Positive early news from Worcs

Although it is early days, we seem to be finding plenty of eggs in Worcs this year and, where we have comparative data, counts are up.  We have already added 3 new 1km squares to our distribution map which is also encouraging.  We shall know better after this coming weekend when we undertake our first egg hunt at Grafton Wood.  If any Streakers from elsewhere want to join us, we meet at Grafton Flyford church at 10 am on Sun 17th November (the day after the national AGM where West Midlands Butterfly Conservation are having a stall).  Once again, we had an October sighting of an adult at Grafton Wood on 15th which is pretty late but not our latest which was 22nd October back in 2008.  Reserve Manager and Branch Chairman John Tilt managed a photograph which can be viewed on the Grafton Wood blog.  Particularly good news has been the discovery of eggs at the site of our Community Planting Day earlier this year (see previous posting) with four of the whips holding Brown Hairstreak eggs.  Wychavon Council are providing us with another 100 plants which we will be putting in later this month.

Finally, I thought people might enjoy this photo

.of a Ladybird eyeballing a Brown Hairstreak egg which one of our local champions photographed in his garden.  We awaited the outcome with bated breath but the good news is that the egg survived its ordeal and remains intact.  The fate of the Ladybird is less certain as it has disappeared.  Perhaps its house was on fire and it flew away home - we shall never know!  More seriously, evidence of what actually does predate Brown Hairstreak eggs seems in short supply.  We often come across half-eaten eggs in our searches but have never caught the culprit in the act.  Does anyone have any more information on this?

 

More updates later.