13 August 2026

Report Details
The final day of my butterfly tour was close to home. After the moth trap, we headed to the Marbled Meadow, walking distance from home, and on our return at the entrance to Old Nursery Close a male Brown Hairstreak landed in front of us. We then headed to High and Over and saw another 2 Brown Hairstreak there. This time both females. Two of my clients later in the early evening were having dinner in the garden of the Wingrove Inn at Alfriston, and they saw a male Brown Hairstreak there. I have now seen 9 Brown Hairstreak in the Seaford area and have heard about another 10, either seen by James Arnott or reported to myself, Facebook or the BC sightings pages. An incredible number considering they only had one local record before last year, and last year the local count was just 4.

Reporter: Bob Eade
Location: High and Over

Reviewer Comments
This is great news, Bob. I know I keep repeating myself, but it is very apparent that Brown Hairstreak has had an amazing couple of years in the coastal area of Sussex, from the Eastbourne area in the east, all the way to the Chichester area, in the west. Not all of this has happened in just two years, but the area between Eastbourne/Polegate/Hailsham through to Seaford/Newhaven, did remarkably well, in 2025, and it would seem, 2026. I suspect that it has been the very warm spring of 2025 and again in 2026 that has proved very beneficial for this species. But just in case we forget, the spring weather of 2023 and 2024 was cold, wet and dreadful. There is a lot of chat about the inevitability of long hot spring and summer weather, but 2023 and 2024 wasn't that long ago. Anyway, it's an exciting time for Brown Hairstreak enthusiasts!   Martin K