Here we aim to provide the finest quality comprehensive library of photographs. The subjects will be primarily butterflies of the British Isles (the collection of which is now complete), dragonflies, moths, birds and orchids. Other miscellaneous groups are also included. We are sure you will agree that our website designer, Roland Alderson, has created a truly stylish backdrop for these beautiful images. Our team of dedicated hunters have scoured the length and breadth of the British Isles in search of their quarry and we hope you will enjoy the fruits of their labours. All of the images are available for purchase through contact with the photographer. Their names are given on or beside the images themselves and contact details are listed in the section Our Team of Experts or via direct contact with  Enterprise io.

Tailor-made Tours

Enterprise io comes into its own with its organization of tours and day trips to see birds, butterflies and dragonflies. Most tour companies require advanced bookings for such events. Although this is still recommend by us for birdwatching, a period of bad weather can be disastrous for the bug-hunter. Adrian remembers with almost nightmarish horror a pre-booked three-day butterfly excursion to Ireland resulting in only half a day of barely suitable conditions. To overcome this we have the built-in flexibility to arrange trips at 24-hour notice. Simply check the calendar of fortnightly target lists in the Tailor-made Tours section, watch the weather forecast for the area you wish to visit, give us a call and off we go. Rendezvous points and any necessary accommodation will be arranged for your convenience. Trips can also be arranged to see individual birds no matter where in the British Isles they may be. The cost of each Tailor-made Tour will be calculated at the time according to one’s individual requirements.

We have a group of highly experienced guides, each of whom specialize in particular groups. We are especially fortunate to have Adrian on board as his epic struggle to find rare birds in 2002 (described in his book Arrivals and Rivals: a Birding Oddity) led to the sighting of 381 species in a single year ... more than some birdwatchers have seen in a lifetime! He is also author of the forthcoming book British and Irish Butterflies: the Complete Field, Identification and Site Guide. If you are looking for an elusive bird or butterfly, he will do his best to make sure you go home happy. As taxonomist for the Rothamsted Insect Survey National Light-trap Network for nearly 25 years, he also knows a thing-or-two about moths! On many of the tours a botanist will also be on hand to help with the identification of wild flowers. For details of the other guides, and their specialist fields, see the section Our Team of Experts.

Identification Issues

Here we shall present articles that hopefully will clarify problems with identifying the animals and plants with which we deal. We hope to obtain such articles from experts in birds, dragonflies and orchids and, of course, we have Adrian on board to deal with butterflies and moths He has started the ball rolling with a discussion about the subspecies classification of British and Irish butterflies.

Identification Surgery

Again we have struck gold with this service as we can boast a team of first-rate taxonomists that will be able to solve your identification puzzles. Most of the insect groups are covered and we have also gained the services of Dr Ian Denholm, the Joint National Orchid Referee. We also have specialists in mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, soil arthropods and even earthworms. John Bater, our expert in the latter, is affectionately known as ‘Keeper of the Royal Worms’ as he has carried out surveys of the animals at Buckingham Palace.

Digital images should be sent by e-mail or photographic prints through the post. These will then be identified quickly and to the best of our ability (depending on the quality of the image) and be displayed in the Identification Surgery. Some identifications, for example those of soil arthropods, will require actual specimens or samples. We shall be happy to accommodate this but prior arrangements must be made through either Adrian.

Ecological Surveys

Conservation of wildlife habitats within the British countryside has never been more important than it is today. In the past the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, afforestation with non-native trees, the creation of huge areas of monoculture, abandonment of traditional coppicing and grazing regimes and habitat fragmentation have had disastrous effects on our ecosystems. Fortunately, those in the driving seats behind forestry and agricultural policies are now very aware of the plight of our wildlife and the future is looking brighter than ever before. Much of the wonderful work of organizations such as the Forestry Commission is to be applauded and the farming community as a whole is now alive to the presence on its land of the precious resource that our fauna and flora provide. Not only does this benefit the wildlife itself but also provides us with the feeling of well-being that comes from once again living in a ‘Green and Pleasant Land’.

