Meadow Farm at Blackthorn, Oxon

Today Gavin Bennett of BBOWT led an egg search of the blackthorn-rich hedgerows at Meadow Farm, the Wildlife Trust's recent acquisition near Blackthorn, Oxon.  A handful of UTB stalwarts went along to help but most of the work was carried out by a bunch of young and enthusiastic conservation trainees.  We were primarily looking for Brown Hairstreak eggs (found there, as expected) but in addition we came across a hibernating Drinker Moth caterpillar, numerous Blue-bordered Carpet eggs and a ring of hatched Lackey Moth eggs from last year as well as two batches of Vapourer Moth eggs.  Wendy Wilson took a picture of one of the Vapourer egg-batches (see below) which had been laid, as usual, on the flightless female's cocoon.  What a sedentary existence!  She probably moved many times further as a caterpillar than she did as an adult moth!  Dave Wilton 

Vapourer egg-batch, Meadow Farm