A Day with Black Hairstreak

[Willrow]

For the past week I've been frustrated by the poor weather conditions, my aim being to visit Oxfordshire and get a first glimpse of Black Hairstreak. Like many of you, I kept checking and then re-checking the Met Office and the BBC for the latest update on the weekends weather and when Oxford showed 'sunny' it was set the alarm and a nice early start. On getting the car out of the garage the temperature read 9c and I thought it was decidedly un-June like, imagine my shock when less than 5 miles from home the ice/frost warning device showed the temperature had hit 4c - this is winter conditions methinks - still I was not to be deterred, as my journey on the M4 over the Severn Bridge continued the temperature also continued to slowly but surely rise, when I arrived at my destination Whitecross Green Woods it had moved into double figures and the sky was a clear azure blue. Overnight Oxford and area had really steady rain showers, some heavy, and this meant the grasses (which are left uncut) were soaking wet and I had to resort to gaiters to try to prevent my trousers from getting too wet...was I kidding myself, ten minutes into this Wildlife Trust reserve and it looked as if I had waded through a thigh deep stream, I was absolutely soaked, ah! the delights of a good old' British summer.

Once I got my bearings, I was overcome by the peace of this superb reserve, you could be forgiven for forgetting that the M40 is only several hundred yards away. My binoculars (essential tools for hairstreaks) were constantly scanning the trees and especially the Blackthorn Prunus spinosa for Black Hairstreak and it was less than thirty minutes before I disturbed one off sallow and it flew twenty feet or so up onto an adjacent oak tree, my first sighting of this famously rare butterfly...does anything provide a better thrill than seeing a new species for the first time (no need for answers to that!) absolutely wonderful I watched and waited, then waited and watched but it was quite firmly into 'I'm a hairstreak' mode and was'nt coming back down, until I'd gone probably Okay, onward I continued to wade, (oops sorry!) walk down the ride, I was oblivious to anything but the slightest of movements from any insect within my peripheral 'butterflyers' vision, that was until I sensed something was meandering towards me on the neighbouring track, I just managed to change bins for camera (with macro lens) when a hare pulled up sharp less than six feet away...'eek!...it seemed to say as it realised...'a bloody human'...it did a treble somersault and quickly legged it back up the ride. Now this simply made my day, and I managed in all haste to grab a record shot too, so bonus point here!

Search as I may for the next hour and a half, I saw no more of the target species, Large Skipper and Speckled Woods trying to do hairstreak impressions loads, Meadow Brown plenty, and I even managed to see my first Dark Green Fritillary of the year...but Black Hairstreak just was'nt coming out to play! Just as I was beginning to think it may not be my day, my eyes caught sight of something in the wet grass on the path ahead of me, Large Skipper was my initial thought, but then two steps on...eureka...Black Hairstreak and you UK Butterflyers all know what comes next, must be careful now, don't disturb it, no sudden moves and please don't let me get a sudden itch or worst still cramp in the leg muscles when I try to get into positions I should'nt really be seen in to try to get a record photograph...but hey, guess what, like all the other hairstreaks (I've got the full set now!) it was very relaxed and I must admit accomodating, the last bit could just be the garbled promise of image royalties, but then again I'll promise anything to get 'that shot'. I'll never forget the privileged time I spent with this delightful little butterfly. Had it roosted there I wondered, it had been a cold wet night, there were far better places, tucked away under the leaf canopy seemed more probable, I took several (read dozens!) shots and watched the little critter as it moved among the rain soaked grasses, then it surprised me by offering that classic ovipositing posture, I had to move quickly to try to record the moment and managed the attached images of her ready to deposit a egg, without warning it quickly flitted onto the adjacent Blackthorn bushes and was almost lost to view, she perched too far away and it proved too awkward for anymore images, I had to strain to see her as she slowly moved around within the bushes at about a height of six feet or so, it made me wonder if this type of 'pre-ovipositing' is usual among Black Hairstreak perhaps someone reading this could possibly help answer that. Within twenty minutes the little butterfly returned and perched quietly on a hazel leaf, I observed her for quite some time longer, she did'nt appear to produce anymore eggs, I took a few more photographs before she flew off in the warm morning sunshine (you can read those last three words again).

