BACK__________________________________________________________________________________________________

No. 54 NEWSLETTER Spring 2003

WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

 

Some Problems of a Branch Recorder
or
West Midlands Branch Butterfly Records for 2002

 

Very many thanks to everybody who sent in butterfly records for 2002. They have now been put onto the computer and transmitted to Head Office. Especial thanks to the very great majority of you who used the standard forms for your data. Their use is really essential to make the data entry reasonably fast: currently something like 50 man-hours (including lady-hours!), but above all error-free (almost!). My impression at the moment is that we have received have a lot more butterfly records than last year, which is very good news.

Standard data that is recorded formally and goes onto the BC database is in the format of the recording form that is enclosed with this Newsletter. Any additional comments may be of interest to me, but there is no mechanism for storing them as part of the database. I am not certain that all recorders understand this basic fact. Records without an acceptable grid reference (one only 6 or 4 figure) - a 4-figure one representing 1 sq. km or tetrad per record simply will not be accepted by the database at all, or perhaps worse still, only after distortion by me; an entry can record a butterfly or larva etc. but not both – only one code can be entered; a non-standard symbol, for example, a query ‘?’, unfortunately just cannot be recorded. Ideal records are those taken at reasonably frequent intervals. It has been known for a recorder to send only a few “notable” records, such as one exceptional sighting of a great many Orange Tips in one location. You can imagine what nonsense you would get if using this part of the database to extract typical flight periods.

One of the worries and rewards of being Branch Recorder is due to the receipt of records that are so exciting that they are near to being unbelievable. Delete them do you think? I reckon that it is probably a more productive strategy to record them and hope and look for confirmation in the years ahead (or gone by); on the other hand, surely neither of these choices can always be right? One member, just north of Lichfield, has reported Grizzled Skippers in his garden as well as multiple Wall Browns and many other notable butterflies, such as Orange Tips 16-20 March (not unique but beyond the experience of we who live at 600 ft.). Another recorder from Woodgate (B’ham) has reported an unbelievable?? set of sightings of Wood White, Brown Hairstreak etc. etc. between the M5 and Woodgate. I, anyway, feel that the area is worth a visit.

Many thanks again for your records and the best of luck and weather for 2003.

Jim Chance (Branch Recorder)