The story from around Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire by Tom Dunbar
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Tom Dunbar is a member of the Upper Thames Branch.
Success story 2006!
This butterfly was thought by many to be a certainty for extinction following the ravages over successive decades since 1970 of Dutch elm disease on one of its larval foodplant, elm.
There is evidence that the species is doing surprisingly well. It is thought to be seriously under recorded across its range, partly due to its secretive lifestyle atop the elms in the earlier phase of its adult life. There is evidence that once mating has been completed the butterfly becomes more accessible, coming down to nectar plants such as thistle.
In 2006 I made a concerted effort to build on my poor knowledge of the range of this butterfly in my area of Buckinghamshire. I believe that I looked for this species too late in former years. A good friend with much experience of this species in South London and Surrey corrected me in stating that Satyrium w-album in fact has an overlap with the Black Hairstreak adult flight period and is on the elms in June.
This was key to my approach this year as well as building an awareness of the presence of healthy elms well in advance of the emergence of the adult butterfly. This monitoring of healthy elm will be an ongoing effort over the coming years as elms can quickly succumb to DED.
I was very pleased to locate several new colonies this year, eight in all.
Unfortunately my field trips are restricted at this time of year to the homeward car journey from work. However the familiar journey allowed me to build a picture of available healthy elms over preceding months, albeit from the car. I find that once likely elm is located more suitable specimens are often apparent on roadsides and adjacent fields.
July 1st was peak day for me this year with 34 individuals between 3 sites close to Aylesbury. However the following day was my most rewarding with a single adult White Letter Hairstreak on a 'juvenile' elm near Wendover, a success at last on a tree I had checked out over the previous three years. It was sad to note that by August there were signs of DED on that very tree.
I believe that the White Letter Hairstreak is a butterfly that is often overlooked.
I hope to build on my small successes this year over the coming seasons.
White-letter hairstreak records in the Aylesbury area 2006 recorded by Tom Dunbar
| Location |
Grid Reference |
Dates |
Number seen |
| Great Missenden |
SP899010 |
29 June 2006 |
3 |
| Wendover Railway Bridge |
SP873068 |
29 June 2006 |
2 |
| Woodrow Roadside |
SU932963 |
30 June 2006 |
4 |
| Woodrow Roadside |
SU934964 |
30 June 2006 |
1 |
| Broughton Field |
SP840145 |
1 July 2006 |
10 |
| Fleet Marston including A41 hedge |
SP780157 |
1 July 2006 |
9 |
| A41/Berryfields Junction |
SP792154 |
1 July 2006 |
15 |
| Chalkshire Road |
843072 |
2 July 2006 |
1 |
| Woodham Industrial Approach |
SP714185 |
25 June 2006 |
3 |
 |
White-letter Hairstreak distribution (2km squares) around Aylesbury (Buckinghamshire) for 2006
Reference: Tom Dunbar personal records
|
Tom Dunbar
First published in the Upper Thames Branch newsletter No. 69 February 2007
