2024
Dec 5 Dennis Newland, a stalwart of London/Surrey Branch since 1982, has died aged 100. Our condolences to his wife Enid. They attended our annual Members' Day as recently as 2022. See Surrey Skipper 59, pages 8-12
Funeral: Jan 10, 3pm, Surrey & Sussex Crematorium, Balcombe Road, Crawley RH10 3NQ
ASSEMBLE Surrey Branch volunteers are asked to register on BC's Assemble portal by Dec 1, not least for insurance purposes. More details HERE
Bryan Ceney, renowned artist and Surrey Branch member since 1984, died in August aged 86. His work ranged from our Surrey Branch logo to the Saturday Night Fever album.
https://www.worplegroup.co.uk/anne-pieroni
Sep 3 Long-tailed Blues in Surrey: see Sightings
Black-veined Whites
flying for 2nd year at Hutchinson's Bank. Martin Wills
Latest news: Facebook group - Friends of Hutchinson's Bank Nature Reserve
May 30 Last sighting
May 27 First photos
May 20 Three probable sightings: presumed offspring of last year's female(s)
Mar 17 Surrey's THIRD Large Tortoiseshell in 8 days: see Sightings
DOWNLOAD
Surrey Transect Data 2023: 22,580 records of 254,000 butterflies, sortable by any column
Feb: Branch member Robert Edmondson with his photos that adorn the Burgundy & Black cafe, St Martin's Walk, Dorking: (L-R) Cardinal Beetle, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Adonis Blue & Dark Green Fritillary
WINTER WORK PARTIES
Oaken Wood: Thursdays
North Downs etc: usually Fridays
New volunteers always welcome
DATES
Mar 24 Butterfly Recorders' Meeting - Zoom
Jan 5 Polesden Lacey: 17 volunteers transformed Yew Tree Down
2023
XMAS QUIZ
Sussex Branch's annual challenge
Dec 30 Andrew Fusek Peters: butterfly photographer's heart-warming story
Nov Planting Elms at Banstead Common
Oct 28 Members' Afternoon winners
Photo Show David Hasell – Silver-washed Fritillary ab. sylvia
Quiz Richard Thomas
Oct 13 Wildwood Golf Course, Alfold, the site of several successful field trips, is up for sale
Bees of Sussex
Due Feb 2024; 25% discount
BC APPOINTMENTS 2023
Steven Lofting: Regional Conservation Manager SE England
Richard Austin: Surrey & Sussex Landscape Officer
PROJECT
Saving the Wood White 2019-23
Final Report
Nov 26 Branch member Steve Chastell, 59, died after a long illness: BC Life Benefactor, Surrey County Bird Recorder and former Chair of Surrey Bird Club. We offer our condolences to his wife, Marie.
Oct 8 Wall Brown in Surrey: see Sightings
Gill Hanson died of motor neurone disease on Sep 3. We offer our condolences to husband David, holder of various BC posts since the 1970s, notably Surrey Skipper editor 1997-2004 and National Treasurer 1998-2018. Gill was a familiar face at national and local meetings dating back to the London Branch era (<1995), and walked WCBS squares at Compton and Peaslake.
Telegraph announcement
Funeral: Oct 3, Fetcham
Lawrie de Whalley Funeral & Celebration (Sep 8) viewable to Oct 7
FIELD TRIPS
Aug 30: 14 trippers enjoyed 3 Brown Hairstreak fems in Cranleigh on our final field trip of the season. See Surrey People
Aug 9, Wildwood Golf Course: 22 trippers, 13 odonata, 18 butterflies incl Brown Hairstreaks (c8 males, 2 fems) on Creeping Thistle. FK
Jul 29, Gomshall to Denbies Hillside: 15 trippers, defying the weather forecast, were rewarded with 27 species and panoramic view south from Blatchford Down. Robert Edmondson
Lawrie de Whalley, an active member of Surrey & Dorset Branches with wife Bridget for 20+ years, died in Epsom Hospital on July 25. Bridget died last year. We offer our condolences to the family.
