Purple Hairstreak Summer 2018 (1 Viewer)

I'm fairly new to this butterflying game. Last summer I was delighted to find half-a-dozen Purple Hairstreak at a site I was working in Cornwall. This year it's dawned on me how common the species is, at least in parts of the UK. My first evening at Savernake Forest, Wilts last week saw over a hundred displaying insects in the treetops in the evening sunshine. Next morning, while searching for Emperors, saw over a dozen Hairstreaks coming down to bracken early morning, and watched several egg-laying later in the day. Yesterday evening, returning to my native north-east for the first time in several years, I popped outside for a stroll after 6pm with the express intention of looking for displaying Purple Hairstreaks despite very few having been recorded previously in my old county of Tyne and Wear. The very first oak tree I looked at five minutes into the walk saw two PH flitting about up above , and an hour later I'd seen a total of fifteen. I'm sure there would have been lots more if I'd investigated further.

I wouldn't quite say this last observation has re-written the history books as far as PH status in the north-east is concerned, but I was quite surprised to find this
http://www.northumberlandmoths.org.uk/moth.php?taxon_from_search=Favonius quercus

earlier today, revealing just how scarce species is in nearby Northumberland. Other documents show its historical absence from the immediate area I saw them in so easily last night.

So my question is: what is going on? I did get a few hints from more experienced butterfly guys at Savernake that it was a very good year for PH. But what do folks on here think? I presume it isn't a secret that the species is best looked for and surveyed after 6pm on sunny July/August evenings? Or is it? Certainly there are notes in the documents hinted above that the species was looked for unsuccessfully at various sites in the Durham area earlier in the (21st) century, but it doesn't say whether they looked in the evening or not. How are other people's observations going this year?

They are certainly not uncommon during this time window, in and around Epping Forest (NE.London). Have seen them on the ground (horse rides and dried margins of lakes within, and adjacent to broad leafed woodland locally.

On the whole wouldn't like to say that they are more plentiful this year than previous, other than the recent high temperatures may have contributed to them being seemingly appearing more active for longer periods?

Cheers

Have certainly seen plenty locally this year. Whether there are more or not I wouldn't like to speculate but I believe with the extreme warmth+ in particular dryness, I think more are coming down to the ground for moisture around ponds, streams, etc.

Somebody mentioned to me where numbers where coming to the ground on a drying pond on wimbledon Common, crows were picking them off. I've seen them on floating plant in my local brook.

I only recently learned (last two years) that evening is the time to see Purple Hairstreaks low down, my latest favourite place to look for the species being Alners Gorse in Dorset which is a pretty amazing place altogether. I didn't know however whether that was a local phenomenon or country-wide: now perhaps I should have a look round here because they aren't uncommon around Farnborough.

John

In the last week, while looking for dragonflies, I have found Purple Hairstreaks sitting on New Zealand Pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii) which borders many of the ponds round here. They appear to be drinking water which is held by the leaves of the plant. Possibly their normal source of liquid has dried up and this is a substitute.