Monarch butterfly turns up in Dorset
October 2011. A rare butterfly, normally found on the other side of the Atlantic, has been discovered on England's South Coast. The Monarch buterfly, a spectacular black and orange vagrant butterfly, was seen on Buddleia plants in Ringstead Bay, in Dorset. It is not known if the butterfly was blown here as a result of the Indian summer currently gripping the UK or was deposited by hurricane winds from America.
Small populations in Spain
Monarchs are large and unmistakeable with the majority being found in North America, but a smaller population survives in Southern Spain and on the Canary Islands.
Vast migration
Richard Fox, Surveys Manager at Butterfly Conservation said: "Monarchs are one of the wonders of the natural world. At this time of the year they migrate an astonishing 3,000 miles to their over-wintering grounds in mountains of Mexico. But storm systems on the Eastern Seaboard of America can pick them up and deposit them on the West Coast of Ireland and the Southwest of England."
The last few weeks have also seen many rare vagrant birds from North America arriving in the UK as a result of the hurricane season. The last good Monarch year was in 1999 when scores turned up in the UK.
The butterfly was spotted by accountant Shelley Cunningham, 24, from Yeovil and trainee wildlife guide Shane Austin, 39, from Taunton. Shelley, who three years ago was confined to a wheelchair, is walking the South West Coast Path to raise money for the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) who treated her for curvature of the spine.
Shane said: "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the Monarch, it was feeding on Buddleia with around 20 Red Admirals. It's big and beautiful and doesn't look like any butterflies you see here, it is just awe inspiring when you think how far it has flown."
Shelley underwent three years of surgery to be able to walk again. She is five weeks into the gruelling six-week walk and has raised £3,000 for the charity Above and Beyond.
She said: "The BRI really helped me get back on my feet so this walk is to give something back, seeing the Monarch was just a fantastic added bonus."
Monarch butterflies in North America
Read more about the fantastic Monarch butterfly migration from Canada to Mexico.
For more information about monarch butterflies and their migration, visit www.monarchwatch.org
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/butterfly-monarch.html
Showing posts with label Dorset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dorset. Show all posts
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Rare ladybird spiders released in Dorset (via Dawn Holloway)
One of Britain's rarest spiders is being reintroduced at a nature reserve in Dorset.
Ladybird spiders were once feared to be extinct in the UK but recently numbers have been rising.
On Thursday, a new colony is being moved to a species-rich heathland reserve.
Conservationists have found that the best way to transfer them to their new home is to make temporary burrows for the spiders out of empty water bottles.
Ladybird spiders get their name from the bright red and black markings of the mature males. They are extremely rare and are also elusive, spending most of their lives underground.
According to the RSPB, in 1994 there was just one remaining colony in the UK. A web count in that colony found that only 56 individual spiders were left.
But over the past few years, conservation efforts have seen numbers increasing to more than 1,000. This has involved captive breeding, reintroduction and habitat restoration.
Even so, the spiders are still only found at a few sites in Dorset. And on Thursday, about 30 are being released at the RSPB's Arne reserve in the county.
The reserve is already home to 240 species of spider.
RSPB Arne warden Toby Branston said: "To be introducing such a rare new species here is very exciting, and I hope we can help spread it further."
The spiders were captured at another location and put into empty mineral water bottles that were filled with heather and moss. Researchers say the bottles are an ideal shape and size for the spiders to make their nests.
The team of conservationists will dig holes for the bottles at the reserve. It is hoped that the spiders will colonise the surrounding heathland.
By Daniel Boettcher
Correspondent, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14479661
Ladybird spiders were once feared to be extinct in the UK but recently numbers have been rising.
On Thursday, a new colony is being moved to a species-rich heathland reserve.
Conservationists have found that the best way to transfer them to their new home is to make temporary burrows for the spiders out of empty water bottles.
Ladybird spiders get their name from the bright red and black markings of the mature males. They are extremely rare and are also elusive, spending most of their lives underground.
