Numbers down - maybe

It has been an interesting year for Brown Hairstreaks in Worcs with adult sightings generally down.  In contrast to 2015, we have had very few reports of nectaring individuals even at favoured spots like the hemp agrimony along the rides at Grafton Wood.  We presume honeydew in the canopy was more plentiful this year than last which may explain the difference.  The real test, of course, of a Brown Hairstreak season is not the number of adults seen but the number of eggs laid. ...

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Egg laying at Grafton - maybe!!

There seem to be far fewer sightings this year, than normal, at this early stage. I'm meeting a lot of people, who tell me that they have seen nothing and, on my visits to Gratin Wood, I've noticed far fewer individuals in flight, than normal. But they are around and, today was my best day of the flight season, so far. I saw four individuals: one flying over the old pond into oaks behind; one flying into the wood from the orchard and two females low down on the narrow path to the west of the old...

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Egg laying at Grafton Wood (thanks to clearance work)

I was very impressed with the results of the shrub clearance near the old pond area. I saw 7 Brown Hairstreaks, today, all either in the old pond area or along the path to the west of the pond. Two of the females were definitely egg laying, however, in the area cleared either last year or the year before, opposite the pond. All the low flying, egg laying females were in this cleared area. I think I have been missing a lot of sightings by looking around the area of blackthorn next to the pond,...

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Early days at Grafton Wood

I read on the Grafton Wood blog that the first Brown Hairstreaks (including females) were seen on August 4th. I arrived last Sunday on a warm, sunny but windy day, feeling very hopeful of early season sightings. I walked the main rides for 3 hours, seeing a particularly strong showing of Gatekeeper, Brimstone and Silver Washed Fritillary. I was surprised that, although I saw 5 Purple Hairstreak (even on the ground), I did not see a single Brown Hairstreak in flight, at all, including around the...

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Any sightings yet

Anybody seen one of these yet. As the Purple Emperor season winds down, attention turns, hopefully, to Brown Hairstreak. I noticed on the Purple Empire that Brown Hairstreak were flying at Knepp, last week. As it is a long drive to my nearest site (Grafton Wood), I wondered whether they were out anywhere else yet. Many than...

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Annual Transect Egg Count at West Williamston, Pembrokeshire

West Williamston’s annual egg count this year was carried out by 15 enthusiastic volunteers on a damp, grey Pembrokeshire day.  Travelling from all over south Wales.  The team also welcomed several new ‘hairstreakers’.  The total number of eggs found was surprisingly high compared to reports of lower counts from other areas.  Blackthorn management has continued to be carried out on a rota basis by Nathan Walton, WTSWW officer and his volunteers, and it is worth noting that...

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Egg survival summary from 2015 at West Williamston

Realising that I haven't yet written up the results of last winter's egg survival project I am posting a brief summary now before a much more satisfactory post with the results of our annual foreshore transect last month.                                                                                ...

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