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Green Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 6

Is it Sunday already – where did that week go? A quick reminder that next week is the Social so hopefully Boris won’t come onto the TV and make any announcements about restrictions, Lockdowns etc.

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.

Another quick reminder that it might be a good idea to select your Overall Favourite Butterfly Photo of 2021 now if you haven’t done so already so that you’ve got something to post when the series of threads culminates in 14 weeks time…


Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

It appeared to be a good year for these. I saw them in several places. This one was on the Thames at East Tilbury

I didn't take more than three shots of the Green Hair Streak this year and I was really pleased to do that not having seen it for a few years
I took the photos at Brooks in Kent on May 7th, hope fully I'll make my way back there next year Goldie

Two flooky uppersides and a rather well marked underside get my vote this year .

Far from a perfect photo but it captures something of the habits and habitat of the species, and taken whilst trying to balance on a ludicrously steep and pitted downland slope, at a location which may well become my go-to location for this species (we will see next spring!). White Sheet Hill, Wiltshire, 1 June 2021.

this one thought i couldn't see him

28th May 2021 at Barton Hills Bedfordshire

Cannock Chase was a new site for me this year and my visit in late April provided my only 2021 sightings of Green Hairstreak. The area across the road from the Glacial Boulder Car park was very productive with good numbers flying around the large patches of bilberry.
Cheers,

Neil.

Matsukaze wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:11 pmFar from a perfect photo but it captures something of the habits and habitat of the species, and taken whilst trying to balance on a ludicrously steep and pitted downland slope, at a location which may well become my go-to location for this species (we will see next spring!).

Lovely perspective on the general habitat, Chris. Presume you saw Glanville Fritillary there that day too?

I did - photos on the appropriate thread in due course - though I doubt it will be there next year.

"I did - photos on the appropriate thread in due course - though I doubt it will be there next year" - they've been there for a few years now so maybe they might become a regular feature

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Green Hairstreak

This Green Hairstreak was my favourite image from 2021 as it was one step closer to getting the metallic lustre across the underside of the wings. I don’t know how others do it but in some shots I’ve seen the wings look like highly polished surfaces almost like a green glazed mirror. Another reason for this choice was that it was sitting atop a Gorse bush in a new little bit of Martin Down that I discovered this year and I like the colour palette of the green with the yellow.
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Matsukaze wrote: ↑Sat Nov 27, 2021 5:59 pmI did - photos on the appropriate thread in due course - though I doubt it will be there next year.

If they keep getting 'topped up' they will probably persist, Chris, but one very wet winter followed by a cold spring could wipe them out, which is what happened to the Sand Point colony in 2013.

Didn't see too many of these as their emergence coincided with that awful period of cold and damp weather in early May.

Always nice to see both the ones with developed streaks as well as those that have few or even none:

Wurzel wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:43 pm Green Hairstreak

...in some shots I’ve seen the wings look like highly polished surfaces almost like a green glazed mirror...

Wurzel

One of my most memorable shots of this species in 2021 was exactly as you describe, Wurzel. Somehow the angle of the light and perhaps the degree of wear made this individual look almost like a shiny sweet wrapper from a box of chocolates. A veritable Little Green Triangle in fact... It was also lacking any white markings. From Aston Rowant on 31st May.

There were also a couple of "in flight" shots I rather liked as something a bit different from the endless profiles. Firstly an aerial battle down at Denbies on 27th April (curiously in exactly the spot I found a Brown Hairstreak four months later)......and another caught at the moment of takeoff in the northern part of Bedfont Lakes CP not far from home on 5th May. Cheers,

Dave