It was very windy today (5th) down at Denbies Hillside, though it was reasonably bright before the rain came down at around three o'clock. Despite far from ideal conditions, in a sheltered spot by the steps which are a hotspot for Green Hairstreaks in spring, I came across an unusual visitor. Unfortunately it had had an encounter with a bird, showing a beak-shaped cutout which had neatly removed its tails - proving their worth of course.
This is the first Brown Hairstreak I have ever seen at Denbies in countless August visits over many years.
A brief burst of sunshine sent up clouds of Chalkhll Blues, and among the throng were two Clouded Yellows. The sun didn't last long, and I followed one of the two to what it considered to be a reasonably camouflaged spot. If I hadn't seen it land, it would have worked - I'd never have picked it out from the background.
One other point of interest from the day was an aberrant Meadow Brown, which going from an earlier post is ab.
alba, completely lacking the orange colour.
Full report to follow as ever.
Cheers,
Dave