Flutter of excitement as rare butterflies out in force
A RARE butterfly is making a bumper early appearance at a remote spot owing to good weather and the way the landscape is being managed, wildlife experts said.
The high brown fritillary is the UK’s most endangered butterfly, but early counts at Heddon Valley, in North Devon, have revealed it is out in excellent numbers.
Butterfly expert and National Trust volunteer Matthew Oates, who has been taking part in the count, said: “The butterfly seems to be having a very good year with over 200 seen.
“Ideal weather conditions, a cold and harsh winter which has helped knock back the bracken and then a warm and sunny June have been ideal for caterpillar development.
“As we are having some fairly dry weather, it’s now the perfect time for seeing this large and powerful butterfly.”
Mr Oates also said the good numbers were the result of “excellent habitat management”. The high brown fritillary has seen its populations decline by two thirds since the 1970s, owing to changes in the way woodlands are managed and more recently because marginal hill land has been abandoned.
Butterflies, including the high brown fritillary, need large areas to survive in good numbers and populations have struggled where these habitats have been put under pressure by agriculture and development.