Brown Hairstreak Success!

What great news! I've recently found brown hairstreak butterfly eggs on three blackthorn bushes at Feckenham. This is the first time they've been found here in ten years and goes to show that the work we've been doing ro encourage new blackthorn sucker growth as well as the work we've been doing with Butterfly Conservation is working.

Brown hairstreaks are quite elusive because they spend most of their time in the treetops. The females start to descend at this time of year to find suitable places to lay their eggs. They need two-four year old growth and a fork of the blackthorn bush to lay their eggs in - blackthorn is the foodplant of the caterpillars.

What's been important this time is that, along with Butterfly Conservation, we've been working on our reserves to help the butterfly as well as with other landowners to help provide a network of hedgerows, trees and shrubs to allow the insects to move between, and find new, suitable sites.

Let's hope the success continues!

Paul, Feckenham Wylde Moor