BLACK HAIRSTREAK (SATYRIUM PRUNI) ACTION PLAN

Compiled The Wildlife Trust

Lead Agencies Public Sector English Nature

Voluntary Sector The Wildlife Trust

1 INTRODUCTION

The Black Hairstreak butterfly has a highly restricted distribution in Britain, being found mainly in a band stretching from Oxfordshire through to Huntingdonshire. Northamptonshire supports a number of colonies, most notably at Glapthorn Cow Pastures, which was designated an SSSI because of the strength of its Black Hairstreak colony. In recent years many colonies have become considerably weaker, possibly due to changes in climatic patterns.

2 CURRENT STATUS

2.1 International / National Status

The Black Hairstreak has a highly restricted distribution in the UK, being limited to around thirty-five colonies in the East Midlands and is listed under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

2.2 Local Status

Northamptonshire is particularly important for the Black Hairstreak, with a number of colonies being supported in the county’s woodlands. It is not possible to put an accurate figure on the number of colonies – the only recent survey of potential sites, carried out by Estella Roberts of Butterfly Conservation coincided with a very poor year for the species due to a very wet spring.

3 CURRENT FACTORS CAUSING LOSS OR DECLINE

· Fragmentation and isolation of suitable stands of blackthorn Prunus spinosa.

· Unsympathetic woodland management.

· Clearance of scrub woodland for agriculture.

· Lack of knowledge of best practise for maintaining colonies in the long-term.

4 CURRENT ACTION

· Suitable management is being undertaken on a number of sites in Northamptonshire, including Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves, Country Parks and Forest Enterprise managed woodlands.

· A seminar was held in 1997 to discuss management practises to benefit Black Hairstreaks.

· A national survey carried out by ITE in 1999 included a survey of sites in Northamptonshire considered to be potential sites for Black Hairstreak colonies.

· A monitoring programme has been established at Glapthorn Cow Pastures SSSI by Ioan Thomas.

5. BLACK HAIRSTREAK OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS

	Objective	Action	Lead Agency	Partners	TargetS
5.1	Policy and Legislation
	Objective One: Ensure that BAP species are given an appropriate level of protection in local plans	Include species protection policies in local plans and/or supplementary guidance	Local Authorities		By 2003
5.2	Site Safeguard and Management
	Objective Two: Ensure existing and potential sites are managed appropriately for Black Hairstreaks	Continue to manage woodland sites containing known colonies in a manner that is beneficial to the Black Hairstreak		All site owners, including Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission, County Council	Throughout Action Plan Period
		Records all management work undertaken in Black Hairstreak woodlands, to enable the success of techniques to be assessed	Wildlife Trust	Butterfly Conservation	By 2003
	Objective Three: Undertake appropriate planting	Ensure new plantings, particularly in the Rockingham Forest, incorporate blocks of blackthorn in the planting schedule	Forestry Commission	Local Authorities, Rockingham Forest Trust	10 blackthorn planting schemes in the Rockingham Forest by 2005
5.3	Advisory
	Objective Four: Encourage landowners to preserve Black Hairstreaks where they appear on their land	All landowners with known colonies to be advised on appropriate woodland management techniques	Wildlife Trust	Butterfly Conservation, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, English Nature	By 2005
5.4	Future Monitoring and Research
	Objective Five: Locate and record sites where Black Hairstreaks are present in Northamptonshire, and establish a long-term monitoring scheme	Determine the number of Black Hairstreaks colonies in Northamptonshire	Butterfly Conservation	Forestry Commission English Nature, Local Authorities Woodland Trust, Wildlife Trust	By 2002
		Develop targets for the Black Hairstreak population following initial survey work	Wildlife Trust		By 2003
		Develop a long-term monitoring programme to assess the progress of the Black Hairstreak in Northamptonshire	Butterfly Conservation	Forestry Commission, English Nature, Local Authorities Woodland Trust, Wildlife Trust	By 2004
		Compile a database of landowners who either have Black Hairstreaks on their sites, and/or are actively managing their land in a beneficial manner	Wildlife Trust	Local Authorities Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group English Nature Environment Agency	2005
5.5	Communications and Publicity
	Objective Six: Provide the public with information on the ecology of the Black Hairstreak and encourage their involvement in management, recording and monitoring	Publish the proceedings of the Black Hairstreak Conference	Wildlife Trust		By 2001
		Hold an Annual guided walk at Glapthorn Cow Pasture to enable the public to see Black Hairstreak	Wildlife Trust		Throughout the Plan Period
5.6	Review
	Objective Seven: Review the plan to assess progress, and where necessary update and amend		Wildlife Trust	BAP Partners		2005
	Objective Eight: Publicise the progress made in delivering this Action Plan in a BAP Annual Report			BAP Partners		Annual

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