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Purple Hairstreak

Reference: BU79
Location: Browndown, Hampshire
Gallery: Butterflies,

Browndown is a designated SSSI and occupies MOD land between Lee on Solent and Gosport. It consists of a loose shingle beach backed by a mosaic of heathland and rough grassland. The area is still used today for military training and closed to the public at these times. The Purple Hairstreak is an oak-top dwelling species and because of this it is very difficult to photograph as it rarely comes down to eye level and below. However, there are many stunted oak trees at Browndown and many are often only waist high and so you can get tree top views of them at ground level!