SACWG is one of several community wildlife groups in the area who have been asked to encourage members to participate in Shropshire Commons, part of Common Cause, a 3-year project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Shropshire Commons is being run by the West Midlands Branch of Butterfly Conservation and it encompasses the upland common areas of the Long Mynd, Stiperstones, and Clee Liberty.
The project covers both moths and butterflies but the current emphasis is on butterflies. We have been asked to help as much as possible by submitting records of butterfly observations – either in your garden or when out and about in the area. All observations are welcomed but in particular there are six target species that are considered of high importance. Note that clicking on the species name opens a new tab at the relevant page on the Butterfly Conservation website.
Please record sightings of any individuals of the above species. You are encouraged to use the iRecord Butterfly app to make records – if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s brilliant! The app is available for free download for both Android and Apple devices. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can record your observations on the iRecord website. Or if you prefer, you can record your sightings on this form (PDF) and submit them by email or by post – details at the bottom of the form.
If you need help identifying any butterflies you see, you can download this excellent Identification Guide to the Butterflies of South Shropshire (PDF). Please note though that the website address given on the leaflet for West Midlands Butterfly Conservation is no longer correct – their new website is here.