Brown Hairstreak

Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae - Whitecross Woods (30/07/2011)

The Brown Hairstreak is an elusive butterfly that I have struggled to photograph for years, that is until this July when at last I struck gold at Whitecross Woods in Oxfordshire. On two previous visits a couple of males had stayed resolutely at the top of a large Ash 'master tree' feeding on aphid honeydew and waiting for females, so I was not feeling very confident. Wandering slowly down one of the flowery rides enjoying the sun, I was surprised to bump into a couple of birding friends whom I had not seen for some time. After catching up on news they told me about a spot where a Brown Hairstreak had apparently been seen earlier that morning. They had spent a fruitless hour searching the area and had just given up. After parting company I hurried down the ride to the place they had described and instantly found a beautiful fresh male nectaring on a Knapweed flower. I couldn't believe my luck! The butterfly was incredibly obliging and at one point I encouraged it to walk on to my finger and so that I could reposition it on a better flower head. After a while it flew into a nearby Salix to rest and I realised guiltily that I should try to tell my friends, and not having their phone numbers hurried off to catch them up, only to find that they had already left. After mating females descend to lay eggs but male Brown Hairstreaks rarely descend to feed so I felt especially privileged to spent so much time with such an obliging and pretty little butterfly. Without doubt one of my wildlife 'moments' of the year!

Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae - Whitecross Woods (30/07/2011)