GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
- LancsRover
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- Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:55 am
- Location: CHORLEY, LANCASHIRE
GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
___GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE___BROWN HAIR-STREAK.
Hi All,
Grafton Wood is an excellent site, east of Worcester,well maintained be West Midland BC. I arrived just before 10am on Monday 19/8/13. and went to the pond area on the north-west side of the wood, where recent reports of BROWN HAIR-STREAKS had been seen. The temperature was still cool and not much was flying yet, so after an hour or so, with only a few peacock's, comma's and small tortoiseshell's flying, I moved to the old orchard area some 200 metres south of the pond.
Here I met Dave Williams, a member of West Mid. BC and together we went along the outer perimeter of the wood, which is mainly blackthorn with a few brambles mixed in. After a few minutes Dave spotted a BHS landing on the blackthorn about 7/8 feet up the tree, it started to nectar and wasn't moving far from it's original landing spot, the sun was out now and we spotted 4/5 BHS flying in the vicinity and again landing on the blackthorn and brambles, posing nicely for us.
One landed on a blackthorn sapling only 2 feet high, it began weaving it's way down to about a foot off the ground and laid 2 pinhead size white eggs, fantastic, but too small to capture on my camera, unfortunately. When the sun went in the BHS opened their wings, allowing us to get some photo's of them in all their glory.
The BHS started flying about 11.30 am and were still flying at 1.30pm when we had to leave, we had come down from Lancashire mainly for the BHS but also saw Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Small Copper,
Silver-washed Frit., small, large and green-veined Whites, Brimstone, Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady and Speckled Wood.
I missed a Clouded Yellow by 10 minutes, confirmed by 2 different people, again in the orchard area, I have seen them in France but not in England, but I'd had a brilliant day and would recommend Grafton Wood as an excellent butterfly site.
Russ These are my first
submitted photo's I hope you like them
Hi All,
Grafton Wood is an excellent site, east of Worcester,well maintained be West Midland BC. I arrived just before 10am on Monday 19/8/13. and went to the pond area on the north-west side of the wood, where recent reports of BROWN HAIR-STREAKS had been seen. The temperature was still cool and not much was flying yet, so after an hour or so, with only a few peacock's, comma's and small tortoiseshell's flying, I moved to the old orchard area some 200 metres south of the pond.
Here I met Dave Williams, a member of West Mid. BC and together we went along the outer perimeter of the wood, which is mainly blackthorn with a few brambles mixed in. After a few minutes Dave spotted a BHS landing on the blackthorn about 7/8 feet up the tree, it started to nectar and wasn't moving far from it's original landing spot, the sun was out now and we spotted 4/5 BHS flying in the vicinity and again landing on the blackthorn and brambles, posing nicely for us.
One landed on a blackthorn sapling only 2 feet high, it began weaving it's way down to about a foot off the ground and laid 2 pinhead size white eggs, fantastic, but too small to capture on my camera, unfortunately. When the sun went in the BHS opened their wings, allowing us to get some photo's of them in all their glory.
The BHS started flying about 11.30 am and were still flying at 1.30pm when we had to leave, we had come down from Lancashire mainly for the BHS but also saw Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Small Copper,
Silver-washed Frit., small, large and green-veined Whites, Brimstone, Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady and Speckled Wood.
I missed a Clouded Yellow by 10 minutes, confirmed by 2 different people, again in the orchard area, I have seen them in France but not in England, but I'd had a brilliant day and would recommend Grafton Wood as an excellent butterfly site.
Russ These are my first
submitted photo's I hope you like them
- Pete Eeles
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Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Yes I do - and look forward to seeing a lot moreLancsRover wrote:These are my first submitted photo's I hope you like them
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Cheers,
- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
That individual possesses one of the finest tails I've ever seen on a BH!
- LancsRover
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Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Thanks GUYS for the kind comments and encouragement,
Russ
Russ
Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Russ,
Wow. Love the open wing shot. Good work.
Regards
Kev
Wow. Love the open wing shot. Good work.
Regards
Kev
- LancsRover
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Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Cheers Kev,
Russ
Russ
Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Thanks for the info of where in the wood you were seeing the Brown Hairstreaks, always helpful to have extra detail when searching a new site. I'll be having a try one day this weekend, also trying for the Walls at Windmill Hill nearby. Any local suggestions welcome.
cheers, Leo
cheers, Leo
- LancsRover
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Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Good luck Leo in Grafton Wood, let us know how you go on.
Russ
Russ
Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Thanks Russ. I was in luck, I visited on 31st August and saw three individuals (all female I think) around the hedgerow on the south western side of the wood. I was fortunate to be there while a fellow enthusiast was also looking, and he was quicker at spotting them than me! I've got a couple of photos over at my blog - http://leosnaturetrips.blogspot.co.uk/.
thanks, Leo
thanks, Leo
- LancsRover
- Posts: 552
- Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:55 am
- Location: CHORLEY, LANCASHIRE
Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Glad you found the BHS Leo, it's a beautiful butterfly and Grafton Wood is a great place.
Russ
Ps I've checked out your great blog
Russ
Ps I've checked out your great blog
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Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
I found Grafton on Google Earth.
It appears to be a difficult approach for someone with two recent knee-replacements! It doesn't look too good for parking either, as the only way I could get there would be to drive.
The 'lie of the land' tells me it might also be a good spot for a landscape painter.
So, if anyone could advise re parking problems, I think, given time, I could manage to make the necessary walk.
Thanks in anticipation.
John![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
My apologies. I see I 'bumped' the post...
It appears to be a difficult approach for someone with two recent knee-replacements! It doesn't look too good for parking either, as the only way I could get there would be to drive.
The 'lie of the land' tells me it might also be a good spot for a landscape painter.
So, if anyone could advise re parking problems, I think, given time, I could manage to make the necessary walk.
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Thanks in anticipation.
John
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
My apologies. I see I 'bumped' the post...
- Lee Hurrell
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- Location: Hampshire
Re: GRAFTON WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Hi John,
Grafton Wood is a wonderful place and it had changed much in the last couple of years when I visited a couple of weeks ago.
I always enter from the church and walk through the farmyard as detailed on this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4520&p=36367&hilit= ... ood#p36367
That way is quite a walk and some of the ground is uneven but there another way I haven't used and may be less of a walk as detailed on this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5635&p=50289&hilit= ... ood#p50289
Good luck and let us know how you get on!
Best wishes,
Lee
Grafton Wood is a wonderful place and it had changed much in the last couple of years when I visited a couple of weeks ago.
I always enter from the church and walk through the farmyard as detailed on this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4520&p=36367&hilit= ... ood#p36367
That way is quite a walk and some of the ground is uneven but there another way I haven't used and may be less of a walk as detailed on this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5635&p=50289&hilit= ... ood#p50289
Good luck and let us know how you get on!
Best wishes,
Lee
To butterfly meadows, chalk downlands and leafy glades; to summers eternal.