We at Enterprise io can also help. Any area of land that is being used as an ecological refuge needs to be surveyed so that the owners are aware of which organisms already live there. This will ensure that future management strategies are beneficial and do not do more harm than good. How many times has an endangered species of plant, butterfly or bird been displaced or rendered extinct before its presence was even recorded? Once an initial survey has been carried out regular monitoring is desirable so that the success of management can be assessed. Our team of qualified and experienced ecological advisers can carry out this work for you. The information we provide will immediately be beneficial to wildlife and will certainly enhance your prospects of obtaining grants from funding bodies such as DEFRA and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Go to the sections Ecological Surveys and Our Team of Experts to find to find out how we can be of assistance.

Editing and Proof-reading

All of us at team Enterprise io are natural historians in the broadest sense. Most of us have extensive libraries on the subject ... we all love books. Several of us have published extensively and have experience of working within the publishing industry. We realize that the exhaustive proof-reading and editing of a manuscript is vital to the production of a first-class book, report or other important document. Fortunately we have Adrian on board. Not only does he have five books and many other publications to his name but was also Assistant Editor of the international journal The Entomologist for some two and a half years. Except in the nightmares of an author delivering a first draft, one could not meet a more fastidious, rigorous and thoroughly pedantic editor! Go to the section Editing and Proof-reading to find out more details about his qualifications and contact details.

Database Services

Adrian specializes in database construction and is currently the Database Manager for the Norfolk Ornithologists’ Association. He has also recently completed a contract with Shropshire County Council creating an electronic database for the county’s butterflies. For more details visit the Database Services page.

Enterprise io Magazine

The magazine section will be carrying a host of articles, interviews and anecdotal material that will be both instructive and, we hope, entertaining. The following will give an idea of what is planned.

i. Headline reports of current events will be given frequently. During the spring and autumn periods of bird migration, and the summer ‘season’ for insects, these will probably be daily. We shall endeavour to keep you abreast of what’s arriving where and which butterflies and dragonflies are flying at sites throughout the British Isles. We also hope to keep you informed of current blossoming times for rare plants.

ii. Articles discussing the identification of taxonomically difficult groups of birds, moths, butterflies, dragonflies and flowering plants. Not only will our own team of experts be writing these but we shall also be inviting other specialists to contribute.

iii. Monthly reviews of selected nature reserves or other sites of particular interest. There will be a résumé of the species that can be seen with optimum times to visit along with the thoughts of the warden and/or land owner. Directions to the site will be given along with details of facilities available to visitors.

iv. Monthly articles on the work of national and local wildlife organizations. Here will be outlined their priorities according to the areas in which they operate and the species with which they are dealing. As one might imagine, these will differ greatly between the Caledonian pine forests of Speyside and the Norfolk Broads. We think they will make fascinating reading. We shall also include in-depth interviews with important figures in this section of the magazine. Go to the Enterprise io Magazine section for entry details.

v. Monthly interviews with ‘celebrity’ natural historians. This is sure to be enlightening ... and fun!

vi. Carrying on with the fun theme, we have our resident ‘Master of Deception’, Alex Mc Lennan, who will be posing brain-teasing puzzles for you to solve. Crosswords, logic-twisters and identification tests will be on offer. Get the Paracetomol ready! The team at Enterprise io will also select the best photograph submitted each month for inclusion in this section of the magazine.

vii. A ‘Letters to the Editor’ section. Here our readers can air their views on just about anything to do with contentious issues in the world of natural history. Remember, though, all correspondence will be edited by our ‘Demon of the Red Pen’ Adrian. Edited copy will of course be sent for approval to the author before publication.

Our Team of Experts

The one thing that sets Enterprise io aside from other similar ventures is the fact that we comprise a team that is hugely diverse in terms of experience and expertise. It is important to stress here that all of our experts are devoting their time voluntarily. The people listed below are the tip of the iceberg and are our first port of call. All of us, having been involved in the Scientific Community for many years, have other contacts that will be only too pleased to help out.  Anyway, let’s introduce you to the squad and, at the same time, have some fun.