Surprisingly and most fortunately this was to be the only two sightings of Black Hairstreak I had during my visit to Whitecross Green Woods, it was not for lack of trying, later I spoke to around a dozen different individuals who had failed to see a single one, two gents with 500mm lenses managed to see a couple but they were too far away and too far up in the trees for even these long range lens to reach. This reserve is simply wonderful, I could spend weeks here, not just for it's rare or uncommon butterflies - Brown and White-letter Hairstreak are present as are White Admiral, Silver-washed and Dark Green Fritillary - but for it's flora and multitude of other critters, it has something for everyone...put it on your list to visit.

Bill

[Michaeljf]

Hi Bill,

absolutely fantastic shots and I loved the 'in the head' description (you should hear the swear-words that go through my head when I'm trying to get a good photo) . I'm glad things worked out. I often think that it doesn't really matter if you see 200 or 2 individuals of a species, as long as you have time to watch them properly. It's those moments that are worth all the travelling and searching .

I don't know if the numbers would just be down due to the weather conditions, or if the Black Hairstreaks are past their peak. Looking at your pictures it looks like there are still some perfect individuals about. It's strange that you saw one on the grass as the same thing happened to me at Bernwood Meadows. On the Upper Thames Butterfly site there haven't been that many sightings in the last week, but I still think it could be the weather.

Best wishes,

Michael

[David M]

Excellent account, Bill. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can empathise totally with your sentiments. I was exactly the same when approaching my first ever Brown Hairstreak last year.."don't move suddenly, hold your breath, etc.."

Looks like I'm going to miss out on this species sadly. I guess I missed my chance the previous weekend when I went searching for Mountain Ringlets in Cumbria. With this week's forecast looking shocking that takes us to next weekend which, I fear, will be probably too late to catch the narrow window that the Black Hairstreak flies in. If it doesn't buck up soon after I'll probably miss out on Large Blue as well.

Bloody global warming, eh?

[Wurzel]

Excellent shots, I think my favourite is the first one I know what you mean about watching the weather reports - I had a look tonight on a 10 day forecast and it doesn't look good But hopefully they'll get it wrong like they do mostly

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Michaeljf]

Bloody global warming, eh?

Don't forget it's a drought. As shown by the map below (thanks BBC!) Notice that the one dry spot in Norwich is probably where Jack is..

Forecast for 7pm today, Sunday

[Willrow]

Hi Michael,

The weather has gone haywire, I had the best of it yesterday up to 3 pm and then it went over really dark, by now I was following up your information on Bernwood Meadows and thoroughly enjoying the reserve...but you can't guess what happened next...yep! you got it in one, just managed to make it back to the car before a soaking, along with several other obsessives in what must have appeared to any onlooker as a footrace I'm pretty sure our Black Hairstreaks have still got a little time left yet, the two I saw looked in good shape, albeit the one was only seen through good glass.

Keep your chin up David,

I'm sure this frustrating weather can't go on for ever and when that sun comes back out to play...yeah! we'll be ready and waiting. I managed the last few days at Collard Hill last year, just made it as I'm sure you will this year.

Hello Wurzel,

I'm suffering from mad metitis, I'm reliably informed that only batty butterflyers are affected, sadly there's no known cure, but prolonged periods exposed to good long range weather forecasts helps alleviate the suffering

I'd like to thank the three of you for your kind comments.

Bill

[Michaeljf]

For those who think they have missed out on the Black Hairstreaks, here is a comment from David Redhead published on the Upper Thames BC site (sightings) - I don't know if it means there'll be any by this weekend - If I could see into the future I'd probably buy a lottery ticket ASAP (!) :

Sunday 12th June 2011

David Redhead sent this news today: "Bläck Hairstreaks were still present in reasonable numbers in the M40 Compensation Area, Bernwood, Bucks on Saturday 11th June when I managed to count 23. Most of them were nectaring on privet flowers but one of the exceptions preferred Pepper Saxifrage. Also nectaring on the privet were Comma (3), Large Skipper (2) and a Small Tortoiseshell."

[David M]

Interesting.

I could wangle Wednesday off and the forecast is 21C and sunny intervals for Oxford.

Then again Collard Hill beckons...

[mvpike]

Had a similar day to Bill at Whitecross Green on 9/6/11 although it was very showery & overcast for long periods I counted around 12-15 specimens (some very worn & others fresh) and had the great fortune to have many of them nectaring close to the ground on bramble flowers, in ideal positions for close-up photography.

Totally agree that Whitecross is a lovely place.

Mark.

[millerd]

I'm guessing that the heavy rain has washed the aphid honeydew off the leaves of the trees and bushes, so they are resorting to nectar for sustenance.

