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December 2007
Dear Brownhairstreakers,
A very happy Xmas and a prosperous New Year to one and all. A fairly short ebulletin this time to give everyone a reminder that this coming Sunday sees our traditional New Year egg hunt starting from Grafton Flyford Church at 10.30 am. This is a chance to shake off the Xmas cobwebs and get some much needed exercise and fresh air with the added bonus of a mince pie on offer for everyone who finds a Brown Hairstreak egg! If our first hunt of the season on 16th is anything to go by this should mean mince pies all round as I am pleased to report that we found plenty of eggs. Indeed, the count along Hedgerow A at Grafton Wood was virtually identical to the previous winter. A big thank you to the small number of hardy souls who braved the bitterly cold weather to take part. Fortunately, it has now turned decidedly milder and the forecast for 30th suggests rather better conditions so here's hoping for a good turnout at the weekend.
Thanks also to all those who expressed an interest in helping with the M5 motorway search this winter. As soon as I have a date arranged with AmeyMouchel, who are responsible for the stretch of motorway running through Worcs, I will let people know. After the tantalising sighting of an adult Brown Hairstreak in 2006 very close to the motorway at Oddingley, it would be tremendous if we could confirm breeding in this area. We also welcome offers of help with our wider searches of the east Worcestershire countryside for eggs which will be continuing from now to the end of April. The total number of 1km squares in which we have now recorded the butterfly reached 140 by the end of April 2007 and, despite this impressive figure, we still believe that we have not yet mapped the extent of the Brown Hairstreak's distribution in the county and are looking for additional volunteers to assist us with this task. Already, Becky Lashley has kindly agreed to search the squares SO9157/9158/9159 and 9160 along Netherwood Lane north of Crowle, while Hugh Glennie has taken on the four 1km squares just north of Peopleton SO9351/9352/9451 and 9452. Both areas are adjacent to known squares and contain considerable stretches of blackthorn hedgerow so there is every chance of a positive result. If any other local champions can find the time over the winter please let me know and I can allocate further squares. Success is not always guaranteed. I spent a couple of hours this afternoon searching the minor road between Hanbury and Redditch and also around Shernal Green but drew a complete blank. Although many hedgerows had already received their annual haircut, there was still plenty of suitable blackthorn to be searched even if some of the best always seemed to be on the wrong side of the ditch! This is an interesting and, it has to be said, addictive project to take part in and provides a ready excuse for exploring some of Worcs' fantastic countryside so do get in touch if you are interested in joining us.
Mike Williams,
Brown Hairstreak Species Champion