To round up this year I’ve chosen to do the Butterflies in their various families because I think this is easier when it comes to the species I’ve got and the species I’ve yet to photograph.
So far I’ve managed to see 49 species over the last few year’s adding at least one or two lifer’s each year, I’ve found this was a good way to do it for me because it was some thing to look forward to each year, plus the fact I don’t enjoy doing any thing in a rush, so here goes.
First i’ll start with the’ Hesperidae’ family, ( Please note I’m learning )
The Grizzled Skipper I’ve still to photograph, also the Chequered Skipper and the Lulworth Skipper they’re all future projects. The other Skippers this year I found plenty of on my Holiday in the South but in the North this year I noticed a decline in Small Skippers.
The Papilionidae, I didn’t see this year but last year I was thrilled to get some okay shots of this beautiful Butterfly, the Swallow Tail.
The Pieridae family this year I can now say I’ve seen them all having added the Wood White finally to my list which was great.
I’m sorry to say though that around here the Orange Tip’s were few and far between at my local haunt Hall-Lee-Brook, add to that Green Veined Whites also suffered a decline. I did see the Brimstone’s but not at HLB and not as many as the year before .
Although I tried my best whilst on my holiday I didn’t manage the Clouded Yellow.
Next the Lycaenide, I’ll start with Hair Streaks because these little Butterflies I’ve not been too lucky with, I’ve not seen the Brown, Black or White HS’s yet but putting that aside I got a fantastic shot of an opened winged Purple HS at Fermyn Wood which really made my day.
The Small Copper, I saw only once at HLB and was lucky to get some shots of this Lovely Butterfly I never saw it any where else on my travels.
The Blues, I can say I’ve only one to see now to finish my species on these beauties this being the Large Blue.
It’s a few year’s since I saw the Adonis also the Small Blue which I missed this year but made up for with adding a first to my list by seeing and photographing the Silver SB, great!
I found the Duke of Burgundy was seriously down in numbers at Gait Barrow with only an handful spotted by most people, hope fully we’ll see more next year.
The Nymphalidae I’ve still to finish with not having seen or Photographed the Glanville Frit, or the Mountain Ringlet .
This year seems to have been a bit touch and go for me, for instance I got a quick shot of the White Admiral at FW, my one and only, also the Wall Brown in the Dunes at Southport was poor with the Wall I shot having part of it’s wings missing, again my only Wall sighting of the year, when I ventured to Meathop for the Large Heath I saw them but they were too busy seeking shelter from the wind and the site was really flooded , so no shots this year of them.
The Purple Emperor was great though with my very first siting of how this lovely butterfly turns iridescent in the Sun, the outing to FW that day was fantastic with sitings of Speckled Wood , Silver WF’s ,Comma’s, Meadow B’s etc.
Ringlets seem to have done well this year at Gait Barrow and the Small Heath which I saw loads of at Temple Ewell In Kent.
I’m pleased to say I found an unusual Gate Keeper ab at HLB and the Meadow Browns were also there but not in such great numbers has the year before.
I missed the Scotch Argus this year at Arnside also the High Brown Frit which couldn’t be helped but I did see the Dark GF. I also missed the Marbled White and Heath Frit, wrong time of year in Kent for those. Also I missed the Marsh Frit but at least I’ve got shot’s of it previously but quite a while since I saw them.
I did see the Grayling at Gait Barrow but they were absent when I visited the Dunes at Southport . Also seen at GB was the SPB Frit also the PB Frit which I didn’t manage to see last year so that was a plus, although the High Brown eluded me also at GB has did the DGF but at least I saw that at AK.
So the year was not too bad but the absence of Butterflies like the Peacock and the Small Tortoiseshell which I usually see in abundance around HLB were quite down in numbers , a handful compared to what I’d seen in the years before.
So that was my year full of up’s and down’s but that’s Butterflying and why I enjoy it Goldie !
I can't believe the season's nearly over but when I look out side now at the weather, it's believable 
I hope you can add to your tally of lifers next year 
