By: Filipe

Filipe — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:43:45 +0000

Hi Erwin,Long ago I realised that old intdiursal sites often have incredible value as habits for species and are far more productive than the farmland or urban territory around. As a kid in a S. Wales scarred by spoil heaps from coal mining I realised those were the places to look near abandoned mine workings there were sparrowhawks, kestrels, lapwings,grasshopper warblers the ponds had great crested newts and along railway lines, corridors of limestone ballast through sheep-grazed acid terrain, grew orchids and a host of calcicoles. Later, I found colonies of fly orchids and silver-studded blue butterflies on the sparse soils of limestone workings to say nothing of the fossils. During their working life these sites are a nightmare but afterwards, as nature is allowed to take over, they are amazing and we should not forget that My brother, as passionate about fossils as I am about plants, started his interest looking on old tips where coal measure fossils abounded and later as an engineer/geologist went on to re-sculpt exhausted open-cast areas creating lagoons and meadows, several of which are now incredible nature reserves.By the way we have Glanville Fritillaries in the garden just one of over 40 species recorded without trying as we try to turn farmland back to species-rich grassland, more by neglect than design!Paul

Comments on: Again new butterfly

By: Filipe