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Brown Hairstreak in Worcestershire - Bulletin 17

October 2005

Dear Brownhairstreakers,

After all the positive news of recent issues, it is really disappointing to have to start this bulletin off with the news that some of our best Brown Hairstreak hedgerows have been recently flailed with the loss of probably several 100 eggs (see photo).

Even worse, the hedgerows concerned are part of a countryside stewardship agreement agreed only recently between DEFRA and the local farmer. This agreement clearly sets down that farm hedgerows important for Brown Hairstreak are to be cut on rotation and also cut between mid-July and mid-August. It is also part of the agreement that suckering blackthorn at the base of the hedge be retained. Despite all this, the contractor has simply made his way around all of the farm cutting every hedgerow and every blackthorn sucker at the same time. Whether this is simply a matter of lack of communication or there are other reasons is still unclear but it is really soul destroying to those of us who have worked long and hard to encourage farmers into countryside stewardship agreements when this kind of thing occurs. It also makes a mockery of the agri-environment schemes which are the mainstay of the Government's policies to encourage biodiversity back into farmland. We have been in touch with local DEFRA staff to report the matter and hope that they will take appropriate action.

The adult Brown Hairstreak season has now drawn to a close. Given the decent weather, it is perhaps surprising that we have had no reports this year of adults being seen into October. Usually the butterfly lasts into the first week of October and indeed our latest record from the Forest of Feckenham was actually 14th October back in 1994. Elsewhere in the country, we have received a report from Surrey of an egg-laying Brown Hairstreak seen on 10th, another in Wiltshire on 9th and a sighting in Oxfordshire on 4th. Looking back, there seems to have been generally good numbers of adults this season and it will be interesting to see how this translates into numbers of eggs.

Since the last Bulletin, there has been further contact with our first School Brown Hairstreak champions at Feckenham who have decided that they would like a blackthorn hedge planted within their school grounds. John and Miriam Tilt have offered to assist in this task and have planned a date in mid-November to go over to the school to help the children with planting. In years to come, hopefully, the children will have the pleasure of seeing the new hedgerow attract female Brown Hairstreaks to lay their eggs. As reported previously, Becky Lashley, the Worcs Biodiversity Partnership Community Wildlife Officer Officer (see Bulletin 16 for more details on Becky's project), will be taking children from the same school on an egg hunt early next year and with Becky's help we are hoping to encourage other local schools to become involved in a similar way.

Earlier in the month, we held our first work day of the season at Grafton Wood and were pleased to welcome Trevor Trueman who is one of our latest Brown Hairstreak champions. Participation in practical conservation work is a really good way for people to get involved and it is great to see new faces. We meet the 2nd Sunday of the month at Grafton Flyford Church at 10 am and usually work through to the afternoon, although people are welcome to stay for as long or as little time as they like. The advantage of staying on at least until lunchtime is the prospect of a baked potato from the bonfire which has become a bit of a Grafton Wood tradition. The next work day is 13th November - why not give it a try?

Mike Williams,
Brown Hairstreak Species Champion