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Long-tailed Blue - Favourite Photo of 2023

Week 10

We’ve reached the half-way point! It’s generally around this point that I remind everyone that the grand finale in only 10 weeks time will be the favourite overall butterfly photo so hopefully you’ve already made your selection so as not to ‘use it up’ during the individual species threads .

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've had quite a bit of fun chasing these at various south coast sites this year (still a final entry to appear in my PD concerning them). Here's two of the most memorable encounters, one of each sex.

My 2023 encounter with the species was limited to just one day down at Lancing ring on 8th October - however, they put on a great show for their assembled admirers. The mating pair was an obvious standout......but this unusually deep blue male was a striking addition.I also have to add this chance shot taken of a worn male elsewhere on the site - this was the only angle available, but I like the outcome. Dave

My two images are both from Spain; the male in early May near Antequera and the female in September from near Algeciras:

I saw a lot of this species throughout 2023.

They were very common in May in southern Turkey where I spent some time working on new trip options.
They were then encountered throughout the summer in various places around Europe with the final sighting being the most pleasing - a patch of BLEP spilling on to the pavement from a house on my regular dog walking loop. I walk past lots of similar pockets of BLEP around Brighton and am always sure there would be hidden treasures if only I spent some time looking, so when I knelt down next to this bin and found several cats immediately it was a nice confirmation of what we’ve known for some time - in good years they’re everywhere down here!

Living on the South coast in Hampshire I have been expecting LTB for some time. As Ben says they have been frequent visitors to our neighbours in Sussex for some years now but for me, other than a brief encounter on Hayling Island in 2013 they seem to avoid me on home soil.
However this year a few were spotted locally in August which focussed my attention and I found a number of eggs at a couple of locations including my back garden!
Eventually they came good in October and a number of fresh males and females were observed on Portsdown Hill including a mating pair which was probably a first for Hants.
All in all very pleasing

I'm in awe of all the great Long-tailed Blue stories this season, and if the weather had not collapsed in early November, it would have rounded-off the year nicely. I only had one sighting this year, which happened to be in my Lancing garden, so I was really pleased.
I will be planting some Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea there next year.

Vince

Some superb images and interesting observations in this thread ! ..............My shot is rather "After the lord mayors show "! but it was the only one (of two) . seen that stopped for a picture . I visited they,re fairly regular Kent site (Kingsdown Leas ) on several occasions ,looking for different things ,it was fairly obvious that others had been looking by the condition of the Pea plants ,but very little had been reported ,with no information at all on the Kent BC Website . I spotted a very flighty male in one area ,which gave several close flight views but just wouldn,t settle ! Then a bit of luck was on my side .......and what i took to be a Chalkhill settled low down in front of me ,but as i approached it ,i could see that it was a VERY worn Long-Tail ............a female i think .
Allan.W.

This may not add much to the great store of knowledge, but with all the reports of activity in Sussex I was tempted into a couple of trips. First to Whitehawk Hill early in September, where some four males were a bit worn and very active on a hot day, but I eventually managed to get a few photos.
Plan was to leave it at that, but with the weather so warm and sunny and reports still coming in, the prospect of a repeat of 2022's West Worthing beach party beckoned. However, by October Lancing Ring seemed like it might be a safer bet to try first, so went there and ended up staying until just about all observed and observers had disappeared for the evening. The freshest butterfly I saw unfortunately didn't hang around quite long enough for the best picture, but this photo at least gives an idea of its electrifying blue colouration.
The butterflies were most numerous in clearings in the woods, with competing males providing a fine show. However, the very high contrast conditions there were a bit challenging for photos, and as they were mostly settling a little way into the brambles, most of my shots were of the sunlight-through- the-wings variety. A real pleasure of a day, though.