www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Went down to a local patch, one place I never been in a while. Noticed birds foot trefoil was plentiful and wonderded "this would be a good sopt for common blues" but I never seen any anywhere round this area.

Sure enough, I found 1. A male. But only one. Everytime I spotted one, it was the same one as it had a chip out of its hindwing. Why would I be only seeing one butterfly? Other locations I went to with this butterfly, there was loads, e.g. "common" as the name suggests. Why would their only be one?

Loads of meadow browns, small tortoiseshells and ringlets and large and small whites.

My dad cuts the very large lawn at the house about 200-300 yards or so away when it needs done and he said he saw a blue butterfly fly across the lawn over this direction, could it be this reason? Would common blues travel that far? they do fly fast with rapid wing beats.

Dave,

According to my guide (Tomlinson and Still) individual Common Blues are said to wander some distance from their colony. I have seen solitary Common Blues both this year and last. It must be something in their nature.

Bryan

Thought that might be. Thanks.

Another possibility, Dave, is that we are currently in the period between first and second broods of common blue. It could be that you saw an early individual from the second brood, and in a week or two there might be many more.