Meadow Browns and Ringlets

I used to think that the Meadow Brown was probably the most common butterfly in East Lothian. I had memories of seeing hundreds of them on grasslands on the coast, along field edges and up in the hills. However, over the last few years I haven't seen many at all. Possibly I have been out and about at the wrong time, or maybe my memory is letting me down.

Last year numbers of Meadow Browns were lower than average, despite what seemed like favourable weather. However, as I commented previously the dry weather and easterly winds may have resulted in these lower numbers.

Looking at the figures that I have been gathering for the last 14 years, numbers seem to vary quite a bit from year to year and if anything have been showing a slight increase.

The number of the other grass-feeder, Ringlets also vary quite a bit from year to year, but they do seem to show a downward trend.

At home in the Borders I have certainly seen an increase in numbers of both species, but since we took over the place ten years ago, we have created a couple of areas of wild flower meadows and felled an area of Spruce woodland, replacing it with native broadleaf trees, with grass growing under them. I think I can put the increase in Meadow Browns and Ringlets here down to there being a lot more suitable habitat for them.

I had a look at my notes from when I had been surveying Northern Brown Argus in the valley above our house, but there was nothing conclusive as the numbers of Meadow Browns and Ringlet were really variable and they were based on only a couple of visits a year.

However, last year colleagues in East Lothian and the Butterfly Recorder in the Borders also commented that they had noticed a reduction in the number of Meadow Browns and Ringlets. This caused me to look for any other records I had.

I was able to look at the transect figures from Aberlady Local Nature Reserve going back to 2008. Both Meadow Brown and Ringlet numbers have been really variable, but both show quite an obvious down turn in numbers.

The other long-standing transect in East Lothian is at John Muir Country Park. It was set up in 1995, but unfortunately there are quite a number of years when it hasn't been walked. However, it shows a similar decline in numbers.

It is really interesting to note that Ringlets weren't recorded there until 1998. It is easy to forget that they only made their way up to East Lothian in the early 1980s.

I will certainly keep an eye on how numbers do both here in the Borders and in East Lothian over the next few years. I would be interested to hear how these two species are doing elsewhere across the UK.