Butterfly Conservation - South Wales Branch

This page lists all current events for the South Wales Branch area. It will be updated regularly as new information is available. Please bookmark this page in your web browser to make sure you are kept up-to-date with all events taking place across the area.

Winter weekdays
	There are winter Brown Hairstreak egg surveys in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion & Pembrokeshire.
	These are mainly weekdays, chosen a few days in advance for weather.
	We also have volunteer workdays at Pontfaen and National Botanic Gardens in Carmarthenshire, which will be a combination of egg searches and helping with coppicing of older blackthorn
	If you are interested please register now with Richard Smith (01446 793 229) or e-mail

Winter weekends
	For the more energetic, we have a couple of hedge and Blackthorn thicket restoration workdays for Brown Hairstreak at Cwmhuden in Carmarthenshire.
	In addition, we have a fifth year of habitat management in the Alun Valley for High Brown Fritillary and a couple of management days for Marsh Fritillary at our Caeau Ffos Fach reserve in Carmarthen, plus a site in south-east Wales
	If you are interested please register now with Richard Smith (01446 793 229) or e-mail

17 May 2008
	Brecknock Group Butterfly Walk
	A Butterfly Walk led by Chris Becker at Clydach.
	For further information contact Chris Becker by e-mail

7 June 2008
	National Moth Night
	Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth surveys will take place around Usk Reservoir. Contact Brecknock Wildlife Trust (Tel: 01874 625 708) for further details.
	White-letter Hairstreak surveys: Adults should be visible in the tops of Elms from mid-June well into July. For further information on surveying for this species see the Herts & Middlesex web site (this will open in a new window)
	Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary surveys. If you are out walking where violets grow in Bracken or in wet flushes/bog/moorland, do please report any sightings of this species to your County Recorder. Recording forms and Guidance Notes are available from Richard Smith (Tel: 01446 793 229) or contact your County Recorder.
	High Brown Fritillary visit. An opportunity to visit Wales' last remaining site where this butterfly can be seen. It is under private ownership but is managed by Butterfly Conservation. Contact Richard Smith to register your interest in advance. Richard will then advise of the best dates and other meeting arrangements by e-mail as the flight season progesses.

June and July 2008
	White-letter Hairstreak Surveys
	We will be continuing our campaign across south Wales to encourage targeted volunteer searches for White-letter Hairstreaks on sites not recently recorded
	If you would like to help please contact Richard Smith (01446 793229) or your local County Recorder (contact details are also on the back page of the Branch newsletter)

21st June to 6th July 2008
	2008 Garden Moths Count
	Garden Moths Count is an exciting nationwide survey, in which everyone can take part, to discover which amazing moths live in our gardens.
	For more information on the Gardens Moth Count and how to join in visit the Garden Moths Count web site

24 July 2008 - 28 July 2008
	European Moth Nights
	Similar to the UK's National Moth Night, EMN, spread over 5 consecutive nights, aims to take a snapshot of the moths on the wing during the period. Trap on any or all nights.
	Send the details of catches to the Wales Co-ordinator. Results should include date of trapping, species taken, numbers of each species recorded, location name with grid reference or lat/long, Vice-county, recorder name(s), determiner name(s). Method used and any other relevant information can also be useful. Send information either as an Excel (.xls) file or as a tab-text (.txt) file. Please also pass on any records to your individual County Recorder.

2nd August 2008
	Lavernock Visit
	Visit to Lavernock near Penarth, led by John Zehetmayr. An extensive grassland site and a Wildlife Trust South & West Wales reserve, managed for butterflies by volunteers. This may also include a visit to the nearby Cosmeston Country Park during the late morning with light lunches available in the café, followed by Lavernock after lunch. Contact Richard Smith for details.
	If the weather look poor, the event may be moved to Sunday 3rd August 2008 so please check in advance (01446 793 229)

14th August 2008
	Butterflies and Moths at Llangasty
	Contact Brecknock Wildlife Trust on 01874 625708 for further information

September 2008
	Brown Hairstreak butterfly viewing
	If there is enough interest, we will run a trip to see these elusive tree-canopy butterflies in Carmarthenshire (near Carmarthen).
	Contact Richard Smith to register your interest in advance. Richard will then advise on the best dates and meeting arrangements, by e-mail, as the season progresses.

25th October 2008
	Butterfly Conservation (South Wales Branch) Members' Day and Annual General Meeting
	Kenfig NNR Visitor Centre has been booked for this year following the success of last year's event.
	This year we already have several key speakers lined up including:
	Helen Bantock - talking through some of the many issues for butterflies around the Harlech area;
	Russel Hobson - discussing the 'State of Butterflies in Wales' report;
	Keith Porter - saving Marsh Fritillaries in Cumbria (as seen on national TV) and
	Ilija Vukomanovic - photographically illustrating some of the more unusual Lepidoptera in Wales
	We are also hopeful that Tom Prescott from BC Scotland may be available to speak as well
	All in all it looks likely to be a great line up of talks. Arrive at 10.30 a.m. for refreshments and an 11.00 a.m. start. Come along and make a day of it.

29th November 2008
	Identifying difficult moths by genitalia
	Run by National Museum of Wales and led by Norman Lowe
	Aimed at existing moth records with little or no experience of identifying moths by genitalia examination
	Advanced booking essential. Contact 01929 406 009 or e-mail National Moth Recording Scheme