Meanwood Park - Leeds

[Chris]

The white-letter hairstreak are emerging at Meanwood park this week for all us deprived northern types. I managed to find this pristine one at eye-level yesterday, with one or two individuals in the elm-tops.



Other things around include Ringlet, Meadow brown, Large White, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell and Large Skipper. In previous years I've spotted Wall, Brimstone, Holly Blue and Purple Hairstreak here too in late July/August (A word of warning... I've never seen PH in the same tree twice at Meanwood. However, there is a healthy population up the hill at Beckett's park university campus on the oaks surrounding the elmwood).

Regards,

Chris

[David Tipping]

Chris - glad to see you got a WLH even if it meant travelling to darkest Leeds! There seem to be quite a few colonies dotted around Yorkshire. I took the photo below at Farnham Gravel Pit near Knaresborough, a private site run by the Harrogate & District Naturalists' Society. I understand they can also be found at Hetchell Wood, Bardsey, which is a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve.
Did you ever get along to Dallow Moor for the green hairstreak?

[Chris]

I didn't have time to get to Dallow Moor in the end, David, but I'll certainly try next year.

I work in Leeds, so it's convenient for me to pop by on my way home... so I hadn't gone too far out of my way to find WLH!! Thanks for the other sites though... certainly more handy for the weekends!

Do you know of any sites that are good for Purple Hairstreak? Specifically, I'd like to find somewhere that they are accessible to photograph. All too often they can only be seen flying in the highest oaks. In Shrewsbury, where I originate, I found a site on a riverbank which brings the top of the oaks to eye level! Perfect, but now 3hrs away

Thanks again for the sites. You should help Pete and add them to the sites page on here. It might encourage other northerners to do the same so folk like me can better find the little critters.

Cheers, Chris

[David Tipping]

Chris - regarding the purple hairstreak, they are present at a few sites around Harrogate such as Birkham Wood, Goldsborough Wood and Cardale Wood. However, the chance of finding them flying low enough for photography is, I suspect, slim. To be honest I am struggling to think of anywhere that might offer opprtunities. The only place I have ever managed to photograph the species is Chambers Farm Wood, and that was just a solitary specimen that I stumbled across last year.

[David Tipping]

I visited Hetchell Wood at Bardsey today, which could be of interest to Yorkshire butterfly hunters on two counts.

Firstly, there is an area of limestone grassland where among the common grassland species I managed to photograph a marbled white - unusual because it is some distance from any of the established Yorkshire colonies of the species.

Secondly, in the south-west corner of the reserve near Bardsey Beck there is a substantial outcrop of rock, from the top of which you look directly onto the canopy of a cluster of oaks. The sunshine had been replaced by cloud when I arrived but I did have a fleeting glimpse of what could have been a purple hairstreak. If you staked this place out on a sunny day I believe you might get a chance of a photo or two - I shall certainly be giving it a try.

[walshey]

I visited Hetchell Woods briefly on the 18th and saw 1 Marbled White female also. I was looking for WL Hairstreak and found plenty of elm around the parking spot and 1 around the grassland area. There are a couple of spots where you can stand on the crags and look down on oaks. Havent seen any hairstreaks there yet myself but have just discovered the site through this thread and will try again this weekend if weather suits. I found my first WL Hairstreak at Meanwood park the day after, fairly high up but I could see the brown spots and white lines through bins. Thanks to Chris for detailing this site.

Cheers,
John

[David Tipping]

I returned to Hetchell Woods on Monday and saw a solitary White-Letter Hairstreak on brambles adjacent to the public footpath that runs down the western perimiter of the reserve. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a photo. I still haven't had a definite sighting of Purple Hairstreak despite sitting on top of the crag for 20 minutes.

[55bloke]

I lived in Leeds as a lad, and frequently played in Meanwood Perk, but never saw a Hairstreak For many years, I lived in North Yorkshire, and I stumbled across a Marbled White collony just outside Malton. Don't know if it's a well known site, but I never saw anyone there but me!! Here's a few pics:

[Chris]

I remember from a recent post 55, that you used to live in Pickering... you shouldn't have moved! Pickering is a great hotspot in North Yorks for butterflies... you can find Duke of Burgundy, Small and Pearl-bordered fritillary, Dark Green fritillary, Marbled White, Dingy Skipper and many more all within a few miles of Pickering. There's a good marbled White site at Ellerburn bank, near the Dalby scenic drive... is that where you spotted these?

[55bloke]

Well, it took a lot to pursuade me to move, but she's worth it! I lived there for about 20 years, and I never saw any Frits at all! Did find a nice little Green Hairstreak collony near Rosedale, and those Marbled Whites are just outside Malton.