Pretty much standard thought process during my lunch breaks
Wurzel
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June 2024
Tuesday 4th. June started much as May ended, overcast. However today was set to be warm and a little muggy, which in the first week of June means Black Hairstreak are on the menu. I got to Epsom Common mid morning, but things took a while to get going. I occupied myself with some local Odonata. There were lots of Azure Damselflies around, a few Large Red and Blue-tailed but the White-legged Damselflies were the most readily approached.
![IMG_0035.JPG (55.6 KiB) Viewed 56 times Freshly emerged females are a creamy white, but gain black markings as they mature](./files/thumb_13753_66b28b7d34779b863b381b042112c2d9)
- Freshly emerged females are a creamy white, but gain black markings as they mature
![IMG_0254.JPG (130.54 KiB) Viewed 56 times This young male shows the flanges that give them their name although I prefer the alternative name, Featherleg Damselfly.](./files/thumb_13753_59ee53b2849f94ac36eb8f41e0374c82)
- This young male shows the flanges that give them their name although I prefer the alternative name, Featherleg Damselfly.
Dragonflies were also around. I put up a female Black-tailed Skimmer and followed her to a bramble thicket only to find she had morphed into a female Broad-bodied Chaser. Very strange, but as I got closer I found that I had both species sat next to each other.
![IMG_0055.JPG (139.77 KiB) Viewed 56 times Black-tailed Skimmer left, Broad-bodied Chaser right.](./files/thumb_13753_847a5171e0001dc9f56e09929b3b23c3)
- Black-tailed Skimmer left, Broad-bodied Chaser right.
Males of both species were also found.
![IMG_0064.JPG (212.35 KiB) Viewed 56 times Black-tailed Skimmer](./files/thumb_13753_b02e541565277fccd74048683ee7dfe6)
- Black-tailed Skimmer
![IMG_0143.JPG (113.75 KiB) Viewed 56 times Broad-bodied Chaser](./files/thumb_13753_e6d7982aeeecf60ad3db81c501c2345c)
- Broad-bodied Chaser
As I was occupying myself with these there had been sporadic sightings of Hairstreaks flitting around but nothing settled for an hour or so. And when they did start they were being very annoying.
It was close to midday before I came across one that was behaving (Millerd would also photograph this one a few days later, recognisable from the small nick from the wing). There was only the one other enthusiast present today, who was after a lifer, so he was overjoyed when I pointed this one out to him.
As far as the target was concerned that was it but I did manage my first Meadow Brown of the year
And walking back to the station a few nice-looking Speckled Wood.