www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Large Blue - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 8

So we enter into December and the start of Winter and the time of year when looking back becomes ever more enjoyable.

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I had just the one day with these, once again at the wonderful Daneway Banks site. After finding Mountain Ringlets up north we decided to spend our last day of the trip taking a small detour home via Gloucestershire . It was the middle of the heatwave and the site was insanely hot. I didn't see any upon arrival in the latter half of the 26th of June and decided to try an early start the following day. Even so I was almost too late, 8.30 am and everything was already supercharged and heat regulating. Even subtle shading with my shadow did little to open up any of these little jewels so it's for that reason this image is my favourite, I also like the way she seems to be hiding her face, almost as though she's shy

I was lucky enough to have two days a week apart with this species at Collard Hill, on 11th and 18th June. On the first day the sun shone strongly and they barely opened up at all; however, on the 18th, it remained cloudy but bright and very warm - ideal conditions. There were lots of fresh butterflies of both sexes, but the females were particularly resplendent. Dave

I took a lunch-stop at Daneway Banks on 23rd June. The clear highlight for me was spotting this female in the act of egglaying.

Two from a visit all the way over to Daneway Banks in June. Also a great site for insects, I found 2 quite rare ones there. sorry about double upload, my brain will never get the hang of it.

Didn't make the trip to Daneway this year, but I saw a handful in the French Alps in early July:

Had a fabulous trip to Daneway this year and saw good numbers but experienced a beautiful female taken in the act of egg laying by the equally rare - if not more so - Downland Robberfly Machimus rusticus which is listed as vulnerable. The robberfly is quite large 25mm but dropped its prey as I tried to photograph it and left me with a very sad corpse - hopefully she had done her work. There were certainly plenty of other specimens at this fabulous site.
Mark

This is an exciting species for me. In the South of France I need to move out of my local vicinity to even hope to see one.
This one was seen in the South West of France in the "Landes" département in July. Apparently a female laying on Origanum vulgare. Chris

Large Blue

My favourite Large Blue shot came from Daneways on my second trip there. In blistering heat just walking the site was hard work let along tracking down the butterflies and getting them to sit still for long enough. Most of my shots were of butterflies hiding in the shade or were grab shots. This one however was different as she spent some time pirouetting round the flower top seeking just the right spot to deposit her ovum. I love the way she holds her antennae straight down whilst pointing her wings upwards and looking very balletic in the process.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

I too visited Daneway in scorching heat, on Monday 25th of June. It must have been about 32C, and the Large Blues were very flighty. I managed to grab one decent shot of a female that looks remarkably similar to the one Wurzel photographed!
I spent the night in a nearby hotel and despite being more of an owl than a lark I arrived on site at about 6.30am the next morning to try to beat the heat. I got a nice photo of a Marbled White basking in the morning sun but didn't spot any roosting Large Blues, until suddenly at around 7.30am they were up and flying again and just as hard to photograph as the previous afternoon
Daneway Banks, June 25th 2018, 4.07pm

Cheers
John W

Large Blue favourite, French Pyrenees, 12th July.