Sunday 14.6.2015 Bramshott Common - Silver Studded Blue
Last year I managed to completely miss this species despite it being one of my favourites. So I was determined not to miss out this year. After reading of the colony at Bramshott Common in Paulines diary and armed with her directions I headed off. It was actually raining when I left and I almost did not go at all until I remembered previous experience to ignore the weather.
![P1050555.JPG (679.25 KiB) Viewed 689 times White Ermine moth Spilosoma lubricipeda](./files/thumb_11661_44008638d00bfa57680b5cb7e5915008)
- White Ermine moth Spilosoma lubricipeda
![P1050723.JPG (944.51 KiB) Viewed 689 times This is MOD land managed by Hants & IOW Wildlife Trust](./files/thumb_11661_30ebc99af391b580e6f5162279426a07)
- This is MOD land managed by Hants & IOW Wildlife Trust
![P1050562.JPG (1.04 MiB) Viewed 689 times Habitat here is totally different to where I have seen this species in the New Forest. Here the Heathland feels almost like a woodland clearing.](./files/thumb_11661_e1ff76b7c4b8d9c2c2a8781533cb4086)
- Habitat here is totally different to where I have seen this species in the New Forest. Here the Heathland feels almost like a woodland clearing.
I found the spot very easily, but when I arrived at 9.15 it was cool, grey, breezy and with the faintest whiff of drizzle. There also seemed to be some active military goings on as this is an MOD training area. Not much chance of seeing anything flying today
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
so I set about looking for butterflies roosting. After an hours search all I had found was a couple of fresh White Ermine Moths, no butterflies at all
![P1050576.JPG (607.13 KiB) Viewed 689 times Roosting Common Blue](./files/thumb_11661_c13b051b2f1e754efa7662713504ba82)
- Roosting Common Blue
![P1050645.JPG (551.75 KiB) Viewed 689 times Roosting Silver Studded Blue](./files/thumb_11661_5f6e0a6f4ed499e2fb2dec4433bf8ee4)
- Roosting Silver Studded Blue
![P1050636.JPG (609.2 KiB) Viewed 689 times Male and female Silver Studded Blue roosting together](./files/thumb_11661_a373578b6b9bb8f45998737afa3ca4ef)
- Male and female Silver Studded Blue roosting together
Then BINGO I spotted a little flag waving on a grass stem and went to investigate. This one was a Common Blue and close by were three more, but none of the Silver Studded variety
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
After another 20 minutes I was on the point of calling it a day when I spotted one, a beautiful fresh Silver Studded Blue roosting on a grass stem
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Whilst taking a few photos of this individual a passer by directed me to another area close by where I immediately found a second male. Both had looked pretty fresh but with wings firmly shut in roosting mode and no sign of brighter weather I thought that would be it. To be honest I would have been happy with just the two, but I thought I would go and have just one last look at the first area before I left.
Well they must have been there all along but now I could see 4 Silver Studded Blues all fairly close together including a male and female together on one grass head
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
and one that looked as if it had just emerged:D I spent some time taking pictures and then noticed the sky was looking marginally brighter, I decided to hang around in the vague hope that there might be a chance of an open wing shot though I was not very hopeful.
![P1050700.JPG (843.6 KiB) Viewed 689 times Just as I started to feel some warmth I was surrounded by several Silver Studded Blues in this head down, wings outstretched pose](./files/thumb_11661_8e997fc0c376b9997ed3eb2e316ef876)
- Just as I started to feel some warmth I was surrounded by several Silver Studded Blues in this head down, wings outstretched pose
![P1050698.JPG (841.26 KiB) Viewed 689 times This female Silver Studded Blue was freshly emerged. She crawled up a grass stem pushing the tip of her abdomen against it leaving a trail of meconium droplets](./files/thumb_11661_9b0e9a31ffed8edf52690c689ec3da70)
- This female Silver Studded Blue was freshly emerged. She crawled up a grass stem pushing the tip of her abdomen against it leaving a trail of meconium droplets
![P1050702.JPG (863.41 KiB) Viewed 689 times This rather more worn female looks like a completely different species!](./files/thumb_11661_95380ede59e63e424eae2476f8481573)
- This rather more worn female looks like a completely different species!
I sat patiently as the distant sound of machine gun fire seemed to get closer by the minute. After 20 minutes or so I started to feel some warmth although there was still no sunshine. That was just enough, when I looked around me there were now several sets of blue wings shining up at me
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
and most looked freshly emerged. There were several females amongst them, some were so different you could be excused for thinking they were entirely different species.
![P1050682.JPG (815.68 KiB) Viewed 689 times A freshly emerged male Silver Studded Blue](./files/thumb_11661_99a4713b143d150ae176fd8e89895998)
- A freshly emerged male Silver Studded Blue
![P1050686.JPG (695.06 KiB) Viewed 689 times This freshly emerged male seemed particularly heavily marked](./files/thumb_11661_b912ff7b1a9f195c3658cbb00745c0ef)
- This freshly emerged male seemed particularly heavily marked
The moral of this is never be put off by the weather. Although it took a while to get going this was a wonderful morning spent with one of my favourite butterflies
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)