Friends of Sutton Park Association

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HESPERIIDAE

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28) Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata)

A common butterfly in many parts of Britain, with a range extending as far north as south west Scotland. This butterfly is a common species in Sutton Park, on the wing from mid June until mid August. Large Skippers can often be found feeding and basking alongside the slightly smaller Small Skipper which they resemble in many ways, however the Large Skipper has a more mottled gold colouring and usually emerges slightly earlier in the year. The Large Sipper is also the more likely of the two to turn up in local gardens. Caterpillar food plants: various coarse grasses, mainly cock's foot or purple moor grass.

29) Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)

The Small Skipper is a small, golden coloured butterfly, with a darting, erratic flight. Common on most rough unimproved grassland in southern Britain. The species is also common in many parts of Sutton Park, and often many adults can be seen feeding on the nectar of bramble or thistle flowers during warm sunny days between late June and early August. Surprisingly this butterfly is not included in the listings of the 1965 guide book for Sutton Park, yet I can well remember seeing many Small Skippers in Sutton Park as a young boy growing up in the 1960's, and it seems likely that they were overlooked in favour of their similar and slightly more conspicuous cousin, the Large Skipper, which is also a common butterfly in Sutton Park. Caterpillar food plant: Yorkshire fog grass.

Summary

I know of no other butterfly species to be associated with Sutton Park although it is certain that other species must have occurred there in the past, (the 'large tortoishell' for example, was as common in the 19th Century as the 'comma' is today), and it is just as likely that new species will be recorded in Sutton Park during the future. It is unlikely nowadays that any undiscovered residents have been overlooked, although I do sometimes take a close look at my Small Skippers to make certain that they are not the closely related Essex Skipper, (a similar species that has recently extended it's range considerably).

It is interesting to note that the 1965 guide book to Sutton Park lists three butterfly species as being confined within the region to Sutton Park only.

These being the now extinct Marsh and Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries as well as the still reasonably numerous Green Hairstreak. If we are to take this information to be accurate then it would be reasonable to assume that the now nationally scarce High Brown Fritillary could have been seen flying across other parts of Sutton Coldfield less than half a century ago.

Butterfly numbers fluctuate generally from year to year and whilst some species appear to be in the process of extending their national range, others are clinging to survival in a few isolated British colonies.

Only by protecting sites and carefully managing the habitat can the survival for many species be assured and this applies as equally to Sutton Park as it does to other parts of the country. A new five year management plan (2002 / 2007) has recently been drawn up for Sutton Park by Dr. Stefan Bodnar, and in his plan the specific requirements for Sutton Park's butterfly species have been fully considered.

The FOSPA Conservation Team will continue to work in conjunction with the Sutton Park Ranger Service (and in consultation with English Nature through the Sutton Park Advisory Committee) on a number of projects concerning the improvement of the associated habitat for many of Sutton Park's butterfly species.

Harvey Skelcher
FOSPA Conservation Team Co-ordinator.

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