Black Hairstreaks at Glapthorn Cow Pasture

Photo: Tim Melling

 

When I arrived at Glapthorn Cow Pasture on Wednesday, Test Match Special was just starting: when I left after having brilliant views of three Black Hairstreak butterflies, England were only in the sixth over. It doesn’t take long to see butterflies if they are well behaved.

I knew as soon as I arrived that I was probably in the right place at the right time: the sun was shining, the air was still, and there were around a dozen cars parked where there would normally be none.

And the place was packed with people – well, almost packed.

There were several species of bumblebee feeding on those bushes –  some of them were Tree Bumblebees, but there were lots of other species too. Funny isn’t it, as soon as one is sensitised to a species one tends to see it everywhere all of a sudden?

Those Dewberry bushes are the favoured places for the hairstreaks to come down from the canopy and feed. When they do they can be rather obliging.

As I travelled through east Northants I was keeping a look out for House Martins – there really aren’t many.  There were a few nests in Glapthorn itself but they are very thin on the ground this year.

 

 

 

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