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BUTTERFLY REPORT 2021
J. Corton
2021 SUFFOLK BUTTERFLY REPORT JAMES CORTON
A male Wall brown and Small Tortoiseshell interacting at SWT Carlton Marshes Introduction The 2021 report is my first Butterfly Report since taking on the baton from Bill Stone. He set and maintained a very high standard of work and I realise he will be a hard act to follow. I am very grateful for his training and support during my initiation as he showed me the ropes, particularly the database for producing Suffolk records, maps, charts and graphs from the national datasets. Initially, I intend following a similar report style for continuity but with a view of adapting it in subsequent years. I would also like to thank all the recorders, who help to build an accurate and county-wide picture of our butterfly populations. The goodwill of people prepared to spend time observing and recording our butterflies is appreciated and without it this report would not be possible. I am also indebted to Butterfly Conservation Suffolk Branch Committee for their support, encouragement and support (Richard Perryman) in data extraction during this initial year as County Butterfly Recorder. A few updates are included in this full report which were not in the earlier summary report and these are in the sections on Priority Species and Releases. Lastly, about myself, I have had an almost lifelong interest in butterflies. While at primary school this developed into a major interest when I bred ‘cabbage white’ butterflies from caterpillars. This was beyond my Dad’s understanding, being a former farmer. The ‘Clouded yellow’ year of 1983 further fuelled my passion and I’ve been Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 58 (2022)