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Holly Blue - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 8

Another week passes which in one way is bad as it means another week without butterflies but in another way is good as we’re one week closer to seeing the first butterflies of 2022!

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

With both holly and ivy growing in my garden, I can always rely on seeing Holly Blues flitting around throughout the season. They are not so easy to photograph, however, having a knack of perching on top of leaves in inaccessible places! I managed to manoeuvre myself into position for a shot of this one, in typical alert pose:
Mike

Back in May, about half a dozen Holly Blues were flying around the shrubs in a friends garden and this very fresh male was particularly obliging.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

downland boy wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:18 pmBack in May, about half a dozen Holly Blues were flying around the shrubs in a friends garden and this very fresh male was particularly obliging.

That's production line fresh, DB. Almost pure white!

A very poor year for them in my travels. This female turned up whilst looking for Glanvilles in south London

I did better with the Holly Blue than any other Butterfly this year, I couldn't miss really they were in my Daughters garden through
out the year, May and August being the best times, so I've added a few shots, I couldn't pick out my favourite shot Goldie

Holly Blue

I saw a good number of these early in the year but very few sat and posed for me. It wasn’t really until the late summer when I started visiting Shipton that they started appearing in photogenic positions. Indeed my favourite came this very site. I chose it as I like the contrast between the clean fresh white of the butterfly and its choice of lunch.
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

As always, I have far too many examples from my local patch to choose from easily. Here are just two, both from August's second brood, which show that both the colour and the texture of the blue is different between the sexes.After a very slow start in spring round here, the species did well over the summer and produced a notable third brood through October and November.

I think I probably derive more pleasure watching this species than any other over the course of the year...

Dave

Excellent numbers at my prime site on the Gower in 2021:

Some superb photos in this thread
Unfortunately Holly blues had a below average season around my patch and although both spring and second broods (only ever get two broods here) turned up both in my garden and at most of my local spots, it was mostly in ones and twos and numbers never seemed to build. These were nearly always on the move or settled out of reach and I did not get a single photo that I was happy with this year, the best being these of a summer brood male that paused for a brief stop in his travels in my garden.
Cheers,

Neil.

Holly Blue had a decent year around here.

Not the world's greatest photo but it captures something of the character of the species.