Blog

13 June 2014 Good hair day

An evening engagement in Cambridge - wheresitting opposite a student who was born after I graduated made me feel old - inferred a quick trip to try for Black Hairstreaks at Monks Wood in western Cambs. It is a decade since my only encounter with this smart early summer butterfly - although the views were point-blank and walkaway and thus engendered longlasting memories. Nevertheless, it was time to renew acquaintances.


Following gen from Jonathan Newman, I followed the main ride then took the first left. Just as I arrived, cloud supplanted sun, drooping my spirits. Nevertheless, it remained warm and muggy - so I hoped that the odd butterfly would still be feeding low to the ground. After an hour I located a ragged male that had clearly been alive longer than 8 June when Hairstreaks were first seen this year.. Unfortunately, it remained several metres up and distant, nectaring on privet, meaning only the most record of photographs were possible. Success - if underwhelming. Bumping into local butterfly-watcher Rosalyn, however, prompted a change in fortune. She showed me a couple of other blackthorn-rich areas and spotted a flyover male. She then found a male along the main ride, after which we had 3-4 nectaring on privet.  One posed for photos which, despite the rather low light, came out acceptably. A quick yomp back to the car, a change into smarter dinner garb, and a rather chuffed Lowen headed Cambridgewards. Chuffed, that is, until my dinner partner revealed his age...