I was meaning to get to Shipton Bellinger last year but I kept putting it off, and this year was heading the same way until today I bit the bullet and found my way over there. I followed the path up the hill and was just debating which of the two paths to follow when a female Brown Hairstreak popped up and posed for me. She'd been in the wars a bit but she was very gratefuuly received as she was my first. There were also a couple of males around the top of both of the master trees. Any ideas when to go next year for some slightly fresher ones?
There were also lots of Meadow Browns, a couple of Common Blue, plenty of Whites (large, small and veiny) and singles of Brimstone, Comma and Holly Blue.
I also managed to get a shot of a Comma that has been visiting my garden in Salisbury for the last week. This time my daughter came rushing downstairs with my "lucky hat" as she calls it. I finally got the shot so perhaps it is lucky - it also worked at Shipton!
Wurzel
