Purple Hairstreak - Favourite Photo 2019

[Wurzel]

Purple Hairstreak - Favourite Photo 2019

Week 13

Hopefully the Christmas decorations will be down by now and we can get on with the serious business of preparing for the butterfly season ahead. I always find that the best way to beat the post-Christmas blues is to do something that you really enjoy…like looking through your butterfly shots from the previous year and choosing your fave.

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

[bugboy]

Yet again there were oodles to be seen at Bookham in all states of disrepair, from freshly emerged males,

Slightly worn, here mopping up morning dew from a blade of grass,

to.... well, I have no idea how this one was still alive, and not only alive but behaving perfectly normally as if nothing was wrong with her

[downland boy]

The Purple Hairstreak is probably my favourite butterfly and I spend more time creeping up on this species than any other. Difficult to choose one favourite photograph but the first three images are of the same female taken as I watched her slowly moving about on a bracken frond. The last image is of another female, aberration flavimaculatus.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

[David M]

The Purple Hairstreak is probably my favourite butterfly and I spend more time creeping up on this species than any other...

Time well spent, DB. Gorgeous sequence.

[downland boy]

Thanks David.....slowly moving through a bracken bed in a Wealden wood at 0730hrs on a muggy summers morning....butterfly heaven!!

[David M]

..slowly moving through a bracken bed in a Wealden wood at 0730hrs on a muggy summers morning....butterfly heaven!!

It's not a globally shared view, but I can think of few things finer!

[Neil Freeman]

As is usual for me I saw plenty of Purple Hairstreaks in 2019 but photographing them is a different story. Due to work and personal commitments I am unable to seach for them at the best times to catch them low down and my sightings are usually during the afternoon when they are high up in the tree canopy.
Nevertheless, I did have some luck and during a visit to Oversley Wood in July was in just the right place at just the right time to spot a male flutter down and settle at the side of the path.

Purple Hairstreak male - Oversley Wood 07.07.2019

As I attempted to move some grass stems out of the way I disturbed him and he fluttered a few feet away and settled in a better position.

Purple Hairstreak male - Oversley Wood 07.07.2019

Later in July, I called in at Bernwood Meadows on my way back from Aston Rowant. I checked out the famous straggly hawthorn which had played host to a number of Purple Hairstreaks in the past and was pleased to find half a dozen or so flitting about it.

Purple Hairstreak - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2019

In the past I had witnessed PHs fighting over particularly attractive patches of sap on this tree and this year was again treated to a similar sight, this time of three individuals contesting one spot.

Purple Hairstreaks - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2019

Purple Hairstreaks - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2019

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

Tricky to find this species reliably in my neck of the woods, though there were a few around in the French Alps during the early part of July:

[Wurzel]

Purple Hairstreak

In normal years Purps are distant grey blobs flitting about across the tracks at Bentley Wood. On the occasions that I’ve seen them down low enough for any shots they have always been on Bracken and so it was this year (Perhaps it should be renamed Neozephyrus pteridium?). I was gutted at first as I’d totally overlooked the butterfly until the moment it took to the wing but luckily it landed back down close to where it had previously taken off from. I then was able to witness it tasting the air as it made its way towards a small pile of bird poo.

Have a goodun

Wurzel