Small Copper makes my day!

[sparge]

I hope this doesn't seem too mundane - I mean, it's not a championed species as far as my local branch (Upper Thames) is concerned - but I reckon I hadn't seen one for approximately 30 years when I encountered one on Sunday at my allotment. (Almost as unexpected as the Green Hairstreak that visited me at the same site in June, which I had never seen before.) Anyway, it was always a particular favourite of mine when I did occasionally spot it as a youth, so I was well pleased to renew acquaintance after all these years.

Have I just been particularly unlucky in missing this species for so long? I presume I could have seen it easily enough if I had made a point of seeking it out, but in terms of "random" encounters, have I been hard done by? Presumably there is national variation in distribution - perhaps my occasional moves around the country have been out of phase with it!

Interested to hear any points of view.

Andy

[Matsukaze]

They are quite rare hereabouts (northern Somerset) in the wider countryside, and I am always pleased to come across one. They do tend to be more common in places that are good for other habitat-specialist butterflies, and particularly round old quarries etc.

[eccles]

I visited Ravensroost Meadows in Wiltshire looking for brown hairstreak early in September and there was an excellent late brood of small copper there, centred mainly around the pond.