monitor and it is for this reason I have included them where I have felt appropriate.

Contributors

David Davis, Howard Walmsley, Nick Davey, Fred O Hare

and others...