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Black Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2019

Week 1

So it’s that time of year again; the shops have Halloween AND Christmas displays, the weather is up and down and butterfly sightings are coming fewer further between. So it’s time to search through the hard drive and find your Favourite Photos of 2019.
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.
Here we go then!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

This year, I only saw this species on one day in one spot - the ever-reliable Whitecross Green Wood in Oxfordshire on June 6th. As frequently seems to be the case, June sunshine was at a premium, but its midsummer strength could be felt through the clouds and that was enough to encourage the butterflies into flying. Having any settle at a sensible height and within reach of my camera was another challenge, and I found they had a knack of settling unseen on foliage beind me so that when I turned round all I saw was a Black Hairstreak head off higher and out over the hedge. Patience pid off in the end, though.
First, the typical disdainful look down upon us lesser mortals.At last a closer encounter.Finally, perhaps my favourite, the glimpse of the upperside red markings as it indulged in a bit of wing-rolling. Dave

I had two trips out to see these this year so here's a female from Monks Wood and a male from Ditchling

By a stroke of good fortune, I managed to turn up at Ditchling Common shortly after the pupa that Neil Hulme and Dave Cook had been watching emerged

It was quite windy and I took lots of photos with it bobbing around in my camera view screen, luckily this one was in focus.
Ditchling Common, June 16th 2.08pm

Cheers
John W

This is one UK butterfly that I expect to miss out on each year, but for the last two I have come across solitary individuals in the French Alps.

In July, this one was on the tapis of the car park as we were assembling to leave:

Not only was this a lifer for me in 2019, the following day someone showed me a pupa which is quite well disguised and could be mistaken for bird droppings.
Black Hairstreak in Monks Wood on the 3rd of June. It was the only one seen and given the date, it was likely the first to emerge this year? Thanks again to Bugboy. BH pupa at Glapthorn CP Chris

Good for you, Chris.

Can't be too common an experience coming from the south of France to England to get a 'lifer'.

David M wrote:Good for you, Chris.

Can't be too common an experience coming from the south of France to England to get a 'lifer'.

It was not the main purpose of my visit to the UK, David, but was a big motivator as Leicester is not far from Monks Wood. The same is true for me regarding White Admiral and Purple Emperor at Fermyn Wood. So Britain is not that much of a BF desert. I'm not about to see any of these 3 species down my way.
Chris.

Chris Jackson wrote:..The same is true for me regarding White Admiral and Purple Emperor at Fermyn Wood. So Britain is not that much of a BF desert. I'm not about to see any of these 3 species down my way.

Yes, Purple Emperor is always the price I pay for spending late June and the first half of July in the south of France!!

I seem to recall you saying you'd never see Brown Hairstreak down your way, Chris, but you managed to track this species down.

One of my 2019 highlights was finally getting to see the Black Hairstreak . A couple of years back we spent three
days in the Oxford area ,hoping to visit Whitecross green wood ,but it rained almost non-stop for the three days , but all wasn,t lost ,and being big
"Morse " fans we toured around the wonderful Oxford sites !
We had a week down in mid-Sussex in June (and very enjoyable it was !) and on the way through we stopped at Ditchling Common ,where we finally caught up with the Black Hairstreak having excellent views on our two visits ,including finding a pair in-cop .
We also met Dave Cook (the finder ) who was very helpful and informative, a pleasure to meet him !
My shot is a back lit individual ,a split second from take -off ! a joy to see ……………………….We'll be back !
Regards Allan.W.

Got wrong thread

One of several lifers for me this year, I saw Black Hairstreaks on a gorgeous Friday evening visit to Glapthorn Cow Pastures on 21st June. I took a number of more artistically-beautiful photos, but for sheer "out-of-the-ordinary" value, I like this one:

I'm in two minds. I found 6 or 7 pupa, which I have never looked for before, found they were rather easy to locate once I started. But on reflection a mating pair. In my experience they tend to fly up into the trees but these stayed low down. June 9th, Monks Wood