Families living in and around Oxfordshire are being invited to take part in an egg hunt with a difference this Easter holidays.
The Upper Thames Branch of wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is holding a Butterfly Egg Hunt at the Otmoor RSPB Reserve near Oxford.
On Friday 10 April families will be shown how to find the eggs of the rare Brown Hairstreak butterfly and small prizes will be handed out to the children who manage to find at least three eggs each.
The Brown Hairstreak has disappeared from many regions of the UK, but Oxfordshire is still a stronghold for the butterfly.
Chairman of the Upper Thames Branch, Nick Bowles, said: “This is why it is more important than ever to monitor their numbers. If we can find out why they are doing so well here, we can understand how to safeguard the butterfly for the future.” 
The Brown Hairstreak is the largest and brightest of the UK’s five native hairstreaks, with rich, dark chocolate-brown upperwings and an orange ‘tail’. The females have a bright band of golden-orange across their forewings and both sexes have an orange-yellow underside, with two thin white lines across both wings.
Despite its beauty and a flight period lasting from June until September, this butterfly is rarely seen. Adults spend the majority of their lives high up in treetops, with the females only descending to feed and lay tiny white eggs.
These are what the children will be looking for and every child attending is being asked to bring their own magnifying glass to help with the search.
Nick said: “The Butterfly Egg Hunt is something the whole family can get involved in during the Easter holidays. Not only does it get children outside, it’s a fun, free way for people to contribute to conservation and help us protect this elusive butterfly.”
The event is running from 2.30pm until 4.30pm and numbers are limited, so please contact Wendy Wilson from the Branch at @email to book your free place and to receive directions on where to go.