Funeral & Celebration (Sep 8) viewable to Oct 7
BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT
July 14 – Aug 6
EXTRA FIELD TRIP
Tue 1 Aug, 10.30 MORNING ONLY: River Mole & Box Hill, Hillier Garden Centre, Reigate Road, Dorking RH4 1NP, TQ184502 rank.rescue.driven. 4km circular walk, riverside & lower Box Hill. Target: Silver-spotted Skipper, Adonis Blue & summer butterflies
OPEN GARDEN
July 16 Vale End, Albury
FIELD TRIPS
Jul 3 Knepp: 30 trippers & 15 Purple Emperors. See Surrey People
Simon Saville’s Bike for Butterflies 2023
Jun 11 Congratulations to our Branch Chair on reaching Inverness to complete his 2nd Scottish Charity bike ride. He started in Glasgow 24 days earlier and took in the west coast and islands. Chequered Skipper among the highlights.
https://butterfly-conservation.org/bikeforbutterflies
Twitter@sbsaville #BikeForButterflies
www.facebook.com/donate/930227731362896
DONATE www.justgiving.com/campaign/simonsbikeforbutterflies
BLACK-VEINED WHITES
May 28 Hutchinson's Bank 1st record
May 29+ Possibly 12+ individuals, seeming to emerge on site
Jun 5 Times front page, Guardian & BBC
Jun 6 Last record
See Hutchinson's Bank on Facebook
& Frank Gardner's podcast
Unauthorised releases (if this is one): Butterfly Conservation's stance
Simon Saville’s Bike for Butterflies
Our Branch Chair is tackling a 2nd charity ride following 2021's Land's End to John O'Groats, which raised £30k+.
May 19 – Jun 11 Glasgow to Oban; Mull, Coll & Tiree; Caledonia Way to Inverness.
Seeking special species, including Chequered Skipper & Belted Beauty moth, and raising money for Butterfly Conservation
https://butterfly-conservation.org/bikeforbutterflies
Twitter@sbsaville #BikeForButterflies
www.facebook.com/donate/930227731362896
DONATE www.justgiving.com/campaign/simonsbikeforbutterflies
May 13 Unseasonal Silver-washed Fritillary fem, Chiddingfold SU981342, photographed by Bob Eade & Lisa Saw. Phantom of the Lepidoptera strikes again!
Mar 27, Apr 3-4 Camberwell Beauty in Surrey
see Surrey sightings
2022
XMAS QUIZ
Surrey members are invited to try Sussex's Xmas Quiz
CHALK GRAYLING
Surviving in Sussex
BRIDGET de WHALLEY
Funeral Webcast available to Dec 23
Username vito9778, pw 890439
Donations Butterfly Conservation via Tracey Sloane (daughter-in-law)
YOUTUBE
Hong Kong lepidopterist Arex Li, who joined our Merrow field trip, shares three short videos from his homeland.
1 Overwintering Crow butterflies
2 Fireflies
3 Birdwings
DEC
Fri 2 - Sun 4 The Dataset’s Dream: dusk exploration of a forest seeded with sculptures; listen in as artwork & the natural world touch your imagination. Created by Bryony Benge-Abbott & Thomas Sharp. Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham
VOLUNTEERS invited: details here
Nov 14 Long-tailed Blue in Surrey: see Sightings
Long-tailed Blues gathering on Sussex coast: see Neil Hulme's UKBMS Diary
Oct 29 Members' Afternoon. AGM no longer required. Final AGM (Zoom) was 2021-10 (Zoom). Here are 2021 minutes
FIELD TRIP REPORT
Aug 30 Cranleigh: 14 trippers, 12 species, incl. Brown Hairstreak, Small Copper & Clouded Yellow. FK
Sep 18 NatureFest, Manor Park, New Malden
FIELD TRIP REPORT
Aug 21 22 trippers, 14 species incl. Pewley Down's first Adonis pair (male top) since 2015. FK
See Surrey People
FIELD TRIPS
Jul 30 Gomshall-Denbies: 18 trippers, 27 species. See Surrey People
Jul 15 – Aug 7 Big Butterfly Count
Aug 4 9.00-22.00: Moth Fest, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
Register for walks at 12.00-13.00 & 15.00-16.00
NATIONAL TRUST
May-Aug Butterfly Events in Surrey
FIELD TRIP CHANGE
Sat 30 July Great Train Journey West
9.30 Meet Denbies Hillside (Ranmore car park east, NT members free) RH5 6SR, TQ141503 for car share (5 miles, 10mins via White Down Lane) to Gomshall Station GU5 9NU (free parking). Return walk to Denbies Hillside, arr. c15.00.
