As the black hairstreak season accelerates towards an early peak I saw this partially developed male in Monks Wood.
Also seen were this mating pair.

David M wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2020 1:27 pm Way hey!! Nice find and monstrously early for this species. I recall in 2013 they were only emerging around midsummer's day!!

Yes very early and a personal 'best' for me, my previous earliest sighting was in 2011 on May 25th.

I spotted my first black hairstreak of the season today. Monks Wood, Cambs.

In Monks Wood today I found this Black Hairstreak larva just beginning to pupate.

I didn't manage to see any LTB in the UK this year but I did see many while I was in Japan during October & November.
This individual was the last one I saw. Photo was taken on November 3rd in the middle of Tokyo just before setting off for home.

I would say that it is a female common blue.

Some facts about the 2018 release, including the number of butterflies, can be found in this article from the 'Back from the brink' website.

https://naturebftb.co.uk/2018/06/18/the ... d-skipper/

Congratulations on completing your mission Paul.
You may well have spotted one of the first MR on Ben Lawers, I was there on the 28th and they could be seen in their dozens.
Although, with a temperature of over 30C and cloudless skies, I was lucky if I got within 10m of one!

It was good to meet up with you again Paul. I'm glad you could make it up to Peterborough to witness what is likely to be, as you say, 'a once in a lifetime experience'. I do like your head on shot of the recently emerged male as it well shows those lower wing hairs which the butterfly loses so quic...

Great news Neil.
Are we now to expect a 2nd edition of your book?

I see that Jeremy Thomas (in The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland) feels the davus & polydama classifications are 'largely for convenience' and goes on to say that where the two forms meet 'one very much resembles the other'. Although, one can hardly say that the North Lincolnshire peat moors ...

Also try the various parks, especially Hong Kong park where 48 species have been recorded.

Further to my post of yesterday, Bill's funeral service will be held at 12.30pm Thursday 6th April in the Wenallt Chapel at Cardiff crematorium.
Rosalyn and I shall be attending.

Phil

For anyone wishing to attend Bill's funeral, it is this coming Thursday, 6th April. It starts at 11.15am, setting out from the Chapel of Rest, Lower Wood Street, Bargoed. CF81 8NW. The service is at Thornhill Cemetery & Cardiff Crematorium, Thornhill Road, Cardiff. CF14 9UA. (Tel: 029 2054 4820)...

I received a phone call this evening from the wife of Bill Jones. She informed me that Bill passed away last Thursday after a long illness. I would imagine that the majority of UK Butterflies' members would have crossed paths with Bill at some time during their pursuit of butterflies. I first bumped...

Red Admiral 160923 010L.jpg During the 4th week of September Red Admirals were stoking up on ivy blossom in my Cambridgeshire garden before continuing on their journey south. For the best part of that week I had daily counts in the 40s and 50s. In this photo I managed to snap 17 of them - a few are...

Purple Emperors at Woodwalton Fen Iris, having returned to this site about 4 or 5 years ago, now seems well and truly established. This is quite handy for me as the fen is within walking distance of where I live :) Today I went to the Rothschild's bungalow, a location where they are prone to come d...

The annual question: Anyone know if PEs are out in numbers at Fermyn yet? Worth a trip on Saturday morning? It hasn't really got going at Fermyn yet Paddy, Rosalyn & I were there yesterday morning and only saw 2, one of which did come down to ground for about 5 minutes. Talking to other people,...

Well done Paul, your perseverance paid off in the end. It was a real pleasure to meet up and have a chat.
Hopefully I will see you again fairly soon.
All the best.
Phil

The Black Hairstreak numbers are reaching a peak at Monks Wood in Cambs and it will soon all be over for this year. Today I counted about 20 (16 male & 4 female) during a 2 hour visit this afternoon. The females were all seen ovipositing along a 50m section of ride. Black Hairstreak 160624 036S....