Went back to noar hill on the 1st,again looking for BH.A smallish,orangey butterfly did fly between the blackthorn and the ash trees at about 5 metres high but it was too far away to make a positive ID.So although im 99% certain it was BH i cant add it to my list or say for sure that it was mrs hair...

thanks matsukaze,for the info. i returned to the thicket earlier this week and again found my small blue friend.not as pristine as last time and about 15m from where i had seen him before(assuming that this was the same individual).this small corner of the huge area that is maidenhead thicket contai...

269 miles for a BUTTERFLY ? Good work fella !!!
if i thought i was going to get shots like yours of mr hairstreak i'd have done the same.

cheers
rob

not sure what the weather holds but im planning to go there in the next few days.i'll report back on what i find.(hopefully BH and DOB and plenty of blackthorn). thanks again everyone for your wisdom and encouragement.
cheers

rob

Just for the record i did see a second one this weekend on the South Downs near Graffham

cheers rob

have been doing quite a lot of butterflying this month and ive only seen one.At Alice Holt (Straits Inclosure)

cheers
rob

i must try devils dyke too sometime.my folks live in bury st edmunds so its on the way. talking of bury,have you tried bradfield woods.we used to go there loads as kids but now its less wild and managed by the SWT.its such a peaceful place and the rides there are awash with butterflies.when i went l...

Ive worked in Maidenhead for the last 24 years and have visited Maidenhead Thicket numerous times through work(usually small fires in the woods).im a firefighter,not an arsonist !! :D .Travelling back from a medical in Reading today i had half an hour to kill until i was expected back so i decided t...

when i think about how many hundreds (perhaps :D ) of times i have driven through the chalk cut of the M40 and never realised there was such a wonderful haven for butterflies nestling on the hillside beneath the soaring red kites. :o if only some of our butterfly species could repeat the success sto...

i nearly went there myself this weekend.it was a toss up between there and chobham common and in an effort to save fuel i chose the latter.wish i hadnt !! the wind and rain on sunday put paid to my chances of seeing anything flying apart from the odd gatekeeper.sounds like the weather at aston was a...

again,thanks to one and all for the advice and encouragement.it certainly wont be the last time im picking brains on this site.im just hoping i get the chance to do shipton or alners for BH before the end of the season.ill certainly try Noar hill again.this weekend though im going to denbies hillsid...

im looking forward to seeing my first painted lady.you were very lucky.well done with the photos!!

thanks for the info michael.ill check Noar Hill again in a couple of weeks-on my way down to Shipton Bellinger where they will be waiting for me.

Common Blues are such a beautiful butterfly and are deserving of a more exotic name.they seemed to be in good numbers up on noar hill reserve on friday along with a couple of brown argus,lots of gatekeepers,silver washed frits,red admirals,peacocks,small copper,meadow brown and a solitary marbled wh...

its very worrying then,that a nature reserve should be clearing what is very obviously an important habitat for one of our less common species.i thought the whole idea was to protect and maintain these environments for the prolonged security of our breeding populations. however, although i have noth...

im led to believe numbers here are dwindling.i spent all day there on friday along with a couple of very knowledgeable naturalists who also turned up to see BH. We were in the right place at the right time but mr hairstreak was a "no show". As im only a beginner and trying to complete my l...