Industrial action is planned on GWR
RECORDERS
DECIDE is a new online tool that highlights priority areas for extra recording to improve distribution models and inform management decisions. To help its development, please sign up to MyDECIDE.
Jul 16-17 Lambeth Country Show: Big City Butterflies seek help with their stand. Details here. More London events are listed in BCB enews
Sun 17 Albury: Daphne Foulsham's Open Garden. Proceeds to BC
VOLUNTEERS!
Jul 10 – Aug 15 Haslemere summer camp for children aged 8-13 requests talks & field trips at their 90-acre site. If you can help, please contact Ben Webb: surreyhillsandrivers@
Jun 4 Black Hairstreak expansion continues: see Sightings
Apr 30 Large Tortoiseshell in Surrey: see Sightings
Apr 25 Dr Paul Tinsley-Marshall, who has worked for Kent Wildlife Trust since 2015, will be BC's new SE Regional Conservation Manager from May 23.
UPDATES
2022-02 Members' Days
2022-01 Transects 2021 spreadsheet
2021-12 Map Brown Hairstreak
WINTER WORK PARTIES
Join the weekly fun, Oct-Mar
NEWS
Steve Wheatley leaves BC at the end of March after seven years as SE Conservation Manager. Here are his Highlights of 2021
Jan 17 Gill Peachey, a member since 1991 and transect walker at Farthing Downs, died suddenly at home. Gill was a leading light at Old Coulsdon Camera Club and always entered our annual Photo Show. Via Stephan Morris
2021
Dec 19 David Gradidge 1936-2021, who served London/Surrey Branch for 30 years to 2016 as Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and leader of field trips and work parties on Banstead Downs, died after a short illness. David wrote a weather column for the Surrey Skipper and also for 2013’s Butterflies of Surrey Revisited. We offer our condolences to David’s wife Anne and the rest of his family.
Funeral (max 75) Jan 31, 2.30, All Saints' Church, Banstead. Donations Butterfly Conservation or Woodland Trust.2021
Nov 6 Members' afternoon
Congratulations to our winners
Quiz Marian Thomas
Photo Show Stephan Morris
Download both here
Oct 27 AGM Chair report & Minutes
Oct 6: White Admiral 2nd brood, Chilworth
Sep: Long-tailed Blue, Woking & Croydon
see Sightings
Aug 22, Merrow field trip: 19 trippers, 14 species, incl. 6+ Brown Hairstreaks & male Brown Argus ab. graafii (marginal lunules white, not orange).
Photo Linda Lands
See Surrey People
Aug 9 Appointments Saving the Wood White
Project officer Paul Cawsey
Volunteer project officer Natasha Doane
Brilliant Butterflies
Aug 25 – Sep 1 various events
Big City Butterflies
Sep 1 Zoom id workshop
Jul 21 Congratulations to Simon Saville on completing his 1,200 mile
Bike for Butterflies
from Land's End to John O'Groats in 30 days. Please donate HERE
Simon's blogs
Simon's website
BC's webpage
Twitter @sbsaville #BikeForButterflies
New Members' Events
For members who have joined Surrey Branch 2019+
Welcome talk, on Zoom
choose from
Wed 7 July, 2pm or Thu 8 July, 7pm
30-40 mins, plus 20 mins Q&A
To register, please email [email protected]
New Members' field trip
Sat 10 July, 12.30-15.00
No need to book
Meet Ashtead Common Estate Office
Woodfield Road KT21 2DU
200m west of Ashtead Station.
Parking in surrounding streets.
Please bring refreshments
Target Purple Emperor
Leader Bill Downey, with other committee members
Jul 14 Broadstreet Common field trip:
14 trippers, 18 species, including WL Hairstreak & Purple Emperor.
