Neil Hulme

[ernie f]

Neil

More great pics of Brown Hairstreaks there - all pretty fresh too.

[David M]

Excellent report, Neil. Looks like things are developing nicely on your patch vis-a-vis the Brown Hairstreaks.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, ernie and David. Plenty more seen today; they should start to reach peak next week.
Nice Adonis Blues at OWH, ernie.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Chasing Brownies

This morning's visit (17 August) to Steyning Rifle Range started well, with the first female Brown Hairstreak obeying site rules and appearing just a minute or two before 11.15 am. Two more showed shortly afterwards, but then a bank of cloud moved in and the action cooled down.

I headed to the much sunnier Knepp Wildland to check on Brown Hairstreak numbers there, and things looked promising as a female flew straight into my face as I reached the first Blackthorn hedge! I found a further three nectaring on Fleabane before the clouds moved in.

A brief stop at another site on the Downs produced four more, but it seems I would have done just as well by staying at the Rifle Range, where the hairstreaks later reappeared in good numbers when the sunshine returned.

[essexbuzzard]

Looks like another trip to Sussex is required! Another set of smashing images, Neil.

[David M]

Indeed! They're still looking in mint condition even though we're into the latter half of August.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, both. During my travels today I saw (but failed to photograph) two in genuinely mint condition, but it's now a case of sifting through the large number showing varying degrees of wear and tear. In most years I encounter the odd perfect specimen as late as the start of September.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Brownies Peaking

Today (20 August) between 11.15 am and 2.10 pm I achieved my highest ever count of female Brown Hairstreaks on the Steyning Downland Scheme (26). 13 were seen in some of the less visited areas, such as Pepperscoombe Bank and the Round Hill, and a further 13 were encountered on the Rifle Range, which I didn't reach in time to search thoroughly.

I could have covered a little more ground had I not come across someone I know, out on a butterfly hunt with her two grandsons. The priorities were clear and I was delighted to find them two Brown Hairstreaks, one of which we tracked for quite a while as she sought out small Blackthorn suckers on the southern flank of the range. She laid several eggs while we watched and she occasionally stopped for a rest and opened her wings wide. "She's beautiful" said one of the boys; I hope they'll want to see more.

[Neil Hulme]

Small Pearl Finale

Today (21 August) I visited the BC Park Corner Heath (PCH) & Rowland Wood reserves to monitor second brood Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (SPBF) numbers, probably for the last time this year. While thoroughly searching the entire site I also started making mental notes about what work needs to be done by both contractors and our volunteers this winter; we're going to be busy!

Things started well, with the sighting of four SPBF (3m, 1f) in the upper part of the rush meadow, and a single male in the lower part of the adjacent birch meadow. I then struggled to find more, surprisingly drawing blanks on PCH and the W-E ride to the south of the Rowland Wood lake; both locations have consistently produced SPBF over the last few weeks. However, I had better luck at the west (lower) end of the W-E ride which runs past the fallen Beech, where I found two females at roost in the long grasses. I've never encountered females here before and I hope they've been egg-laying in some of the newly created areas of habitat in this part of the wood.

Although I only found a total of seven SPBF, one female was in absolutely mint condition, so must have emerged earlier today. They're there to be found, but do take some hunting out. Over the two broods I've collated more than 300 SPBF sightings on the reserves this season, which certainly gives cause for optimism.

[David M]

Those are lovely SPBFs, Neil. Is the second brood always a bit more heavily marked or have you just picked out the darker ones for your sequence of images?

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, David. Three of the four (upperside) images are of females, which are typically more heavily marked. However, there's quite a lot of natural variation in both sexes, which seems to be irrespective of brood.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Fresh Brownies

A visit to Steyning Rifle Range today (24 August), to find more Brown Hairstreaks, was hampered by persistent cloud and suboptimal temperatures. In the end I had to wait for a prolonged period of no-fly weather to pass, before finally locating a female in good condition. I only managed to obtain a rather average image, but it does demonstrate that near-perfect specimens are still appearing.

The combined efforts of today's hairstreak hunters, which included millerd (good to catch up with you Dave), only amounted to seven sightings, but that's not bad given the challenging conditions. Tomorrow could be very good.

[Wurzel]

Cracking shot Neil What sort of temperature counts as suboptimal? The BBC shows temperatures reaching only 16 by midday tomorrow but full sun?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Wurzel. It would only have been 15/16 under cloud cover for much of today's session, but it's not just air temperature alone that counts; sunshine and radiated heat come into the equation. Tomorrow it shows 17/18 for the middle part of the day here, but these are no more than predictions and don't take localised microclimates into account; the Rifle Range is warm. If we get the promised sunshine they'll drop like confetti. You just need to hear grasshoppers and crickets to be in with a shout.
BWs, Neil

[David M]

I’ve seen female Brown Hairstreaks active in temperatures of 14c in mid September at the Pembrokeshire site in Wales, so it’s not necessarily warmth that’s a problem.

Sunshine is usually essential (unless cloud cover is minimal and the light is quite strong), as well as becalmed winds. This seems to be a butterfly that dislikes flying unless conditions are quite benign.

[millerd]

As that famous law would have it, that one must have appeared after I left... What a beauty too, she looks nearly perfect. Good to see you too, Neil - your arrival was timed perfectly to coincide with most of those I saw today!

Cheers,

Dave

[Neil Hulme]

Steyning Delivers Again

Congratulations to Richard Roebuck on the success of his Brown Hairstreak walk at Steyning Downland Scheme today (25 August). I turned up towards the end of the event with my three-year-old son, Jacob, and it was obvious from the many happy faces that the group had done well. People were hanging around chatting, even though there were hairstreaks still posing in the Blackthorn; a sure sign that everyone had had their fill.

We headed up to the northern flank where we joined James Arnott in tracking down plenty more, seeing nine here alone. At one point, while James and I were photographing a hairstreak, we noticed that Jacob was now talking to someone about 30 metres away. I was delighted to discover that my boy had found his own Brown Hairstreak and had pointed it out to the grateful hairstreak-hunter!

By the time we had dropped in on another local site, the total number of female Brown Hairstreaks seen over the Steyning Downland Scheme area, on both the guided walk and by ourselves, had risen to about seventeen. A few were still in good condition and there will be plenty more opportunities to see this species over the next couple of weeks.

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the info Neil - I went for it and the weather report was back to front so around about 12 noon the temperature lifted off to a balmy 17 clear skies - saw three or 5 females Didn't hear any Crickets though

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Old Wolf]

Beautiful pictures and great to hear that the Targeting Hairstreak event was a success.

It is such a shame that Steyning is so far from me because I have never seen a Brown Hairstreak. I will put it into my notes for a possible visit next year.

[essexbuzzard]

Weather permitting, should be heading for Sussex on Monday, so thanks for reporting this update.