Thank you, Katrina - no credit due, really, as the mating pair were perched up and out in the open!
It probably does have a name, Wurzel, but I suspect there are many CB abs on the lists...
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
A task for a dark cold winter evening, perhaps...
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Yes, that Holly Blue was one very mixed-up butterfly! As the first brood gradually disappears, their habits are changing, but pretending to be a Green Hairstreak is new to me!
29th May was still warm, but it rained all day, sometimes quite hard and with thunder rumbling almost constantly. It turned out to be the only day this month that I didn't see a butterfly.
Wednesday 30th May was cloudy, bright, warm and above all dry. I went out locally and didn't expect to see much, but was pleasantly surprised. First up was, of course, a Holly Blue. The fading first brood are starting to nectar on the recently opened bramble flowers.
Shortly afterwards, I found an Orange Tip caterpillar: there should be lots of these around, but it's the first I've seen so far on all the garlic mustard.
Next was a fleeting view of a Large Skipper, the first here this year. I was to find this butterfly again later on. As I walked around the large meadow area near the motorway, I found Common Blues, and to a lesser extent Brown Argus, everywhere.
There were a couple of lovely blue female Common Blues, quite similar but not the same individual.
Common Blues numbered over 25, Brown Argus at least 15. The sun was still not out - however, the heat of bright midday at this time of year was good enough. It meant the butterflies weren't too active, but they basked regularly. On my return I came across the Large Skipper again, but this time it was very amenable to photographs.
Not bad for what was actually a completely cloudy day.
Dave