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Small Copper - Favourite Photo of 2020

Week 16

Not long to go now…that is if it’s safe to escape Lockdown? Hopefully the vaccination roll-out will keep on rolling and the targets will be met – stay safe out there. On a more cheery note we’re into the ‘Smalls’ this week so dig out your shots of the ‘cutest’ of butterflies Only joking everyone knows that we've already covered that one (Silver-spotted Skipper) last week.

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.

Just a reminder - it might be a good idea to start selecting your Overall Favourite Butterfly Photo of 2020 now as we’re starting to draw to the grand finale.


Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

My only Small Copper sightings of the year came on a visit to St. Abbs Head NNR on 31st July. All photos were taken on that day.

No competition last year, an ab. down on the south coast later in the season

I saw my first Small Copper last year at HLB my local patch on the 20th June, The Butterfly seemed much paler maybe it was a little late in the season for it. Goldie

A few years ago I was concerned at the regular poor numbers I was seeing of this species, but more lately they seem to have bounced back, and in 2020 they again did pretty well in my neck of the woods.

My favourite individual was this female caeruleopunctata, seen at Nicholaston Burrows, Gower, within yards of the beach, on 13th September:

Seen in small numbers at all my sites with three broods at Beacon Hill, Wiltshire, with my last sighting there on 1st October

A few Coppers from me ,saw reasonable numbers here in Kent ,but missed most of the first brood at Dungeness this year .............due to Covid ,but did see good numbers at Dungeness in the later broods including two pairs., sadly very few blue spotted or abberant individuals on show in 2020 .Found quite a few at new "lockdown " sights and will be looking out for more at these sights in the coming season .
The pair below and one of the very few Blue spots i found this year ,were taken at Herstmonceux castle gardens ,where there were high numbers flying .............a great site this one ...................we,ll be back !
Regards Allan.W.

Small Coppers were almost certainly my "Butterfly Species of the Year" in 2020. Having discovered a really good colony 20 minutes walk from home and reasonable numbers appearing almost everywhere I went, I encountered a wide variety of the species. The hot summer weather produced a whole raft of interesting dark forms in the second brood (and to a lesser extent in the third). This tendency expressed itself wholeheartedly in one particular example I managed to find down at Denbies Hillside on 7th July. I initially mistook it for a diminutive Gatekeeper, but the flight was all wrong. When I caught up with it, I couldn't believe it stayed settled long enough for a series of photos.There are so many Small Copper abs listed, with so many subtle variations, I have no idea if this has a name or not. However, this has to be one of the standout butterflies of 2020 for me.

Dave

The Small Copper has become a regular in my garden, usually in the meadow area but it also visits the garden flowers near the house. In 2020, I saw it from late April through to late September. I have chosen photographs from both ends of its season.

The partial lifting of travel restrictions in May last year meant that I could jump in the car and visit my local sites around Solihull that are too far to walk to. Happily, this coincided with the appearance of the first brood of Small Copper which seemed to get off to a good start to their year around here.

The follow on second brood also seemed to do well enough although they were a little 'patchy' with some sites only producing one or two and others into double figures.
It was the third brood (which is often only partial here - if at all) that took the prize however, easily being the butterfly of the autumn here. They were flying at all the sites I visited during September but one spot in particular, just off the Solihull Bypass, provided a very memorable experience with more seen there than I have ever seen in one place around here before.
Cheers,

Neil.

millerd wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:40 pm...this has to be one of the standout butterflies of 2020 for me.

Quite rightly! You bumped into an enviable range of phlaeas abs in 2020, Dave, but that was undoubtedly the best of the lot.

Small Copper

Martin Down seemed to be alive with Small Coppers this year and the Dyke was brimming to almost overflowing with them. Despite the plethora of shots I had to select from the choice was one of the easiest I had to make as. It came from one of my later visits and the Copper in question stood out a mile. The spotting on the fore wings was greatly reduced and the orange bar on the hind wing seemed quite thick with little spikes running up into the centre of the wing. Because of this at first glance it could almost have been a female Large Copper…but only from a glance and a funny angle . The smattering of blue scales juts added to its ‘unique’ charm.

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

millerd wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:40 pm There are so many Small Copper abs listed, with so many subtle variations, I have no idea if this has a name or not. However, this has to be one of the standout butterflies of 2020 for me.

Wow...

Wurzel wrote: ↑Sun Feb 07, 2021 6:12 pm The spotting on the fore wings was greatly reduced and the orange bar on the hind wing seemed quite thick with little spikes running up into the centre of the wing. Because of this at first glance it could almost have been a female Large Copper…but only from a glance and a funny angle . The smattering of blue scales juts added to its ‘unique’ charm.

That is a corker, Wurze

I struggled with the first brood of Small Copper. They were being seen, including some abs, just not by me! I finally found my first on 15th May. The second brood was equally scarce but by the third brood, numbers were better, although I still only saw 28 all year, including sightings in Kent, Dorset and Wiltshire.

The peak count was 8 on 13th September, including one female that was so fresh she looked bright red in flight. I saw my last of the year on 13th October, where 3 males were seen at Magdalen Hill Down.

2020 was a good year for Small Coppers, at least for third brood. This one taken in mid September, Bookham Commons I particularly like as it blends in with the sombre browns of the umbellifer seed heads that herald the departure of summer and the approach of autumn.