The Yorkshire Branch of Butterfly Conservation is currently involved with two reserves within its area - the well established Shipley Station Butterfly Meadow and a new site within the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington.

Shipley Station Butterfly Meadow
Shipley Station Butterfly Meadow is a 0.9 hectare plot of land situated at the heart of Shipley Station, West Yorkshire (Grid Reference SE150375). Situated between two car parks and platforms 2 and 5, it is adjacent to the Leeds to Skipton railway line and a short walk from Shipley town centre. Opened by Dr. David Bellamy in 1993, the meadow is a refuge for butterflies and moths, set in an urban habitat and supporting the flowery grassland usually found in a hay meadow. It is natural neutral grassland which has never been seeded. The reserve is owned by Network Rail and managed jointly by Butterfly Conservation, Bradford Urban Wildlife Group and Leeds Groundwork Trust.

Over fifty species of plant and tree have been found on the reserve including Sallow, Hawthorn, Birch, Ash, Buckthorn, Bramble, Rosebay Willowherb, Nettle, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Cowslip, Knapweed and various grasses. Also present are St. John's Wort, Meadow Vetchling, Meadow Foxtail and Black Meddick.   There are more than fourteen species of butterfly and moth and the "star" species of the reserve is the Common Blue butterfly. The blue form of the Common Blue female is predominant on the reserve (females are normally brown with a scattering of blue).   Other butterfly species present include Ringlet (which was seen for the first time in 2005), Wall, Orange-tip, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Small Copper and Small Skipper. Moths noted to date include Silver Y and Six-spot Burnet, a moth survey of the reserve is being planned.

The site is normally fenced off, however, an open day is held in June - see the events page for further details. Volunteers are always needed for management days in November when the grass is cut, scrub is cleared and trees are pruned using traditional hand tools.

The best way to get to the reserve is by train!
Services run from Leeds, Skipton, Settle, Carlisle and Bradford.

Grid Reference SE 150 375; Ordinance Survey map 104

For further details contact:
Susan Stead
178 Warren Lane, Eldwick, Bingley,
West Yorkshire BD16 3BY
Telephone: 01274 774912

Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington

Butterfly Conservation Yorkshire Branch were approached by Ian Reed, Director of the Yorkshire Air Museum, in late 2006, offering part of the museum site to be managed for butterflies, with potential benefits to both Yorkshire Branch and the Museum. In February 2007 a subcommittee was formed within the branch comprising David Baker, Howard and Christine Frost, and Lawrie King. The initial site meeting took place in April 2007. An exploratory walk was taken around the site with particular attention being paid to the grassland at the western boundary of the site and to a small “garden” area within the buildings complex.

At the meeting it was agreed that the area be monitored throughout the summer of 2007, taking counts of butterflies and moths to ascertain a database for Lepidoptera. Any further observations of wildlife to be noted, if relevant. Between the last week in May and 30th September a weekly visit was made to carry out butterfly counts during daylight hours within the future hangar area and proposed reserve area as shown on the above site plan. Concurrently, a moth trap was installed near to the circular concrete apron once per week to check the on-site moth species count.

As often stated in the movies and television, “no moths were harmed during the taking of these results”.
All were released after the count, some being photographed, weather permitting.

In the late autumn the Yorkshire Air Museum began to set up a pathway around the reserve area, work which will be continued during 2008.

Butterfly counts recorded throughout the site are listed separately at the end of the report. The system used for recording only shows the maximum count of specimens seen on any one sighting day. Moth counts are reported by the number of days a moth was present and the total number of specimens overall. Photographs were taken where required, although poor light and the prevailing weather, often wet, meant that some were taken away from site into more controlled conditions and returned later. The summer of 2007 was extremely wet, the site being flooded to a troublesome degree at times and it is thought that the results, as taken, may well be a poor reflection of the normal situation. A formal report was prepared for, and delivered to, the Yorkshire Air Museum in November 2007.

Future Developments

An outline management plan will be put forward for 2008 and beyond. This will include thoughts on:

a. Further monitoring, including moth trapping to be carried out throughout 2008.
b. The possibility of creating a nature trail with identification boards around the site.
c. Establishing a small butterfly garden within the complex with shrubs and nectar plants in containers.
d. In the longer term - working on an indoor display based upon the subject of “Flight. Also to incorporate local interest, such as the Rev. Francis Morris, who recorded butterflies in the 1850’s in the Elvington area.

Results of butterfly and moth monitoring in the area can be downloaded as a PDF file here.

For further details of how to get to there, admission fees and opening times see the Yorkshire Air Museum website.