We knew that Wetheral viaduct is supposedly 'the' place to see the elusive white-letter hairstreak, and being as the sun was out and we were not too far away we decided to take a look. The white-letter hairstreak only occurs at a few sites in Cumbria and is particularly hard to spot as the adults spend so much of their time in the canopy of elm trees. Hence being on a viaduct helps!
As we arrived, looking down on the canopy, we were quickly delighted to spot some hairstreaks in the elm canopy...we were using binoculars ...so finding them on camera was challenging. Finally we got some shots - of purple hairstreaks ...nice to see though. Eventually we did see a white-letter hairstreak though and although the photos aren't the best, being at such a distance, they are conclusive. A site we will return too again - what a treat ...at least 5 purple hairstreaks and a single white-lettered in the same tree top.
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The viaduct.
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Looking down on the elm from the viaduct.
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Looking at the elm....with three purple hairstreaks to spot!
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Purple hairstreaks - note the two distinct orange dots and the flash of purple on the upper wings.
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When they were sat at a certain angle the purple was beautiful.
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White-letter hairstreak...note the latrge orange patch.
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The station house garden ...beautiful!
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