According to the RSPB, in 1994 there was just one remaining colony in the UK. A web count in that colony found that only 56 individual spiders were left.
But over the past few years, conservation efforts have seen numbers increasing to more than 1,000. This has involved captive breeding, reintroduction and habitat restoration.
Even so, the spiders are still only found at a few sites in Dorset. And on Thursday, about 30 are being released at the RSPB's Arne reserve in the county.
The reserve is already home to 240 species of spider.
RSPB Arne warden Toby Branston said: "To be introducing such a rare new species here is very exciting, and I hope we can help spread it further."
The spiders were captured at another location and put into empty mineral water bottles that were filled with heather and moss. Researchers say the bottles are an ideal shape and size for the spiders to make their nests.
The team of conservationists will dig holes for the bottles at the reserve. It is hoped that the spiders will colonise the surrounding heathland.
By Daniel Boettcher
Correspondent, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14479661
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Dorset pliosaur: ‘Most fearsome predator’ unveiled
A skull belonging to one of the largest "sea monsters" ever unearthed is being unveiled to the public. The beast, which is called a pliosaur, has been described as the most fearsome predator the Earth has seen.
The fossil was found in Dorset, but it has taken 18 months to remove the skull from its rocky casing, revealing the monster in remarkable detail.
Scientists suspect the creature, which is on show at the Dorset County Museum, may be a new species or even genus.
This is an iconic specimen - one of the most exciting we have seen in years”
Richard Edmonds, Dorset County Council's earth science manager for the Jurassic Coast, said: "This is amazing. We saw this fossil initially as a pile of bones - and slowly, after a lot of hard work, it has come together.
"We are now told this skull is 95% complete, and probably one of the largest and certainly one of the most well-preserved and complete pliosaurs ever found anywhere in the world."
The 155-million-year-old fossil was discovered by local collector Kevan Sheehan between 2003 and 2008 as it gradually tumbled out of the cliffs near Weymouth.
He told BBC News: "It was sheer luck - I was sitting on the beach, and saw three pieces. I had no idea what they were, but I proceeded to drag them back. Then over several years, I'd go back every year and find a new piece. I'm a beach magpie."
At first it more closely resembled huge lumps of rock than a marine monster, but a lengthy preparation process that has been carried out by fossil expert Scott Moore-Faye has revealed the fine details of the fossil.
Looking somewhat like a crocodile on steroids, it is now easy to see the power of this "biting machine": pliosaurs, which lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods were the top predators of the oceans.
On show now are its eye sockets, perched upon the top of its head, revealing how it would have fixed its stare on any passing prey; the openings that held its it immensely powerful jaw muscles, allowing it to crunch down on anything that crossed its path; and the huge holes, running all the way down its snout, that contained its giant, razor-sharp teeth to help finish the meal off.
Palaeontologist Richard Forrest said: "This is an iconic specimen - one of the most exciting we have seen in years.
"It was probably the most fearsome predator that ever lived. Standing in front of the skull you can imagine this enormous beast staring straight back at you, fixing you with its binocular vision, and attacking. Just thinking about it raises the hairs on the back of your neck."
Its bulky body, which would have been powered through the water with four paddle-like limbs, has never been found - and may not even have fossilised.
But new estimates from scientists, based on the 2.4m-long skull, suggest that the predator would have measured between 15-18m from tip to tail.
Biggest beast?
Currently, the owner of the title of world's biggest sea monster is tricky to ascertain, as it is rare to find a complete fossil.
But pieces of potentially larger specimens have been found in the brick pits of Oxfordshire, and the skull of a species of pliosaur called Kronosaurus, from Australia, could be up to 3m (10ft) long. Recent finds in Svalbard, such as the aptly named "Monster" and "Predator X", as well as the "Monster of Aramberri", found in Mexico are also contenders.
However, scientists say that having a skull that is only missing the tip of its snout and a small piece of its jaw, gives them a rare chance to get a glimpse into the life of this ancient animal.
CT scans carried out by a team at the School of Engineering Sciences University of Southampton, which probe the fossil using X-rays, are now being studied to assess whether this creature is new to science.
