Monday 4 November 2019

Top Highlight of 2019.

Without doubt the highlight of the 2019 season was the sight of the Brown Hairstreak at Shipton Bellinger in August,although the all but brief encounter with a female Long-tailed Blue in my garden on the 23rd August was a treat.
Several visits to Shipton over the last three years have proved fruitless in my attempt to see the rare and elusive Brown Hairstreak.However this year I was rewarded with multiple sightings as described in my post of the 21st August 2019.
Shipton Bellinger is regarded as the best location to see  'Brownies' in Hampshire.The village stands in the middle of a large area where this hairstreak can be seen, as round about there is suitable habitat of Blackthorn and Ash.My sightings in the summer were along a hedgerow renowned for producing views of the Brown Hairstreak.It is a hedgerow of Blackthorn with plenty of brambles and backed by trees(seen in the photo below).Here behind the hedgerow runs the county boundary with Wiltshire.
Depending on conditions,August is probably the best time to see this butterfly with males normally the first to appear early in the month and followed soon after by the females.Egg-laying then commences in the second half of August and continues until at least mid-September.







Male

Male






6 comments:

  1. ¡Enhorabuena, Peter!, aunque la Thecla betulae vive en Asturias, es muy difícil de ver por su costumbre de volar por encima de las copas de los árboles. Yo no la tengo. Has tenido un buen fin de temporada. Un abrazo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Belén thank you very much for your reply.It is always lovely to hear from you.I hope you will see this species, as it is a pleasure for me to see thecia betulae at last.My very best wishes to you and I look forward to seeing your sightings in 2020.I would love to visit Spain and see everything it has to offer in the way of buttterflies.x

      Delete
  2. Que tengas unas felices fiestas, Peter, y que el nuevo año nos traiga nuevas aventuras para compartir. Un abrazo desde Asturias.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am looking forward to the springtime already Belén.Thank you for your greeting and of course,I send my sincere wishes to you for a successful and happy 2020.

      Delete
  3. Super images Peter, I will always remember my first sighting of Ash Brownies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Brian for your comment.
      Something never to be forgotten.
      I am still hoping to get my first good views of the PE.Perhaps 2020 will be the year.

      Delete