See Surrey People & Nigel Jackman's video
Jul 16, 6pm, ITV Meridian
Weather report live from Oaken Wood
Jul 11 Open Garden
For the benefit of Butterfly Conservation
Daphne Foulsham, Vale End, Albury
Jul 8-10 Moth Night
Jun 15 20+ Black Hairstreaks for Epsom Common field trip:
see Sightings & Surrey People
Jun 1 Project Officers for Big City Butterflies
Eleanor Johnstone Engagement
Steve Bolton Conservation
Jun 12 Swallowtail Zoom Conference,
featuring Surrey Branch's Clive Huggins
May 12-29 Large Tortoiseshell at Hutchinson's Bank: see Sightings
May 12 Large Tortoiseshell: see Sightings
Thank you and best wishes to Fiona Haynes,
who left the Wood White project on May 24 for a job with Amphibian & Reptile Conservation
BBC radio drama
Saving the Large Blue
available until May 4
TONY HOARE funeral, Apr 23
Recording ID 91088, Password: gnkprvsv
TONY HOARE Chair of BC London Branch 1989-94, died suddenly at his Leatherhead home on March 14. He was 75.
Our condolences to Tony's wife Gay and the rest of his family. A tribute will be in Butterfly, the national magazine, in June.
NHM tribute PDF
DATES
Garden Moth Scheme
Please register by Mar 26
Feb 5 NEWS FLASH
Big City Butterflies Project secures NLHF funding
2020
Dec 15 Sarah Clift, Senior Countryside Officer, finds the first BLACK Hairstreak egg ever recorded on Epsom Common. Ken & Gillian Elsom
Dec 15 Surrey's Priority Species Steve Wheatley video |
| Sep Life Cycles, Pete Eeles: 45 mins video |
| Aug Steve Wheatley assumes responsibility for Oaken Wood |
| Aug Swallowtail in Sussex |
Aug 26 Field trip finale at Cranleigh: one Brown Hairstreak fem. FK
Aug 27-29 Moth Night
Aug 6 18.00 Wood White FSC webinar
Jul 17 Simon Saville previews Big Butterfly Count on ITV London News, c. 6.20pm
Jul 17 - Aug 9 Big Butterfly Count
Watch Simon Saville's Video Preview
Jul Butterfly bank in Croydon school
Jun 22-28 National Insect Week
Online events, including:
Tue 12.00 Beautiful Butterflies
Jun 2 Ditch Ditchling!
Surrey has its own Black Hairstreak colony (origin unknown) at Epsom Common.
Search the Blackthorn immediately east of TQ18578 60651. FK
May 31 Swallowtail photo competition closes
May 7 Simon Saville: London’s Butterflies
Video & PDF
FSC: more webinars
Mar 16 Surrey Skipper Spring edition
Apr 13 Long-tailed Blue video
Sussex invasions 2013+
Apr 3 WCBS 2019 newsletter
Apr Simon Saville's Bike for Butterflies
POSTPONED to next year
Mar Foulsham collection donated to Reigate museum:
1 Butterflies, 2 Moths
Mar 25 Camberwell Beauty!
see Sightings
Mar 23 UKBMS 2019 results
Mar 22 Orange-tip, South Godstone: UK 1st
Feb 19 Lorraine Willmott died after a long illness.
Condolences to husband Ken, a BC member since its inception in 1968 and lead author of 2013's Butterflies of Surrey Revisited.
Funeral: Mon 23 Mar. FAMILY ONLY
2019
Nov 16 Congratulations to Bill Downey,
winner of an Outstanding Volunteer award at the national AGM
Nov 2 AGM & Members' Day
Chair report
Photo Show & Quiz results
Oct 23 Small Blue Project
Final Report
Oct 21 Surrey Butterflies & Moths
Annual Report 2018
Oct 7 Surrey Skipper
Autumn edition
Sep 24 Brilliant Butterflies, £1m project,
launched at Hutchinson's Bank
Sep 12 Big Butterfly Count results
Sep 11 Long-tailed Blue on window!
see Sightings
Sep 1 Merrow
Trippers & species 15,
Brown Hairstreaks 4,
incl worn male on Yarrow. FK
Aug 26 Long-tailed Blue returns
See Sightings
Aug 15 video Swallowtail in Surrey!
