Jamie Burston

[Jamie Burston]

I went back to photograph the same Brown Hairstreak egg.
This time using my canon and macro lens, this was the best result -

[Jamie Burston]

I wasn't sure where to post this comment, so I chose here on my personal diary . Regarding Notes and Views, Issue 4 - May to August 2015, concerning the topic -

''Possible Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus) Courtship
02 August 2015 (Source)
Michael Skelton pointed out an item from the Natura Mediterraneo forums which appears to document possible Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus) courtship.''

Based on my understanding and knowledge of seeing multiple photos and a video sequence (Paul Wetton DVD) showing this kind of interaction between two Purple Hairstreaks, (I've seen female,male and male, male combinations). I feel this is aggression and confrontational behaviour, always seen when a source of sustenance e.g. Acorns is involved. They will push and actively try to remove the other from the plant.

[Neil Freeman]

Based on my understanding and knowledge of seeing multiple photos and a video sequence (Paul Wetton DVD) showing this kind of interaction between two Purple Hairstreaks, (I've seen female,male and male, male combinations). I feel this is aggression and confrontational behaviour, always seen when a source of sustenance e.g. Acorns is involved. They will push and actively try to remove the other from the plant.

Hi Jamie,

That sounds similar to some behaviour that I watched and photographed at Bernwood Meadows in 2014 which I reported on page 56 of my Personal Diary.

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5424&start=1100

Cheers,

Neil

[Jamie Burston]

Hi Neil, It would sound similar, as that very observation of yours is one of the references I was referring to!

To further my point here are two photos illustrating this behaviour around acorns - www.flickr.com/photos/99372752@N04/20355779280/ & www.flickr.com/photos/nickpix2008/20317996221/ . The females don't put up with it, I can recall a case where the female has won by pushing the male out of the oak.

[Jamie Burston]

My 2015 highlight -

30th June, Preston Twins, Brighton -
''The Preston Twins, Preston Park, Coronation Garden near the Manor House. These two trees measure 6.8m in girth circumference (hence the name Preston Twins) and are as much as 400 years old. They may have been part of a hedgerow, but now stand as singular pollarded trees. They are the world's largest specimens of their kind. They are English elm (Ulmus minor var. vulgaris).''

Reflecting on the year I've had it's clear to me that seeing one of my favourite species, the White-letter Hairstreak in great abundance (counted 14 in one go) was the most rewarding and memorable events this year, the closest I've got to a real spectacle!

The typical silhouette ''triangle'' -

Who's watching who ?

On this occasion I chose to film their flight around the elm canopy.
Video still -

The males were incredibly active, and dog fighting was extremely common.
Video still -

If you haven't already seen my footage, please watch it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4bXXQ9iR5o
Best viewed in HD, click on the cog symbol and change the quality to 720p HD. Playing the video at normal speed will give you a real sense of their speed, but if you want to appreciate their agility watch the video playing at a much slower pace, that way you can take in what's happening! Again click on the cog symbol, but change the speed to 0.25, it will take longer to watch with some gaps of no activity, but the flight is fascinating to watch. So much so that I equally enjoy seeing both White-letter Hairstreak and Purple Hairstreak flying around the canopy as I do seeing them low down. What a joy to see.

[David M]

Lovely to see not only such an ancient pair of elms but a thriving colony of White Letter Hairstreaks using them as their home.

[Jamie Burston]

Lovely to see not only such an ancient pair of elms but a thriving colony of White Letter Hairstreaks using them as their home.

The ancestral use of the tree does add a special feel to the experience,I would love to know how far back they've been recorded there, sadly I doubt I'll get very far in researching it, the best I could do was the 15 June 2007 from the Sussex BC website. They do very well, the best count someone had that I'm aware of said they had around 30 on one day around the Preston Twins.

[David M]

Thanks for the info, Jamie. You have obviously done your research.

More of you on this forum would be most welcome!

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Jamie

I am a regular visitor to the Brighton & Hove area for work. I was aware of the Preston Twins, but I am always amazed by the number of Elms in Brighton. Almost every street seems to be lined with them. I am curious about whether the area is equally as densely populated with White Letter Hairstreak. You are certainly living in the right place if this species is one of your favourites.

Hampshire seems to be entirely different when it comes decent Elm trees, similarly White Letter Hairstreaks are a bit thin on the ground here. I carry a notebook with me at all times to record the whereabouts of decent Elms in my neck of the woods. I will probably never get around to checking them all out, but I will do my best.
I have also been trying to grow Elm from cuttings over the last couple of years without much success. The best success I have had so far is from trees in the grounds of Cardinal Newman School in Hove. I am hoping these, which seemed to do ok this year, will sprout leaves again next season.

[Jamie Burston]

Thanks for the info, Jamie. You have obviously done your research.

More of you on this forum would be most welcome!

Hi David,
Thank you for your very kind words! I look forward to contributing more in the future, I still have more information to write up regarding my White-letter Hairstreak observations this year. I'll post this probably around the time of my species champion report for Sussex BC which comes out in the coming spring.

[Jamie Burston]

Hi Jamie

I am a regular visitor to the Brighton & Hove area for work. I was aware of the Preston Twins, but I am always amazed by the number of Elms in Brighton. Almost every street seems to be lined with them. I am curious about whether the area is equally as densely populated with White Letter Hairstreak. You are certainly living in the right place if this species is one of your favourites.