Richard Edmonds said: "I've looked at some of the papers of described animals, and it looks different: it is much more massive, much more robust.
"But to determine whether it is anything new is a whole study in its own right. We'll have to go away, carefully compared to the existing species.
"But I wouldn't be surprised if in a year's time, we are standing here and looking at something that is new to science."
The fossil, which was purchased for £20,000 by the Dorset County Museum using Heritage Lottery Funds, with half of the money going to the collector and half to the landowner, is now going on public display. Sir David Attenborough is carrying out the opening ceremony.
David Tucker, Dorset County Museums Adviser said: "Our initial expectations have been more than met and the creature looks absolutely fabulous and we doubt whether there is a more complete pliosaur skull anywhere in the world.
"It is amazing to have the largest, most complete skull of the most powerful predator to live on Earth on display on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, the home of the science of palaeontology"
By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14061347
The fossil was found in Dorset, but it has taken 18 months to remove the skull from its rocky casing, revealing the monster in remarkable detail.
Scientists suspect the creature, which is on show at the Dorset County Museum, may be a new species or even genus.
This is an iconic specimen - one of the most exciting we have seen in years”
Richard Edmonds, Dorset County Council's earth science manager for the Jurassic Coast, said: "This is amazing. We saw this fossil initially as a pile of bones - and slowly, after a lot of hard work, it has come together.
"We are now told this skull is 95% complete, and probably one of the largest and certainly one of the most well-preserved and complete pliosaurs ever found anywhere in the world."
The 155-million-year-old fossil was discovered by local collector Kevan Sheehan between 2003 and 2008 as it gradually tumbled out of the cliffs near Weymouth.
He told BBC News: "It was sheer luck - I was sitting on the beach, and saw three pieces. I had no idea what they were, but I proceeded to drag them back. Then over several years, I'd go back every year and find a new piece. I'm a beach magpie."
At first it more closely resembled huge lumps of rock than a marine monster, but a lengthy preparation process that has been carried out by fossil expert Scott Moore-Faye has revealed the fine details of the fossil.
Looking somewhat like a crocodile on steroids, it is now easy to see the power of this "biting machine": pliosaurs, which lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods were the top predators of the oceans.
On show now are its eye sockets, perched upon the top of its head, revealing how it would have fixed its stare on any passing prey; the openings that held its it immensely powerful jaw muscles, allowing it to crunch down on anything that crossed its path; and the huge holes, running all the way down its snout, that contained its giant, razor-sharp teeth to help finish the meal off.
Palaeontologist Richard Forrest said: "This is an iconic specimen - one of the most exciting we have seen in years.
"It was probably the most fearsome predator that ever lived. Standing in front of the skull you can imagine this enormous beast staring straight back at you, fixing you with its binocular vision, and attacking. Just thinking about it raises the hairs on the back of your neck."
Its bulky body, which would have been powered through the water with four paddle-like limbs, has never been found - and may not even have fossilised.
But new estimates from scientists, based on the 2.4m-long skull, suggest that the predator would have measured between 15-18m from tip to tail.
Biggest beast?
Currently, the owner of the title of world's biggest sea monster is tricky to ascertain, as it is rare to find a complete fossil.
But pieces of potentially larger specimens have been found in the brick pits of Oxfordshire, and the skull of a species of pliosaur called Kronosaurus, from Australia, could be up to 3m (10ft) long. Recent finds in Svalbard, such as the aptly named "Monster" and "Predator X", as well as the "Monster of Aramberri", found in Mexico are also contenders.
However, scientists say that having a skull that is only missing the tip of its snout and a small piece of its jaw, gives them a rare chance to get a glimpse into the life of this ancient animal.
CT scans carried out by a team at the School of Engineering Sciences University of Southampton, which probe the fossil using X-rays, are now being studied to assess whether this creature is new to science.
Richard Edmonds said: "I've looked at some of the papers of described animals, and it looks different: it is much more massive, much more robust.