Dave

[Willrow]

I'm guessing that the heavy rain has washed the aphid honeydew off the leaves of the trees and bushes, so they are resorting to nectar for sustenance.

Dave

That's a valid point Dave, it had rained very heavily throughout the night and into dawn, there is still so much to learn about Black Hairstreak and considering how short their flight season lasts it has to be condensed

Bill

[David M]

Sunday looks to be the next respectable day, so if anyone sees any there on Saturday (when it's forecast sunny intervals and showers), let me know.

[Michaeljf]

Hi David,
at the moment Oxfordshire looks like it might be one of the few places not under cloud on Saturday. I'll keep a look on the weather maps as always.

Sunday looks like it might be half-decent weather.

I nipped down to Ewenny last night - early evening from about 5:20 to 6:45 - there were still some HBF's flying in between the cloud breaks.

Michael

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Bill,
Great report and lovely photos. I think you were probably already scratching your head over this one (reference your musings), but your Hairstreak is actually excreting cream-coloured waste fluids rather than egg-laying.
Neil

[Willrow]

Hi Bill,
Great report and lovely photos. I think you were probably already scratching your head over this one (reference your musings), but your Hairstreak is actually excreting cream-coloured waste fluids rather than egg-laying.
Neil

Thanks Neil,

That's the type of information that I need. Scratching my head I most certainly was. Your a font of knowledge, and the only person having seen this thread that noticed my deliberate mistake Or, even worse did'nt know

Each day we gain a little more knowledge.

Bill

[Piers]

The 'waste' fluid looks very much like meconium Bill, indicating that your specimen was freshly emerged (and she certainly looks like she was as well judging from her immaculate condition (probably in all senses of the word)). Meconium is a discharge of waste material which is redundant from the larval and pupal stage, usually ejected on or immediately prior to the first flight of the adult insect. Butterfly faeces are not ordinarily that heavily pigmented.

Mums (and some dads I am sure) will know that meconium is the term applied to the first stools of all infants and is the product of the matter that the infant digested during it's term in the mother's uterus. But I digress...

Piers.

[David M]

The 'waste' fluid looks very much like meconium Bill, indicating that your specimen was freshly emerged (and she certainly looks like she was as well judging from her immaculate condition (probably in all senses of the word)). Meconium is a discharge of waste material which is redundant from the larval and pupal stage, usually ejected on or immediately prior to the first flight of the adult insect. Butterfly faeces are not ordinarily that heavily pigmented.

Mums (and some dads I am sure) will know that meconium is the term applied to the first stools of all infants and is the product of the matter that the infant digested during it's term in the mother's uterus. But I digress...

Piers.

Interesting that, Piers. I'd always thought butterfly meconium was reddish in colour.

I've seen this discharge myself occasionally and had always thought it was an egg being laid.

[Piers]

It varies from species to species David, but seems to be consistant for each species. For example red admiral meconium is invariably a delightlful(?) rich bloody-crimson colour, whereas other species such as the blues are often a pale peachy colour, even a chalky hue.

Piers.

[David M]

It varies from species to species David, but seems to be consistant for each species. For example red admiral meconium is invariably a delightlful(?) rich bloody-crimson colour, whereas other species such as the blues are often a pale peachy colour, even a chalky hue.

Piers.

I raised Small Tortoiseshells when I was a kid and I'm sure theirs was a brownish colour.

Why does it vary so much? Surely the constituents can't be that dissimilar?

[Willrow]

The 'waste' fluid looks very much like meconium Bill, indicating that your specimen was freshly emerged (and she certainly looks like she was as well judging from her immaculate condition (probably in all senses of the word)). Meconium is a discharge of waste material which is redundant from the larval and pupal stage, usually ejected on or immediately prior to the first flight of the adult insect. Butterfly faeces are not ordinarily that heavily pigmented.

Mums (and some dads I am sure) will know that meconium is the term applied to the first stools of all infants and is the product of the matter that the infant digested during it's term in the mother's uterus. But I digress...

Piers.

Thank you Piers,

So much more has now been put into perspective, the consistently round nature of the 'meconium' in this instance completely confused me, it appeared so very much egg like, however something kept telling me that all was not quite as it appeared! I'm very grateful to both Neil (Sussex Skipper) and yourself for explaining what actual occurred.

This really is the wonderful thing about UK Butterflies, it's a great resource for learning more about such fascinating subjects.

Bill