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Common Blue - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 4

Sightings are definitely few and far between now but at least the Favourites will keep you going for a while yet .

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 and stay safe

Wurzel

Took a trip out to a favourite spot at Drum Castle near Aberdeen end of June and wasn’t disappointed.

Another species that didn't do too well around my local patch, both spring and summer broods were hit by poor weather just at the time they should have been emerging.
I did however see larger numbers elsewhere around the country, most notably at Bishops Hill in Warwckshire in early June and on the downs around Durdle Door later that month.
The shots below, one of each sex, were taken at Bishops Hill when they were nice and fresh.
Cheers,

Neil

I saw them only once this year on 30th May at Brockholes CP Preston, it was a lovely day and I thought I'd see loads of Butterflies,
I didn't and the ones I saw were few and far between so I was happy just to get a few shots that day. Goldie

Not a brilliant year for them this year in my experience, here's one of each sex that stand out. An attractive female from Durlston mixing it up with the local Lulworth Skippers and a male who's colours really stood out in the overcast conditions at Abbots Wood

I always struggle to limit my shots in this particular thread ! Common Blues were in very short supply locally (Kent ) this season ,and well down in numbers ,compared to previous years . Orlestone forest was particularly poor (for me at least !) ,they did rally a bit at Dungeness ,where two of my pics were taken ,the other two were from a downland site near Hythe. Allan.W.

I encountered relatively few Common Blues this year. However, I did see some beauties and I have chosen this female seen in North Norfolk as my favourite.

Common Blue

I have several collections of butterfly photographs stored away and saved that don’t fall into the typical groupings (by species or by site) and one of these is ‘Butterflies on Dandelion Clocks’. This year I was lucky enough to make another couple of additions to this collection one of which came from Fovant Badges. I was showing Philzoid around and we hadn’t had much luck with Dukes – there only being one or two and not the double figures that I’d seen reported from nearby sites – but this Common Blue that landed on a Dandelion Clock would have made my day as we disconsolately made our way back to the cars if we hadn’t have found the little party of Dukes on the other side of the road.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

This female Common Blue brightened up a dull day as I walked around a wealden wood.



http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

Allan.W. wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 9:14 pmI always struggle to limit my shots in this particular thread ! Common Blues were in very short supply locally (Kent ) this season ,and well down in numbers ,compared to previous years . Orlestone forest was particularly poor (for me at least !) ,they did rally a bit at Dungeness ,where two of my pics were taken ,the other two were from a downland site near Hythe.

Nice selection, Allan. I think that second one with the huge, orange hindwing lunules is the stand out.

Thanks for that David ,that second one was a Beauty ,and a very striking "darker " blue individual .
Regards Allan.W.

Common Blues are among my favourite photographic subjects. They were scarce this year, but this male visiting the garden in late July was particularly happy to pose for photos.

This extremely blue female was the finest specimen I saw in 2021:
I also liked this pristine male who was resting on the top of a sapling in the Forest of Dean on 3rd June:

Found this one lurking in the grass whilst waiting for a reluctant-to-shift cloud bank over Martin Down to move on.