Hampshire seems to be entirely different when it comes decent Elm trees, similarly White Letter Hairstreaks are a bit thin on the ground here. I carry a notebook with me at all times to record the whereabouts of decent Elms in my neck of the woods. I will probably never get around to checking them all out, but I will do my best.
I have also been trying to grow Elm from cuttings over the last couple of years without much success. The best success I have had so far is from trees in the grounds of Cardinal Newman School in Hove. I am hoping these, which seemed to do ok this year, will sprout leaves again next season.

Hi Jack,
Yes Elm is a very common street feature. How many = ''19,000-strong National Elm Collection in Brighton & Hove'' ! I've mainly worked on surveying the local (Hollingbury) roadside elms, mainly of the Wheatley variety and found that everyone I search, whilst being favourable weather conditions had an average of two White-letter Hairstreaks. The list of Elm species they use is growing, it's my believe that there is the potential for at least 50% of the ''19,000-strong National Elm Collection in Brighton & Hove'' to have a colony of White-letter Hairstreak, this of course is guess work for now and Dutch Elm Disease will be a factor. In the time I had I found 30 different trees being used = colonies local to me, the vast majority on one single roadside.

This is a typical Wheatley Elm they used, white circles indicate the area of activity witnessed -

This gives an idea of proximity of colonies -

My work produced sighting of 59/60 individual White-letter Hairstreaks. (2015)

Here is one of them, male in the canopy of a roadside Wheatley Elm -

Having easy access to this species definitely has contributed, the more you understand a species, the more you appreciate it .

I'm not sure if Hampshire naturally has a thin distribution of Elms but here in Brighton & Hove it definitely helps that it's a controlled Dutch Elm Disease area. That's really great, your notes of the locations of these Elm will not only inform you but others in future, if you can share what you learn to your local council/BC branch so there is some form of formal record.

That is great, hope it works for you, let me know how it goes in the spring, if they sprout leaves. If I was to try I would personally collect the seeds in spring and try and grow it that way.

All the best,
Jamie

[Jamie Burston]

If anyone wants to meet and talk to me, who is going to the National BC AGM, ask Neil Hulme or Michael Blencowe to point you in the right direction.

[Pete Eeles]

If anyone wants to meet and talk to me, who is going to the National BC AGM, ask Neil Hulme or Michael Blencowe to point you in the right direction.

Hi Jamie - you've prompted me to start a new thread ... watch this space (er ... forum!).

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jamie Burston]

My garden butterfly species list (2009-2015) -

Note, from memory:
1 ) Small Skipper
2 ) Silver-spotted Skipper
3 ) Orange-tip
4 ) Large White, Larva & Ovum
5 ) Small White, Larva & Ovum
6 ) Brimstone
7 ) Speckled Wood
8 ) Small Heath
9 ) Ringlet
10) Meadow Brown & Larva
11) Gatekeeper
12) Marbled White
13) Silver-washed Fritillary
14) Red Admiral
15) Painted Lady
16) Peacock
17) Small Tortoiseshell
18) Comma
19) White-letter Hairstreak
20) Holly Blue
21) Brown Argus
22) Common Blue

White-letter Hairstreak (female) 10/08/2013 -

Silver-spotted Skipper (male) 10/08/2013 -

[David M]

A mightily impressive tally there, Jamie.

Numbers 1, 8, 13 and 21 are very notable whilst numbers 2 and 19 are envy-inducing (that's also the first time I've seen SSS and WLH on buddleia).

[Wurzel]

That is a might garden list - not far behind my Larkhill species list! A Silver-spotted Skipper in your garden!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pete Eeles]

I agree - that's one heck of a garden! Nice work, Jamie!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pete Eeles]

I agree - that's one heck of a garden! Nice work, Jamie!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jamie Burston]

Thanks everyone, it's amazing to find what strays into the garden. I'm right on the edge of Brighton with the South Downs beginning very nearby and with some great sites like Hollingbury Park.

[Jamie Burston]

White-letter Hairstreak 2016 (Site 1)

Huntingdon Elm (Ulmus x hollandica 'Vegeta')
Host to White-letter Hairstreak ?

After repeated attempts during summer 2015, searching for an active White-letter Hairstreak colony using this species of elm failed.

February 2016: I began searching for other evidence that a colony was present, now looking for the egg stage.
Locating them would be a problem for me, as various online sources and images suggested a variety of egg laying positions.
I would have to find some myself and learn along the way, that's what I was hoping, did I ? The photos below ruin the answer!

25th February 2016: ''On Thursday I continued my search for White-letter Hairstreak eggs, after repeated failure I was amazed to find a single egg within 5 minutes of searching. Located on a roadside Huntingdon elm (Ulmus x hollandica 'Vegeta'). The egg was laid at a height of 5'3½" from the ground, positioned on the south facing portion of the tree. What a way to start the season!''

25th February 2016, Egg 1:

I returned the following day to take more photos.

26th February 2016, Egg 1:
Location of egg highlighted within white circle -

Various angles and magnifications of the same egg:

More to follow soon........