May 2011

[NickB]

Met Phil & Jack and Rosalyn in Monk's Wood, with my brother & nephew in tow. Black Hairstreak were a first for my brother - he lives oop North - though they remained in the tops of the bushes; my nephew may remember that he has seen one of the UK's rarest butterflies, but then such was his interest, he may not! Probably saw up to 10 individuals in a couple of locations; they are not yet at their peak.
Black Hairstreak has been out around 7th-10th May (Edit: Thanks Pawpawsaurus 7th-10th June ) in this neck-of-the-woods for the last few years.....


However, they seem to have been out for several days already, so early is this season, if the state of this individual is anything to go by...

(Typically, this was the only one to really come in range!)
N

[Dave McCormick]

Finally saw a butterfly today a red admiral, it was in a flower meadow not far from my house but didn't set long enough to get a photo, it was quickly fluttering over ox-eye daisies. Also found 113 webs of Depressaria daucella on hemlock water-drop wort at the large lake there.

[David M]

Does anyone have the 'sugar solution' recipe to tempt Black Hairstreaks down?

[millerd]

Orange Lucozade rings a bell...
(and no doubt other energy drinks are equally efficacious!)

Dave

[David M]

Can Whitecross Black Hairstreaks be tempted down with such an elixir?

[NickB]

Spraying sugar-solution mimics their natural source of sugars from honeydew, which drips-off the trees and bushes above onto the plants and lower-level branches. When it has been raining, like today, I saw no feeding on honeydew (..been washed-off by the rain?) and they were feeding on flowering bushes and vines. (PhilB is the "expert" on this technique... )

Black Hairstreak

So, it may help to spray where they are known to come down to lower branches; if they are in feeding mode, it may just keep them there that bit longer...
Good luck
N

[Lawts]

I think all but 11 or 12 of the 59 British butterflies will have been seen by the end of May.

And the day is not yet over...

Dave

I don't know if you've included Large Blue, but according to the Collard Hill info. line the message today confirmed the first is on the wing.

[David M]

I think all but 11 or 12 of the 59 British butterflies will have been seen by the end of May.

And the day is not yet over...

Dave

I don't know if you've included Large Blue, but according to the Collard Hill info. line the message today confirmed the first is on the wing.

That's not surprising. With excellent weather due over the forthcoming few days, hopefully this species will get a decent window in which to indulge in breeding activity.

[Pawpawsaurus]

Black Hairstreak has been out around 7th-10th May in this neck-of-the-woods for the last few years.....

Shome mistake, surely?

[NickB]

Black Hairstreak has been out around 7th-10th May in this neck-of-the-woods for the last few years.....

Shome mistake, surely?

D'eerrrrr. Of Course - 7th-10th June!

[millerd]

I think all but 11 or 12 of the 59 British butterflies will have been seen by the end of May.

And the day is not yet over...

Dave

I don't know if you've included Large Blue, but according to the Collard Hill info. line the message today confirmed the first is on the wing.

No, I hadn't. Nor the WLH seen by Andrew Middleton reported elsewhere. There may be only ten left now...

Dave

[Lawts]

I think all but 11 or 12 of the 59 British butterflies will have been seen by the end of May.

And the day is not yet over...

Dave

I don't know if you've included Large Blue, but according to the Collard Hill info. line the message today confirmed the first is on the wing.

No, I hadn't. Nor the WLH seen by Andrew Middleton reported elsewhere. There may be only ten left now...

Dave

Northern Brown Argus seen on 28th May in Yorkshire as well.