Brown Hairstreaks need your help!
25th July, 2010
Residents throughout the area of ancient Forest of Feckenham are being asked to keep a look out for trees used by a rare butterfly.
Grafton Wood near Grafton Flyford, jointly owned by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation, is the centre of the Midlands’ only colony of the nationally rare brown hairstreak butterfly. In recent years the colony has spread to surrounding woodlands and hedgerows including Trench Wood, Feckenham Wylde Moor and Humpy Meadow. Residents are now being asked to keep a lookout for ash trees that are being used by the adults.
Male brown hairstreaks will be on the wing from late July and fly in the canopies of trees – they’re rarely seen by most people. Females are most frequently seen as they descend to hedgerows in late August and September looking for suitable egg-laying spots. The butterflies often congregate on trees known as assembly or master trees, usually ash, to feed on aphid honeydew although they’re occasionally found lower down feeding on common fleabane and bramble.
Mike Williams, West Midlands Butterfly Conservation Species Champion, explained “Numbers of brown hairstreaks have increased over the last few years – but we need help in identifying and recording their colonies. 
“In particular we’d like to know of any ash trees that are being used by the adults. It can be difficult to see the butterflies as they tend to stick to the canopies of trees – but they do occasionally descend and it may be that some readers have noticed butterflies flying around an ash tree from their upstairs windows! The size of the tree doesn’t seem to be particularly important but the ones we know of tend to be prominent in their landscape setting – often on the edge of woodland or in hedgerows.
“The butterflies are best spotted early in the morning, before 9am, on warm sunny days.”
Residents in the Grafton Flyford, Stock Green and Cowsden areas in particular should keep a lookout as populations of brown hairstreaks are already known there, although the locations of only a handful of assembly trees are recorded.
James Hitchcock, Conservation Officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, commented “It’s really great that our population of brown hairstreaks in the area is expanding. Both the Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation are working hard on our own nature reserves and with local landowners to help ensure there is suitable habitat for the butterflies to expand their range.”
The two charities organise an annual Brown Hairstreak Day at the end of August to look for the female butterflies who descend to lay their eggs. This year’s event takes place on Sunday 29th August and anyone interested in taking part should contact John Tilt on 01386 792458.
Anyone who has spotted brown hairstreak butterflies or thinks they know of suitable ash trees should contact Mike Williams on 07802 274552.
For more information about the work of Butterfly Conservation visit www.butterfly-conservation.org
More Information
For more media information please contact Wendy Carter, Communications Manager, on 01905 754919
For more information about Grafton Wood nature reserve or brown hairstreak butterflies contact James Hitchcock, Conservation Officer, on 01905 754919
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