"But to determine whether it is anything new is a whole study in its own right. We'll have to go away, carefully compared to the existing species.
"But I wouldn't be surprised if in a year's time, we are standing here and looking at something that is new to science."
The fossil, which was purchased for £20,000 by the Dorset County Museum using Heritage Lottery Funds, with half of the money going to the collector and half to the landowner, is now going on public display. Sir David Attenborough is carrying out the opening ceremony.
David Tucker, Dorset County Museums Adviser said: "Our initial expectations have been more than met and the creature looks absolutely fabulous and we doubt whether there is a more complete pliosaur skull anywhere in the world.
"It is amazing to have the largest, most complete skull of the most powerful predator to live on Earth on display on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, the home of the science of palaeontology"
By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14061347
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Have you seen a leatherback turtle off Dorset coast?
5:00pm Wednesday 16th June 2010By Juliette Astrup
ENDANGERED turtles weighing up to a tonne could soon be spotted off the Dorset coast, conservation experts have said.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is urging people to keep a look out for leatherback turtles this summer – then log their sightings to build up a picture of their movements.
These critically endangered reptiles migrate from the tropics to UK seas each summer to gobble up large blooms of jellyfish off the coast.
According to MCS records they are regularly sported off Devon and Cornwall – but there have been no confirmed sightings off Dorset since 2004, so residents are being asked to keep their eyes peeled.
Peter Richardson, MCS Biodiversity Programme Manager, said: “It’s more than likely that they’re out there off Dorset – but they haven’t been reported.”
He added: “Leatherbacks are amazing creatures, the biggest of the turtles growing up to a couple of metres in length and weighing up to a tonne – about the same as small car.
“But what makes them really special and unlike any other reptile is the fact that they can maintain their own body heat, even in our chilly seas.”
Leatherbacks are fighting for survival against habitat destruction and disturbance of their tropical nesting beaches.
They can get entangled and drown in fishing gear and die from starvation when they eat plastic litter, which they mistake for jellyfish, blocking up their digestive system. Small numbers wash up dead around the UK each year.
Mr Richardson encouraged people to reported turtle sightings, be they dead or alive.
“The more UK turtle sightings we hear about, the better our understanding will be of these fascinating creatures, and the more we will know about how to make sure they are safe when they visit our seas,” he added.
Log sightings at mcsuk.org and euroturtle.org/turtlecode or by calling 01348 875000.
• Live stranded turtles should not be returned to the sea but should be reported immediately to the RSPCA on 0300 1234999.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8222652.Have_you_seen_a_leatherback_turtle_off_Dorset_coast_/
(Submitted by Mark North)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Birds lap up new wetland
A NEW wetland has proved an instant success attracting lapwings and curlews to breed in its first year.
The new habitat on the Tadnoll and Winfrith nature reserve was created by Dorset Wildlife Trust and consists of two scrapes, or shallow ponds, on the old Prison Fields.
curlew
“We were hoping to see waders feeding on the new scrapes over the winter, with the possibility of breeding within a few years,” said Sarah Williams, rivers and wetlands conservation officer.
“I am over the moon that both lapwings and curlews have found the new habitat good enough to raise their young in the very first year.
“We hope these will be the first of many waders to breed here.”
lapwing
Lapwing and curlew pairs raised two chicks each, but the curlew chicks are believed to have been killed by foxes or dogs.
The two young lapwings, an endangered species, survived and flew off with their parents.
Work began on the reserve last summer and sluices were installed on the existing ditches to hold water and the shallow temporary ponds were added to provide wet, grassy areas.
Wading birds first arrived last winter, including green sandpipers, snipe and lapwings. This spring dragonflies attracted hobbies, small falcons which hunt them.
A bird hide will be installed in the autumn so people can keep an eye on the waders and there is a new dog-friendly trail which avoids the bird sensitive areas.
Ground nesting birds include nightjars and Dartford warblers on the dry heath.
By Diana Henderson
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4449714.Birds_lap_up_new_wetland/
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