Nature lovers in Somerset and Bristol will be able to discover some of the UK’s rarest and most beautiful butterflies following the launch of a new guidebook for the area.
Butterfly Walks in Somerset and Bristol was produced by Butterfly Conservation’s Somerset and Bristol Branch with the help of one of the country’s leading butterfly experts.
The guide will help enthusiasts identify the region’s key species and the best places to see them, including sites where the previously extinct Large Blue can be found.
A gallery of Somerset and Bristol’s day-flying moths - that often get mistaken for butterflies - is included as well as charts showing the flight period of species.
The guide includes in-depth information about reserves and other butterfly-rich sites, including maps and directions on how to reach them.
Jeremy Thomas, Professor of Ecology at Oxford University, led pioneering research which resulted in the successful reintroduction of the previously extinct Large Blue to Somerset.
Prof Thomas explained: “The guide introduces beginners and experts alike to thirty-seven enchanting walks chosen to demonstrate the full range of butterfly species and representative habitats for which the region is famed. For newcomers to butterfly spotting, the idea of finding many of our scarcer species may initially seem daunting. Armed with this guide it is easily attainable.”
The publication of Butterfly Walks in Somerset and Bristol comes as the first butterflies of the year make an appearance in Somerset. Sightings of Red Admiral butterflies near Chard were reported to Butterfly Conservation at the start of January and Peacock butterflies have been seen on the wing near Minehead on the 25 January.
Branch secretary and guidebook editor, Hilary Raeburn, said: “There was a real need for something like this and it’s the only guide of its kind on offer. We’re hoping it will encourage more people to get outside and enjoy our beautiful countryside and wildlife.
“Not only does it give people a new focus for their walks but by purchasing this guide you are actively supporting conservation work for butterflies in Somerset and Bristol.”
All proceeds from the sale of ‘Butterfly Walks in Somerset and Bristol’ go to Butterfly Conservation and half price membership is available with every purchase.
You can pick up your copy for just £6.00 from the Museum of Somerset, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and Bristol’s M Shed Museum.
It can also be ordered direct from Butterfly Conservation via our online shop:
www.butterfly-conservation.org/shop
*An extra £2 will be added for postage and packaging costs.