BROWN HAIRSTREAK-GRAFTON WOODS-WORCESTERSHIRE

I visited Grafton woods today with my mam to try and see the elusive Brown Hairstreak butterfly.The nationally endangered Brown Hairstreak is now extinct from all surrounding counties but survives in this small corner of Worcestershire. The most attractive of all Britain’s Hairstreak butterflies,the Brown Hairstreak breeds on sloe bushes around the edges of Grafton Wood and also on blackthorn hedgerows in the surrounding fields. The adult butterfly is on the wing from mid-August through to the end of September and the females can be spotted often basking on blackthorn leaves between bouts of egg-laying. The male butterfly is much more elusive spending most of its life at treetop level mainly around Ash trees growing on the woodland edge or along rides. Eggs remain on the blackthorn throughout the winter and are very vulnerable to annual flailing of hedgerows. Every year some 90% of all eggs laid are lost in this way and the butterfly’s long term future depends on the introduction of more sympathetic hedgerow management by local farmers. A number of hedges are already being managed on a rotation basis to benefit the Brown Hairstreak and an advisory leaflet is available from Butterfly Conservation detailing how landowners can become “Hairstreak Champions”

                   

Grafton Woods

I had never visited this site before but could clearly see that it was a well managed site for wildlife.A good assortment of Butterflies were seen on site.

Gatekeeper

Peacock

Brown Argus

Wood White

A female Banded Damselflie was also seen as we walked around the woods and

a female Southern hawker.

Banded Damselfly

Southern Hawker.

After a good few hours of walking around the wood we had no luck with seeing any Brown Hairstreaks so we started to make are way back to the car.Just as we were about to leave the woods I saw two Brown Hairstreaks on top of some Cow parsley happily foraging away,at last I had found them.

They showed really well whilst we watched them and as you can see,I managed to get some great video images of them both.

Me and me Mam

Another good dayout and another Butterfly on the list!