Black Hairstreak Search Party.
          

20th June 2005
 Stuart Hodges, Black Hairstreak Champion reports: “The Black Hairstreak flight period got off to a very slow start with the first seen on 11th June in poor weather conditions. The next five days saw no improvement with only the occasional one or two seen, but with better weather on Fri 17th quite good numbers were seen at several sites so probably the majority have emerged. Sat 18th and Sun 19th saw extremely high temperatures and the butterfly was difficult to find unless you tried early or late, the hot spots for the butterfly were particularly disappointing probably because they were just that; i.e. the sunny sheltered hollows were that bit hotter than other more open sites - conclusion they, like us, once the temperature has reached 25 degrees and above, would rather be resting in the shade. Numbers will probably reach their peak in the next few days, if we get the weather promised. So far we have visited 21 sites with previous records + 2 sites where the habitat looks right for the butterfly but have no records of it having been seen, and the butterfly has been seen at 10 of the 21. Early indications are that numbers are down on last year, but we have now seen over 50 adults, the late Spring frosts may well have contributed to this drop from the extremely high numbers seen last year when we had no late frosts.”

See egg photos from our successful searches.
UTB Steps-class at Finemere - see photos!
26th March 2005
 
I went to Bernwood Meadows today to check out the two Black Hairstreak eggs found on the Brown Hairstreak egg hunt there on 5th February. Both were hatched. Like the last year's egg that Tom found at Finemere the holes were far from the nice neat round ones the Brown Hairstreak makes. I can only conclude that the the Brown is a much more refined beast than the Black, well went it comes to table manners. Once an egg is hatched it is impossible to say whether it was Brown or Black unless we take the hole shape as being diagnostic. Thinking back I am sure a few of the last year eggs we have found on Brown egg hunts did have a rather untidy emergence hole.
Interestingly the Bernwood Meadows Black eggs are laid on an area of blackthorn very backward in its development with buds only just beginning to grow but no actual flower buds for the caterpillars to feed on. Can only presume they made a long journey or perished.
Next went to Whitecross Green Wood where my 99% Black Hairstreak egg is still unhatched. Interestingly this is laid on the most advanced area of blackthorn with some open flowers already on it.
Over the cornflakes this morning I re-read the Black Hairstreak section of "The Butts of Britain & Ireland" by Jeremy Thomas with wonderful Richard Lewington illustrations of all the life stages (an absolute must for anybody who has not got it). I quote "To find the eggs, search sheltered, sunny Prunus bushes of all ages and at all heights, for, contrary to popular belief, the eggs are not confined to the twigs at the top of ancient bushes." So we should not be surprised that all our finds have been at eye-level or below.
Have the eggs at Finemere been checked out?
Regards, David.     
5th February 2005
Another successful result this weekend - two Black Hairstreak eggs were found at Bernwood today during a BrH egg search. They were a pair located at shoulder-height on the 'main' hedge at the BBOWT meadow. Eagle-Eye was Dave Wilton.

30th January 2005
In a desperate attempt to avoid the end of the January sales Mick Campbell and Tom Dunbar teamed up for a Black Hairstreak egg search today.

Time was at a premium as one of the party had to attend the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford in the afternoon while the other party member was expected to fulfil homely functions as his 'better half' updated the Sightings Page of this website.

First port of call was a roadside site adjacent to Finemere where two adults were seen last summer. Unfortunately good blackthorn was limited and a key field hedgerow had been cut back (not flailed). We looked in vain for 20 minutes before deciding to move on to Hewins Wood  (Campbell logic informed the situation).

This is a site Mick and Tom visit regularly throughout the year. Within 5 minutes the first egg was located approximately 40 cm from ground-zero. A second egg followed within the half-hour, this time located on the hedge, at a height of 90 cm. A third was located as we were set to depart an hour later. This was on a sucker about 2 metres from the first egg and only 30 cm from the ground.

Evidence gleaned this weekend seems to fly in the face of 'accepted wisdom' re BlH egg location. The literature clearly states that eggs are always laid high up in the blackthorn. Our observations today are inconclusive. We mainly focused on the lower new growth, based on experiences at Finemere yesterday. Over 30 adults were seen at today's site on a visit last June which would represent a fraction of the BlH individuals flying at that time. The resulting oviposit must be several hundred if not thousands. Based on those figures it would not be surprising to find some at lower levels today.

Three eggs in ninety minutes was duly declared an excellent result. We will certainly return to complete the survey in the very near future. Ladders and walking sticks ahoy!
 

          
Nice to see you back Mick!
29th January 2005
Stuart Hodges led a party to Finemere Woods in search of eggs of the elusive Black Hairstreak butterfly. This species is known to be more difficult to find at the egg stage than the Brown Hairstreak, another local speciality found on blackthorn.

In addition to Stuart the party comprised Jim Asher, Nick Bowles, Tom Dunbar, Dave Wilton and David Redhead. All  turned up suitably equipped with step ladders and the occasional walking stick (advised by Ali Latham as a "good 'un for getting at the higher branches").

Only two of the party had previously seen the Pruni egg, and that some years ago. The first 20 minutes was spent adopting a variety of strategies either at ground level or atop ladders. There was much excitement when Jim made the first find which enabled the party to 'get their eye in'. A second egg was located shortly afterwards by Dave, a short distance from the first. Both were at about 2 metres from ground level which was a surprise as the literature seems to indicate its preference for altitude. Most of the party then stuck to terra firma focusing on the lower level blackthorn. Only one further egg was located, this being a 'hatchling' from a previous year.

The group considered the afternoon well spent. It gave all the opportunity either to 'get their eye in' or to reacquaint themselves with this stage of the butterfly's life cycle. Perhaps egg searching for Pruni will become a more regular event in the future.

On exiting to the roadside at the same time as two other visitors Nick was heard to explain our equipment with the statement "We were looking for very tall birds!"
 

  
Photo by Dave Wilton