Saturday 4th September 2010 - Grafton Wood

Today, myself and TS popped to Grafton Wood (near Grafton Flyford, Worcestershire) looking for Brown Hairstreak butterflies. Grafton Wood is at the centre of the last remaining colony of Brown Hairstreaks in the Midlands and is jointly managed by Butterfly Conservation and the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Needless to say we dipped out but it is a great woodland reserve to walk around all the same. I have cheated and added a photo of a Brown Hairstreak that I took at Grafton Wood last year just to illustrate what beautiful butterflies they are.

During the walk we recorded the following butterflies: 34 Speckled Wood, 7 Brimstone (5♂ & 2♀), 2 Commas, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Gatekeepers, 4 Green-veined Whites and 3 Small Whites. 2 Holly Blues were observed near the churchyard at Grafton Flyford.

A number of the woodland birds were flocking together and one such 'Tit' flock contained 3 Marsh Tits, Coal Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Great and Blue Tits. Treecreepers were also within this flock. A variety of birds were heard calling in the woods including Jays, Chiffchaffs, Buzzards and Great Spotted Woodpecker. A Raven was seen flying over.

Brimstone - Grafton Wood, 4th September 2010:

Small White feeding on Scabious - Grafton Wood, September 2010:

Brown Hairstreak - Grafton Wood, 16th August 2008: