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Brown Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 2

Well where did that week go? There are still some butterflies holding on so don’t put your cameras away just yet, although it might be a good idea to have a think about your overall favourite now so you don’t inadvertently use it in the ‘Favourite (insert name of species here)’ post.

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 got then!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Certainly no problem finding these this year, picking a fav shot however lead to an 'eeny meeny miny mo' situation, this was the winner.

As Bugboy says, Brown Hairstreaks seemed to be easier than usual this year - maybe because their flight season coincided with an abundance of hogweed and angelica in full flower. I managed to see them at Bookham and Shipton Bellinger (no surprises there) but I also found them for the first time alongside various blues and Silver-spotted Skippers down at Denbies - providing shots that stick in the memory.However, I also like this close up of a male from Bookham......a female from the same day......and another from Shipton BellingerThese five represent a very small fraction of the photos of the species I gathered this year - probably more than all other years totted together!

Dave

Brown Hairstreak

I had a very successful year with Brown Hairstreaks which always makes picking one favourite difficult. However after much debating and flicking through various images this one came out on top. It was taken at Shipton Bellinger at the end of August and there were several reasons that it won out over its competitors however chief among these was the wonderful and serendipitous timing of the shot. I had just finished the following sentence; “what we really need is a female looking to lay as she’ll be low down and she’ll be looking to bask so she’ll open up and sit around for a bit” or words to that effect when low and behold there she was!
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Following a run of poor returns of this species at West Williamston in Pembrokeshire, I'm pleased to say that 2021 very much bucked the trend. I saw 10 females over the course of two visits on successive days in late August.

This individual was the best of the bunch:

Here are two sides of the same female, still looking pretty fresh on 28th August, one of several seen close up that day at Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire.

Two of my favourite Brown Hairstreak photos, both female and both taken in Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire. I particularly like the red berries in the background and the unusual angle of the full wings open shot.

Brown Hairstreaks in the south-east seemed to have a pretty good season in the end after a slow start. The photo below shows one of three mint condition males which stayed around very obligingly for photographs one day in early August at a local nature reserve in suburban SW London.