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Have a goodun
Wurzel
I had one with that blue spotting inside the red hindwing band a couple of years ago at Bookham, I think we named it ab buggerimillerd wrote:Thank you everyone. It was a lovely insect that Holly Blue, and though a few third brood individuals appear every year round here, that didn't make it any less special.![]()
Friday 13th October: another grey and breezy day today unfortunately as it was entirely warm enough to tempt the butterflies out. I saw another Holly Blue today, but in a different location and well out of reach, and I also came across a female Common Blue being bowled along by the wind. I followed a female Small White for a while, but never got any closer than a very distant shot.SW1 131017.JPG Curiously, no Commas or Speckled Woods appeared today, but the irrepressible Red Admirals did - around a dozen by my count, many of them just sitting on the grass or the ground and whizzing around energetically when disturbed.RA2 131017.JPGRA4 131017.JPG They are not easy to spot with their wings closed. I managed a few shots including one with some unusual spotting. I have noticed that the black areas often have a reddish sheen to them, and along the border of the black area on the hindwing there are a series of more intense black spots - like black spots on a black background (if that makes sense). One individual today had blue centres in these spots. Blue centres to the spots within the hindwing red bands are not that unusual, but this is the first one I've seen with blue dots in the black area.RA1 131017.JPGRA spots 131017.JPGI have altered the contrast slightly to bring out the black-on-black spots, and the blue centres are quite clear. The endless subtle variety of this splendid species comes into its own with so many to study. I have seen hundreds this month...
Dave