May 23, Small Copper ab. schmidtii
see Sightings
Apr 15: VIDEO by Dom Greves
Adonis Blue larva attended by red ants, Denbies Hillside
Apr: VIDEO - Magdalen Hill Down reserve, Winchester
Apr 7: Amazon Adventure, the story of Victorian explorer Henry Bates,
Odeon BFI IMAX at Waterloo, attended by Brian May.
See Surrey People
Mar 15: Brilliant Butterfly Banks video
Lottery Dream Fund grants £1million
to partnership of LWT, BC & NHM,
focusing on chalk grassland
around Hutchinson's Bank.
Mar 1: RIP John Foulsham, generous host with Daphne of the Vale End field trips.
Mar: WCBS 2018 report
Mar 24: early Orange-tip. See Sightings
2018
Nov 19 E-moth newsletter
Nov 11 National AGM
Congratulations to Gail Jeffcoate,
winner of the 2018 Marsh Award.
Surrey Chair Simon Saville was elected to
BC's Board of Trustees
Nov 3 AGM & Members' Day
Congratulations to winners:
Richard Stephens - Photo
Marian Thomas - Quiz
Oct 5 Surrey Skipper Autumn 2018
Aug 31 Surrey Report 2017
May 19: See Facebook Group: Small Blues in Surrey
Apr 6: Peter Beale, founder of our Oaken Wood reserve in 1993, died in Suffolk, aged 88
Mar 10, Barnes Common: 50th Anniversary "Day of Action"
Mar 6, YouTube: Oaken Wood work party
2017
Apr 26: Richmond Park on YouTube, with Sir David Attenborough
Apr 3: Stephen Jeffcoate, launch Chair of Surrey Branch 1995-97 and National Chair 1999-03, died suddenly on March 31, aged 77
Mar 24: Hutchinson's Bank chalks up £21k grant
Mar 13, Red Admiral migration study: please add all sightings to iRecord
Feb 21: Bernard Skinner funeral, Beckenham Crematorium, 15.00.
See Steve Gale's tribute
2016
Jan 5: Alan Hunt, Branch Secretary 2002-06, died suddenly on Dec 17 aged 63
Nov 12: David Gardner retires after eight years as Branch Chair
| More news from Members' Day | |
| Acting Chair | Simon Saville |
| Quiz winner | Peter Brown |
| Photo Show winner | David Hasell |
Oct 23: Chipstead Downs Butterflies 2016
Oct 10: Big Butterfly Count results
Oct 10, Mon: BBC4, 21.00 Great Butterfly Adventure
Sep 15, Richmond Park: 156 Small Coppers, Nigel Jackman
Mon, May 9: joint funeral of Phil Boys & his father, who died the same week.
13:15 Randalls Park Cemetery, Randalls Road, Leatherhead KT22 0AG.
Donations in Phil's memory will be split between Radio Marsden & Samson Centre for MS
Jan 13: Chief Exec Martin Warren to step down in Dec
2015
Dec 9: Sussex Long-tailed Blue video
Nov: Surrey branch earns £850, Aug-Oct,
Community Matters scheme, John Lewis, Purley Way, Croydon. Sophie Pettit
Oct 26: Harold Hughes OBE, Chair of BC 1991-99 and of London branch (Surrey forerunner) in 1980s, died age 81.
BC Chief Exec Martin Warren remembers: “A visionary leader who steered Butterfly Conservation into the professional era”.Harold, a BC Vice-president, was British Gas Director & Manager, Exploration & Production Companies.
Condolences to his widow, Elizabeth.
Aug-Oct: Surrey branch is one of 3 chosen charities at John Lewis, Purley Way, Croydon. Sophie Pettit
Apr: many thanks to Malcolm Bridge, who has stepped down after 11 years as Oaken Wood manager
Mar 21: Diana Gay Carr, 70, an active branch member for over 10 years, died after a long illness.
Jan 1, Bookham Common: 20 Brown Hairstreak eggs found by eight recorders in two hours
2014
Nov 15: Congratulations to Malcolm Bridge, Oaken Wood Manager since 2003 and County Recorder 2001-13, who received an Outstanding Volunteer award at BC's National Members’ Day
Sep 15: Big Butterfly Count 2014 result;
ITV video clip (1m50s in)