www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi,

I want to go and see BH at Hatton Meadows in Lincolnshire this weekend (2nd or 3rd Sep, weather permitting!). Can anybody give me any pointers to maximise my chances of success? Time of day, favourite tree, egg laying site, etc?

I'm travelling from Leeds so it's a long way to go for nowt!

Thanks,

Chris

I went a long way, for nowt!

Didn't see any BH though there are plenty of Ash, Oak and Blackthorn along what is a fairly warm, sheltered stretch of land, so I can understand why they may once have been found there.

Only managed to see a tatty Brown Argus, dozens of Speckled Wood and enough dragonflies to present St George a problem.

If anybody has seen them there at all in the last few years, I will be interested to hear. Living in Yorkshire eliminates the chances of seeing many of the butterflies in the UK without arranging holiday especially, so I'm always interested in the most northerly strongholds of some of our southern species.

Chris - I visited Chambers Farm Wood (approx. 10 miles east of Lincoln) back in July, and was told by one of the regulars that brown hairstreak occur there. However, he seemed to reckon they were localized, and that they are relatively inactive butterflies that are easy to miss even when you're in the right area. Hope this is of interest to you.

yes, thank you David.

Chambers Farm Wood and Hatton meadows are adjacent, so at least I was in the right area!

I see you're a Yorkshireman... my other problem is the infamous Dukes of Burgundy in the North York Moors. I've exhausted all possible locations around Pickering, 3 years on the bounce and have still failed to find them! Perhaps, before next May, you can help me with that one too!

Chris

If I'm allowed to mention another site, there were reports recently here
http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/forum/vi ... php?t=3589
I think that is part of Chambers Wood although I am not familiar with it myself.
Might be worth bookmarking the lincs website for next year, Chambers is an excellent place for BF's certainly and would give you an idea what is around

I'm a regular at Chambers, going most weekends during the season. I saw my first Brown Hairstreak there a week ago after several years of looking for them. I'm not the only one with problems, as others have also searched for years. Late morning seems to be the best time, then they vanish for the day. Two were seen Sunday a.m. around the usual area at Five Ways, although not by me. It is only a short walk from Hatton Meadow to Five Ways. I haven't heard of any reports from Hatton Meadow, nobody I know goes there.

Chris - as regards Duke of Burgundy, I can't speak from experience, but I do know that the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has a site called Ashberry, which is near Rievaulx Abbey (a couple of miles west of Helmsley) where they are supposed to occur.

This is one of the individual mentioned from Chambers Wood I photgraphed on the 3rd Sept around 12:00 to 12:30. It has only taken me 5 years to see one, but well worth it.

Hi Mitchell - what an excellent shot -you should enter this in the competition!

And for all other visitors - if it wasn't for Mitchell, this website would not exist! I worked with Mitchell about 5 years ago and he showed me some butterfly shots he'd taken and placed on a website. This website has grown from me trying to do the same.

So ... thanks

Cheers,

- Pete