Adrian Riley FRES. (aka ‘The Silver-haired Man’). Author of five books and over 150 papers and articles dealing with butterflies, moths, birdwatching, dragonflies, lacewings and even a village pub! Former Assistant Editor of the journal The Entomologist. Photographer, scientific artist and organiser of countless insect- and birdwatching trips throughout the British Isles. Professional taxonomist for the Rothamsted Insect Survey for nearly 25 years. Former Trustee and current ecological advisor and database manager for the Norfolk Ornithologists’ Association. He is the only person ever to have photographed all the species and subspecies of butterfly found in the British Isles. These will appear in his forthcoming book British and Irish Butterflies: The Complete Field, Identification and Site Guide. His specialist groups are butterflies, moths, dragonflies, birds and fish. In the office he is a rigorous proof-reader and editor of manuscripts dealing with natural history. See the section ‘Editing and Proof-reading’ for more details.He has also become a renowned database builder and manager. See the page Database Services for more details.

John Bater BSc Hons, FRES. (aka ‘Merlin’) John, originally from south Wales, has spent most of his working life at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden. Here he was an important member of the team that developed techniques for converting animal waste into compost using earthworms. However, his first love has always been entomology and he is now the Environmental Change Network Site Manager at Rothamsted. In the course of his duties he deals mainly with butterflies, moths, beetles, birds and amphibians. He has also developed an expertise in soil microarthropods. During the 1980’s he spent six years working at Ohio State University where he spent a great deal of  time studying the American beetles and dragonflies. He has a keen interest in world Swallowtail and Charaxid butterflies.

Dr Jason Chapman BSc, PhD, FRES. (aka ‘Chappie’). Jason is originally from Cardiff. His Doctorate was achieved through Southampton University and he now works at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden. Here he is studying insect migration using radar combined with other novel techniques; his main focus of attention being the Lepidoptera. Jason was an invaluable member of the team that helped Adrian win the bird year-listing competition in 2002. He might be described as a natural historian of the ‘Gilbert White School’ as he fills his immaculate notebooks with records of just about everything he sees. He has a deep knowledge of birds and particularly enjoys identifying gulls. His other specialist groups are the larger flies, including hoverflies, soldier flies and horse-flies; lacewings; moths and flowering plants.

Gary Thoburn. (aka ‘Boiler’). Gary hails from Bristol. He has been a keen birdwatcher all his life and is now a highly respected member of the birding community. Adrian has spent many hours in the field with him and often comments on his sharp eyes and his wonderful understanding of bird behaviour. Gary has kindly offered his services as a guide for those wishing to see birds in the south-west ... particularly in Somerset and her neighbouring counties. Gary is wonderful company and has a well-honed sense of humour. Birdwatchers of all abilities will thoroughly enjoy their time with him. He has also become an excellent bird photographer and has had his work published in Birding World, Birdwatching, Birdwatch and British Birds. He is extremely generous with his advice and those around him will certainly benefit from his expertise. His camera focuses its attention mainly on birds, butterflies and dragonflies. Gary has contributed extensively to our Photogallery and for this we are extremely grateful. If anyone wishes to purchase his photographs (and we're sure you will) they should contact him via Enterprise io.

Dr Ian Denholm. Ian is currently the head of the Plant and Invertebrate Ecology Department at Rothamsted Research. We are particularly honoured to have Ian on board. His duties at Rothamsted make him a very busy man but he has kindly agreed to help with our Identification Surgery. The reason why we are so fortunate to be able to call on him is that Ian is a botanist of international standing and is an expert on orchids of the British Isles: he is, in fact, a Joint National Referee for the Botanic Society of the British Isles. Again Enterprise io brings you the best! Ian will be happy (time allowing) to accompany us on our trips throughout the British Isles - Especially to the Burren in County Clare where the wild flowers, and particularly the orchids, are simply stunning.

Phil Gould BSc. (aka ‘Grub’). Phil is truly a member of the ‘family’. He obtained his degree at Southampton University and in 2001 moved to Rothamsted Research in Harpenden. He is now the co-ordinator of the National Light-trap Network. Adrian and Jason have spent many days in the field with Phil and have always been impressed by his thirst for knowledge and, where his modesty allows, his willingness to share his own expertise. He is a highly respected member of the lepidopterological community and has published many articles in mainstream journals. Like Jason, he is a natural historian of the ‘Old School’ and keeps assiduous notes of everything he sees. For many years he has supervised field trips to southern Spain for Southampton University and is familiar with most of the larger animals that live there. His experience in this field makes him a delight to be with and his presence on any of our tours will a bonus indeed. For our Identification Surgery Phil can help with British moths, grasshoppers; flies and spiders and European amphibians and reptiles. Make the most of him. Our Photogallery will also be enhanced by his efforts.

