www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Small Copper - Favourite Photo of 2022

Week 16

So the weather remains cold – but hopefully this will yield positive results in terms of butterfly number when the season starts! To be honest it would be nice not to have to put on 15 layers before venturing out of the house!

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

Wurzel

I only seen 2 Small copper butterflies in 2022. Both on 19th May at Cambus o may on Deeside. Only one stayed still long enough for a photo.

I saw my Copper at Temple Ewell on the 20th August, it was the first one I'd seen all year and they were very busy ,flying quickly from flower to flower, (what was left of them) ,in fact because of the heat the Butterflies did well to keep going the vegetation was the worst I'd ever seen it for years Goldie

In 2022 I didn't manage to follow any long-lived members of this species throughout their lives as I have in previous years (when I've watched them clock up six weeks or more). However, I did find a memorable example on 10th May out on my local patch - a splendid blue badge individual.On 21st May it posed rather nicely for me......and then two weeks later on 3rd June it was still around and looking pretty good, but I couldn't find it thereafter. Dave

Small Coppers were few and far between around my patch in 2022, no doubt as a result of both broods being hit by poor weather in 2021 (Small Copper has 2 or 3 broods in Warwickshire depending on the season and 2021 was a cool summer on average here).
I was pleased however to find a few during the year at my local spot by Wagon Lane where a small colony is hanging on and where I found a pair in cop, hopefully contributing to their continued survival at this spot.
Cheers,

Neil.

This one seen at Bookham last Autumn was notable due to its prominant tail.

A very mixed season for Small Coppers in my part of Kent .The first brood (which was slightly later at Dungeness than the past few seasons ) was excellent with the usual high numbers ,our best count was 389 in a round circuit of a couple of hours ,and things were looking good !
As the first brood faded slowly away ,we were hopeful of an excellent second brood ,but things didn,t work out as hoped ,the second brood suffered
due i reckon to the burnt Sheeps Sorrell ,which generally carpets the shingle with its red hues ,the picture below shows how things tuned out the dark brown clumps are the frazzled Sorrell plants. These few shots are my favourites from the first brood ,the Blackthorn was very popular as was the Gorse ,which definately bucked the trend ,and flowered profusely ,the Coconut scent was very strong . As for the second brood ,very dissapointing ! with a best count of 14 ( usually 2-300 ) and the 3rd brood .....................just didn,t happen !
Found a few in Orlestone but only one or two at another local hotspot at Hothfield Common.
Allan.W.

Small Copper

This shot came from our family holiday to Llangollen in late August and was taken on our second visit to Chirk Castle. The first time round we’d looked around the Castle itself and only briefly ventured into the gardens but on this visit we were aiming to walk round the parts of the garden that we’d missed so I was hoping to catch up with a few more butterflies than on visit one. My expectations were easily met and this I managed to get this shot whilst we were having our lunch. I chose it partly because it serves as a reminder to myself to always have my camera ready, even when eating but also because I really love how the golden petals make the butterfly stand out even more.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Had an interesting year with this species. The first notable event was seeing this one on 27th March! It's choice of perching post was quite amusing:
The next was seeing one in my garden for the very first time, on 2nd September:
In terms of visual appeal, this fresh caeruleopunctata seen in mid-September on Nicholaston Dunes was the best:

2022 was overall not a good season for the Small Copper and numbers were very down in our Lincolnshire butterfly garden. As often is the case, it was the third brood that did the best, this being one of that brood, feeding on fleabane and slightly showing the green iridescence that they sometimes reveal.

Plenty of Small Coppers among the Sooty Coppers in our garden in 2022. The pick of the bunch were these two blue badgers.

In the garden on 28 July. Not quite what I was hoping to attract to the kidney vetch, but I'm not complaining!

Not the best photo, but I do enjoy it. Cajarc (Lot, France), 19 September 2022.