WORK to improve a Wyre Forest woods for wildlife has paid off after a rare butterfly was spotted in the area for the first time.
Shatterford Wood saw areas of a conifer plantation cleared last year to create sunny glades and wide woodland paths, while trees were thinned out to expose a bank to sunlight.
The work was part of a project by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Worcestershire County Council, funded by a European Regional Development Fund grant, in an effort to bring wildlife back to the area.
Among those making the most of the newly-adapted environment is a rare dingy skipper butterfly, which has never been recorded in the wood before now.
The dingy skipper is known from the wider Wyre Forest area, although numbers of this small grey-brown butterfly have declined by 61 per cent since the 1970s.
The recent sighting is causing a stir for wildlife lovers.
Sean Webber, Natural Networks project officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said: “When the work took place last year, it looked rather drastic but the process of felling and removing trees often looks much worse than it is and vegetation is already bouncing back.
“It won’t be long before we see a diverse range of wildflowers and other plants that will be of great benefit to the wildlife here.
“To discover that a dingy skipper has been seen here so soon is really great news.
"The work we undertook in conjunction with volunteers from Butterfly Conservation and the landowner, Forestry England, was primarily to benefit butterflies, moths and other insects – the fact that we’re seeing results so early in the process is really heartening.”
Skipper butterflies usually hold their wings folded - more like a moth than a butterfly - but dingy skippers can often be seen basking on bare ground with their wings spread.
Its colouring helps to keep it camouflaged when basking on bare ground and when roosting on dead flowerheads overnight.
Colonies of dingy skippers are found in open and sunny habitats including wide woodland rides and clearings, so the recent work in Shatterford Woods will have helped to attract them to the area.
Their caterpillars feed on bird’s-foot trefoil, greater bird’s-foot trefoil and horseshoe vetch and it is hoped that the recent work will help these and other plants to flourish.
Richard Boles, Wyre Best Forester for Forestry England, said: “It is great to see that the joint work within Shatterford has greatly improved the ride network and there is no doubt that this work has encouraged the dingy skipper to move in and explore the improved habitat.
“We are pleased to be a part of this project and look forward to seeing what other positive effects come as a result.”
Mike Williams, of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation, added: “We have worked on many past projects with Forestry England to benefit many of our rarer butterflies but this is the first time we have focused work at Shatterford Woods.
“This is a great result and we are grateful to Natural Networks for providing the extra support that enabled this project to proceed.”
The Natural Networks project provides free biodiversity enhancement reports from experts at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and offers match-funded grants to carry out the recommendations.
Small and medium businesses as well as public and third sector organisations are eligible for funding of between £2,000 and £200,000 for projects such as tree planting, creating of wildflower meadows and increasing biodiversity along water courses.
For more information about the project, visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/natural-networks.
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