Dr Richard Harrington FRES. Richard is rather special. He comes originally from Dorset, was around when Robert Gooden set up Worldwide Butterflies and was also on the scene at the birth of what is now Butterfly Conservation. The rear windscreen of his car actually carries a sticker saying ‘I love butterflies’. He is now the Head of the Rothamsted Insect Survey and specializes in aphids. He recently had a photograph of the Green Hairstreak published on the front cover of the Butterfly Conservation magazine and has contributed greatly to the figures in Adrian’s forthcoming book on British and Irish butterflies. Richard is something of a specialist in alpine Swiss butterflies and kindly has donated his photographs for use in our Photogallery.

Peter Snook and John Blackburn. (aka ‘Snookie’ and ‘JB’). Peter and John both live in Norfolk and spend most of their spare time birding there. Peter was full-time Warden at the Norfolk Ornithologists’ Association reserve at Walsey Hills (the original Cley Observatory) during 2005 where his expertise, sense of fun and easy nature made him a great favourite with the public. John has an extensive knowledge of birdwatching sites in Norfolk. His kind nature, limitless patience and keen sense of humour will appeal to birders of all abilities and we are truly fortunate to have both him and Peter available as Norfolk tour guides. Both specialize in birds but also have a good working knowledge of butterflies. Peter’s father is a dragonfly expert so he will doubtless be a great asset to our Identification Surgery.

Alex McLennan. (aka ‘Slim’). The Enterprise io Magazine will contain many serious and informative articles concerning wildlife matters. However, ‘All work and no play '...makes Jack a dull boy’. As well as being a top-class birder, Alex has a devilish sense of humour and loves nothing more than bamboozling people (particularly Adrian who, after all, is easy prey!) with sanity-stretching logic puzzles and cryptic crossword clues. We at Enterprise io have decided that it is now time for his cruelty to be released into the public domain and we are going to issue regular samples of his instruments of torture. We hope you enjoy them. On a more serious note, Alex and his wife Gill are extremely good photographers. They specialize in butterflies and orchids and have contributed generously to our Photogallery. If anyone would like to purchase their work they should contact them directly on their e-mail address at alex.mclennan1@btinternet.com . Alex is also something of a specialist on the purple emperor butterfly and will certainly be helping us out on our visits in search of the species in Northamptonshire.

Roland Alderson. (aka ‘Raz’). The Enterprise io Web designer. - web designer with CIW Site Designer certification for production of logos, corporate image and website design. Flash animation for online advertising, web candy and website intros. Web development - from Photoshop graphic artwork, page layout using Dreamweaver to soundtracks for advertising see my web site www.web-candy.co.uk

Accommodation

Here we shall give details of accommodation establishments throughout the British Isles that can be used as bases for your various expeditions. Lists of key sites and species will be given alongside each.

Thank you for reading About Enterprise io.

We think you will agree there is an awful lot on offer. If you refer to our Home Page you will easily be able to select the section that is of most interest. Adrian and his colleagues look forward to seeing you on Tailor-made Tours; we hope you enjoy our wonderful Photogallery; we are confident that our Identification Surgery and Identification Issues sections will answer all your queries and that our Team of Experts will send you home with a smile on your face. Perhaps most importantly, we hope that all of the conservation organizations and the forestry and agricultural industries will avail themselves of our services. After all, the British countryside is in your hands. We feel sure that our Ecological Surveys and Database Services will both help wildlife and enhance your chances of securing that next grant.

Last, but not least, The Enterprise io Magazine will keep you in touch with what’s going on around the British Isles. Don’t miss it, or you’ll miss that bird/butterfly/moth/orchid/dragonfly/ etc, that you’re after. The serious articles are a must-read. Alex’s puzzles (and occasionally Adrian’s) will doubtlessly keep you awake a’ night.

All at Enterprise io wish our viewers and clients a very happy 2007.

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