Adonis Blue - Favourite Photo of 2012

[Vince Massimo]

Starting this week, here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2012 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter until all 59 UK species have been covered. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas friends are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

[Neil Hulme]

Oops ... that was a Chalkhill. I'll have another go!
Here's a male Adonis taken at Chantry Hill (Storrington) on 22nd August.

Neil

[MikeOxon]

In my case, 2012 was not a great year for photos. I found good numbers of Adonis Blues on the NT site of Lough Down, above the Goring Gap at Streatley, Berks on 28th August - in a fleeting patch of warm sunshine amongst all the rain. Unfortunately, I had become so unaccustomed to bright sun that I managed to over-expose my photos and had to recover the best I could in Photoshop!

Lough Down, Berks - 28th August 2012
Nikon D300s with 300f4+1.4TC - 1/350@f/8 ISO400

Mike

[badgerbob]

All my favourite pics of Adonis Blues this year are of females. The open wing shot was from a trip to the back of Mount Caburn. The purpose of the trip was to try to get a decent female Adonis so was pleased to feel a bit of success with this!! The closed wing shot was from my local patch on the top of High and Over.

[CFB]

A male

and two photos of a gorgeous female

from the Alpes-Maritimes.
--
Colin

[millerd]

Here's one from Denbies in the spring, perched on a lump of chalk.

Dave

[Wurzel]

I struggled with Adonis Blue this year and I don't think they fared too well at Martin Down which is where I usually go to see them. I did find my first at Woodhenge but my favourite shots were taken back in June at Lulworth Cove. After a fantastic morning spent on the cliffs amongst Lulworth Skippers I came down to earth to drive home but decided to check out the small field at the bottom of the Durdle Door path. There were Brown Argus, Common Blues, Small Heath as well as more skippers but the real jewell was this slightly damaged Adonis - the shiniest one I've encountered

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[PhiliB]

During a visit to Sussex, primarily to see Brown Hairstreaks at Steyning, I spent a couple of hours at Mill Hill. Second brood Adonis Blue males were abundant but very few females had emerged at the time I was there.

[Nigel Kiteley]

Three of my favourite Adonis Blue images from this year. The first was taken on a visit to Mill Hill in May, and the second two were from the second brood at Swell's Hill in August.

[David M]

When are we going to see a Nigel Kiteley photographic workshop?

[MikeOxon]

Three of my favourite Adonis Blue images from this year.

Superb set of images! - these would be my favourites too.

I took a look at the EXIF data and noted your use of small aperture (1/60s@f/14) and -1/3stop exposure compensation. These settings clearly work very well for you.

Mike

[Nigel Kiteley]

Thank you for your very kind words David and Mike, very much appreciated.

[ChrisC]

i got very few adonis shots this year and after nigels little masterclass i'm much maligned to put my favourite effort up
but at least i got a bonus sawfly larvae

[Vince Massimo]

This year I concentrated mainly on my local sites, so was not expecting to see a number of species including Adonis Blue. A trip to Denbies Hillside for the Chalkhill Blue spectacle on 9th August was much too early for Adonis. However on 31st August, while checking my local SSSI site at Happy Valley, Coulsdon, Surrey, I chanced upon a fresh Adonis male in one of the meadows. Further searcing revealed a further male and a female both of which appeared to have freshly hatched. Although there was some Horseshoe Vetch in this field, Adonis Blues had never been reported here. After contacting the local warden, the annual cut for this field was delayed in order to obtain expert advice on how best to proceed.

Adonis Blue (male #2) - Coulsdon, Surrey 31-August 2012

Adonis Blue (female #1) - Coulsdon, Surrey 31-August-2012

Another Adonis male (a new individual) was seen a week later and on my final visit on 13th September I relocated the original female, by which time she was almost 2 weeks old and showing her age. I almost dismissed her as Common Blue at the time, but there was a hint of chequered fringe remaining on the left forewing which made me take notice.

Adonis Blue (female #1) - Coulsdon, Surrey 13-Sept-2012

It will be interesting to see what sightings there may be next May .

Vince

[John W]

Some lovely images there, especially CFB's female, Wurzel's shiny one and Nigel's trio.

The best I managed this year was this one taken at Malling Down in Sussex on 11th August (where I also saw Silver Spotted Skipper).

Cheers
John

[Neil Freeman]

Some cracking photos so far

As reported in my diary, I had a wonderful week in Dorset in the first week of September where one of my main target species was Adonis Blue. I was actually a bit concerned before going as I had checked out the local sightings and there did not seem to be that many, either of first brood earlier in the year or second brood on the run up to going.

As it turned out, I need not have worried as I ended up seeing loads, possibly hundreds, at Ballard Down, Durlston Country Park and Bindon Hill/Lulworth.

Its hard to pick a favourite but I especially like the shots below.

Adonis Blue - Ballard Down

Adonis Blue female - Ballard Down

Adonis Blue - Durlston CP

Adonis Blue - Durlston CP

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Neil,

I do like that first Adonis picture from Ballard Down

I'm not surprised its first in your list. Beautifully sharp, lovely colour and light ...

Great stuff ...

Kind regards. Mark

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks for the comment Mark

That one was the only one that was shot on a cloudy day, I notice with your own excellent photos that you have a preference for cloudy conditions and the subtle lighting that they give.

Cheers,

Neil.

[nomad]

Hi, As a new member, I would like to say hellow to everyone. Really lovely images of that most stunning of blues, the Adonis. Here are some photographs I managed to take in weak sunlight above Alton Barnes in Wiltshire on Milk Hill in early June.

Female on foodplant

Blue female

male

male

Best Wishes Peter.

[Neil Hulme]

Welcome to UKB Peter. That 'Blue female' is particularly nice.
BWs, Neil