As the survey enters its final year the good news is that all 1085 county tetrads have been covered - but as the accompanying map indicates, 96 of these are still under-recorded, i.e. less than five species. Needless to say most are in the traditionally under-recorded areas where few members live. However, the presence of such a tetrad doesn't necessarily mean a poor wildlife habitat. On a Butterfly Course at Kingcombe in Dorset last summer I met, for the first time, Mike Brewster whose garden at Woolpit was in one such under-recorded tetrad. He then produced a garden list of 22 species! A few tetrads have their own problems, some being only marginally in Suffolk, e.g. the bridge near Harleston, while in 1998 one along the Stour produced Suffolk-side records seen through binoculars from the Essex bank, which had the easiest access.
The use of an O.S. map will locate each tetrad (if you don't possess one try your local library). It would be a significant achievement to cover all of these, amounting in fact to just 69 as the 27 'crossed through' T will be covered by me in the summer. In fact a visit on a sunny summer day - just one visit - will certainly produce five or more species. The best locations are either a footpath or the local churchyard. Any time from mid-July to mid-August should prove successful
Richard Stewart
Two 'Late' records were missed from the Early/Late Butterfly Records in Issue 41 of White Admiral:
Brown Argus: 03.10.97 Jean and Ken Garrod - Suffolk Water Park - TM1149 Painted Lady: 20.11.95 Colin Hawes - Woolverstone - TM 184385