The Hairstreak Experience.

Brown Hairstreak.

The first confirmed record of the Brown Hairstreak in Lancashire, came from the Silverdale area in 2011, and was the result of an unauthorised release. The species is restricted to the south, the nearest colonies being in Worcestershire c.150 miles away from Silverdale. A colony has now been established at Gait Barrows, and is recorded annually for 4 years since 2017. However it is noted, the species is not fully protected, and unofficial releases are strongly discouraged by Butterfly Conservation.

Yesterday I was in the excellent company of Steve Graham, he had agreed to accompany me on a guided butterfly safari.

Brown Hairstreak Egg. Pete Woodruff.

The day started a little sluggish, but within the hour Steve was soon showing his skill to me, and finding an egg resembling Sea Urchin tucked away under a spur branch.

Brown Hairstreak Female. Pete Woodruff. 

From then on, the day turned into a Brown Hairstreak spectacular, we had six sightings of this elusive butterfly, three individuals around and in the tree tops, and three at lower ground level.

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Other butterflies seen continued the dearth, and were particularly worrying, with just singular Small Copper, Gatekeeper, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, with 6 Speckled Wood, 2 Brimstone, and a Sliver Y moth.

Common Darter Gait Barrows 24 August. Pete Woodruff.

Dragonflies seen, at least 6 Common Darter, a few sightings of Migrant Hawker, and a Brown Hawker. 

Birds sighting were, 2 Buzzard and a Raven overhead, a small flock of Long-tailed Tit in flight between trees, Bullfinch and Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Garden Birds.

Robin 25 August 2021. Pete Woodruff.

I managed to grab a shot of our young garden Robin this morning, 3 Buzzard were soaring together over Bowerham, and about 5 Long-tailed Tit looking interested in the feeders according to the Woodruff's.   

The Little Brown Job!

I had two e-mails over the weekend, one included an image of a wader. I was amazed at how time flies when I discovered it was 6 years ago since I found a Wood Sandpiper on Conder Pool 10 August 2014.  

The second message was the reminder of a butterfly found 11 August 2018. The last time I had seen the author of the e-mail was at Glasson Dock when together we found 9 gulls all ringed, including 5 Common Gulls, a species I had never found ringed before. 

Brown Hairstreak at Gait Barrows.

Given that the Brown Hairstreak has a localised distribution almost entirely in Southern England, the South Midlands, and South Wales, with the nearest colonies in East Worcestershire some 150 miles away, the obvious question is; how did it get to Gait Barrows in Lancashire. There are three possible explanations: 1) This elusive and largely arboreal butterfly could have been ever present, but was simply overlooked or mistaken for the widespread Purple Hairstreak. 2) Brown Hairstreak eggs were inadvertently brought in by local landowners when Blackthorn from nurseries outside the area was planted in the vicinity. 3) An unauthorised release of a small number of adults, or late stage caterpillars. The latter option for the reappearance of Brown Hairstreak in North Lancashire was favoured by three experts in the field. 

Ref: Butterfly Conservation Lancashire Branch, Winnick, Dunbar, Sivell

 

I'm hoping to make a break to freedom tomorrow and I think I know where I'm going.

In the garden.

A Small White, Red Admiral, and Speckled Wood. It was also good to see a young Robin and Greenfinch in the garden. 

Up The Wall!

On Thursday, I attended the funeral of a good friend at the Catholic Church of Ss Thomas & Elizabeth at Thurnham. After the service on a nice sunny day, there was going to be nothing more uplifting for me than a walk along the coastal path from Fluke Hall to Cockers Dyke, and at 1.30pm I was within a few miles of getting there from Thurnham down the A588.

Wall Brown. Pete Woodruff.

This was definitely a good idea, if only because I found my first Wall Brown butterfly in 6 years which was seen at Pilling Lane Ends on 2 September 2011. The irony being, today's butterfly was on one of the only three Ragwort stems left at the foot of the inland bank from the recent grass cut here on 25 July. Other butterflies taking an interest in the Ragwort and elsewhere along the path were, 9 Large White, 8 Common Blue, 6 Small Copper, 5 Gatekeeper, and 3 Meadow Brown.

Along the path, I saw a young Wheatear still sporting some downy feathering, and on Pilling Sands at Cockers Dyke saw up to 2,500 Dunlin, 350 Grey Plover, 45 Knot retaining some of their red breeding plumage, and 3 Sanderling, 6 Linnet  were on the marsh.

The Brown Hairstreak. 

Brown Hairstreak. Gait Barrows 9 August. Steve Graham.

I was grateful to Steve Graham for passing on to me both the news and image of a pristine male Brown Hairstreak found on Wednesday at Gait Barrows Nature Reserve in Silverdale, along with 14 other species of butterfly.

The jury is still out on whether this is an introduction, or a small relic population that has been previously overlooked as it is a former resident at Gait Barrows. The nearest colonies of Brown Hairstreak are in Lincolnshire and Worcestershire so well north of these, but so is Silver-washed Fritillary.

Thanks again for this Steve, it added nicely to my own Wall Brown find after a 6 year wait. 

Thanks also to Simon for the Hen Harrier header.