In search of the elusive hairstreak Satyrium w-album
Jul 5, 2015 9:42:42 GMT
daveuk, mygos, and 2 more like this
Post by nomad on Jul 5, 2015 9:42:42 GMT
The White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album as an adult is one of the most difficult butterflies to photograph in the U.K. It is an arboreal species and rarely descends low enough for a close enounter. It was feared that with the introduction of Dutch Elm disease, which destroyed the British elms - Ulmus species that this little butterfly would join our other extinct butterflies. Although there was a serious decline, this species managed to hang on by breeding on the new sucker growth of elms and although in most localities these are still killed in by the disease, the butterflies move on to the new growth.
One strong colony of this butterfly occurs at Hadleigh Country Park in Essex in Eastern England. Here there is a continued elm regrowth. Although Dutch Elm disease has reached here, it is not so virulent and only kills a small number of the elms allowing colonies of Satyrium w-album to thrive. The presence of much bramble-rubus species growing up around the elms and shrubs such as hawthorn, blackthorn and elder gives a rich nectar source for the butterflies. Because the bramble grows high here, it means the hairstreaks rarely need to descend to lower elevations.
This large area lies above the estaurine River Hadleigh Ray in Essex in Eastern England. It consists of a steep bank with open grassy areas with many hedgerows and copses. Today, this is a country park being once part of a 700 year old castles estate. All the visitors keep to the eastern end, where the main attractions are, so as the hairstreaks occur at the western end, this area is deserted expect for a few walkers..
The visit.
I arrived early yesterday to glorious sunny weather. I had visited a couple of years ago, so I had done my ground work as to the likely areas that might produce the best results. This population is heavily monitored . Arriving, I met a man with a clip board, " Counting hairstreaks " I asked " Yes " he repiled. " Any low down " I said. " No " was his reply. He went on " You have left it too late, the butterflies have been out since the 20th June, the brambles are going over and they will not descend, they will stay up in the tree tops " " Well happy counting " I said.
I found a nice spot where I could stand in the shade at the junction of two tracks where elms and other shrubs grew up through the bramble. Although bramble makes a nice show when it first flowers, and later there will be a lot of dead flowers, it will continue to produce buds and new flowers for quite a long period, as indeed it was doing here.
There was a nice colony of Satyrium w-album here, it is really fun to just sit and watch them, males chase each other and occasionally the females at breath neck speed, sometimes they chase each other high in the air, tumbling and twirling as they do so. They then usually rest high up on leaves well out of reach. In there flight they appear black due to there plain uppersides but only at rest and taking nectar can you see the lovely underside with the characteristic white W. The adults never bask with their wings open.
Patience is needed in to get any hairstreak images, but I was lucky and a few did descend and I photographed both sexes, over a long period of time. I found two other singles low at two other locations but this was the best spot. I had to become one with the bramble and its sharp thorns to photograph the butterflies. Once the brambles drew blood and those horrible horse flies wanted some too!!. As I waited here, the hot looking butterfly counter man emerged from one of the tracks. He expressed surprise at my close encounters, he told me " I spend 10 minutes at each location and that's my count, I thought to myself the same individual must appear on his list a number of times but it is a good way of determining the strength of the colony. " They are not very active after 12am till the evening " he tells me. I agree, there is certainly a bit less activity, then a pair zooms at high speed in their chase, another feeds high up on a bramble flower, he shook his head and walked off.
Habitat of Satyrium w-album at Hadleigh.
One strong colony of this butterfly occurs at Hadleigh Country Park in Essex in Eastern England. Here there is a continued elm regrowth. Although Dutch Elm disease has reached here, it is not so virulent and only kills a small number of the elms allowing colonies of Satyrium w-album to thrive. The presence of much bramble-rubus species growing up around the elms and shrubs such as hawthorn, blackthorn and elder gives a rich nectar source for the butterflies. Because the bramble grows high here, it means the hairstreaks rarely need to descend to lower elevations.
This large area lies above the estaurine River Hadleigh Ray in Essex in Eastern England. It consists of a steep bank with open grassy areas with many hedgerows and copses. Today, this is a country park being once part of a 700 year old castles estate. All the visitors keep to the eastern end, where the main attractions are, so as the hairstreaks occur at the western end, this area is deserted expect for a few walkers..
The visit.
I arrived early yesterday to glorious sunny weather. I had visited a couple of years ago, so I had done my ground work as to the likely areas that might produce the best results. This population is heavily monitored . Arriving, I met a man with a clip board, " Counting hairstreaks " I asked " Yes " he repiled. " Any low down " I said. " No " was his reply. He went on " You have left it too late, the butterflies have been out since the 20th June, the brambles are going over and they will not descend, they will stay up in the tree tops " " Well happy counting " I said.
I found a nice spot where I could stand in the shade at the junction of two tracks where elms and other shrubs grew up through the bramble. Although bramble makes a nice show when it first flowers, and later there will be a lot of dead flowers, it will continue to produce buds and new flowers for quite a long period, as indeed it was doing here.
There was a nice colony of Satyrium w-album here, it is really fun to just sit and watch them, males chase each other and occasionally the females at breath neck speed, sometimes they chase each other high in the air, tumbling and twirling as they do so. They then usually rest high up on leaves well out of reach. In there flight they appear black due to there plain uppersides but only at rest and taking nectar can you see the lovely underside with the characteristic white W. The adults never bask with their wings open.
Patience is needed in to get any hairstreak images, but I was lucky and a few did descend and I photographed both sexes, over a long period of time. I found two other singles low at two other locations but this was the best spot. I had to become one with the bramble and its sharp thorns to photograph the butterflies. Once the brambles drew blood and those horrible horse flies wanted some too!!. As I waited here, the hot looking butterfly counter man emerged from one of the tracks. He expressed surprise at my close encounters, he told me " I spend 10 minutes at each location and that's my count, I thought to myself the same individual must appear on his list a number of times but it is a good way of determining the strength of the colony. " They are not very active after 12am till the evening " he tells me. I agree, there is certainly a bit less activity, then a pair zooms at high speed in their chase, another feeds high up on a bramble flower, he shook his head and walked off.
Habitat of Satyrium w-album at Hadleigh.