Brown Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2019

[Wurzel]

Brown Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2019

Week 2

Here we go for round two – it seems like only last week that I started this years’ Favourite thread – where does the time go eh?

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[MrSp0ck]

Unlike some other well known sites for Brown Hairstreak, we had good numbers this year, including seeing 6 adults at the same time. The New Kent Colonies have also been seen, and i found Brown Hairstreaks on hedges in Kent between Hutchinsons Bank and the Nash site, we hope to do some egg counts in the next few weeks.

[Wolfson]

I had planned to join the BC field trip to Whitecross Green, but the day was a washout. The weather the following day was good so I decided to visit on my own. After about four hours of searching I had seen a few likely flybys but nothing settled. Deciding to call it a day, I returned to the car park and finished my tea. I decided to have one last check of the brambles. My persistence was rewarded by this splendid female who remained settled just long enough to photograph before flying off. A long search, but worth it.

[millerd]

This species proved really difficult to track down in its usual stronghold at Bookham Common and several visits there in August ended up without any sightings at all. In fact the two days when they were actually seen here were over three weeks apart (11/8 and 4/9). A very odd season for this butterfly. I managed a decent shot or two on the first of these days.

I also rendezvoused with Wurzel down at Shipton Bellinger on 13th August to see if that would be a better bet, but even this real hotspot was hard work. In the end a variety of individuals did appear and made this a successful day. They had a distinct penchant for the ripe blackberries...

Dave

[David M]

Given that I only saw 4 adults during the flight season, choosing a favourite is easy - this immaculate female, which was the only individual seen on 15 August at the main Pembrokeshire site:

[bugboy]

Even given it's naturally elusive nature, this was a difficult creature to track down this year but with some patience at Shipton Bellinger I came away with enough sightings and images to keep me happy. This is probably my best effort to date of an open winged female.

[David M]

That's a cracker, BB!

[Wurzel]

Brown Hairstreak

On the 13th August I managed to squeeze in a trip to Shipton Bellinger for Brown Hairstreaks before heading over to Wales to visit the Outlaws. I was seriously playing catch-up as normally by this time I’m relaxing with the late summer butterflies having seen all the members of my yearly tally and ‘ticked them off’. But this year the as my holiday was a week earlier and because things weren’t emerging as early as they have in previous years I was still a few species down on the Tally. To make matters worse I kept reading about the unhelpful way in which the Brostreaks were behaving (or should that be misbehaving?) this year. Hence why I felt impelled to choose images for my favourite from those taken of this particular individual…

I rocked up behind the main hedge, hopped out of the car and wandered round the corner to be faced by a group of 10 or so individuals who were looking, unsuccessfully for Brostreaks. As they carried on wandering along the hedge I held back and the only other person called out ‘there’s one’ and I looked where she pointed and there was a Brostreak down and nectaring – I’d been on site for 2 minutes, job done cracking shots in the bag!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[CallumMac]

This doesn't quite count as a lifer because I had previously seen one, at a distance, in 2018 at Shipton Bellinger. But after several failed attempts at a better view, I finally found this fantastic one nectaring on Angelica at Otmoor, 13th August. One of the most satisfying butterfly sightings of the year!