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shot at oversley wood , it had just emerged! so lucky

phil

This thread is now open and is where you can post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2011........or the last time you saw one!

This is part of a series which will hopefully grow throughout the winter until all 58 British species have been covered. Three new threads will be introduced per week. Our overseas friends are welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to our rare migrants, but please try to observe the alphabetical listing .

Details of places, dates, times and circumstances would be appreciated and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, personal encounters, anecdotes and other interesting points.

Vince

my last effort was from last year, a 69kb jpeg taken at a local garden center with my phone. so many people walking past and ignoring it not having a clue how special a moment it is to get this close to this butterfly let alone seeing one. an absolutely treasured moment.

I can't decide on which of two photos are my favourites so I will just put both of them in! Both were taken at Bentley Wood. The first was taken on a family trip near to the Eastern Clearing. The girls ran on ahead up the fire break/path when a silver butterfly alighted on some braken. Once it had settled it stayed for a good 10 minutes, wings tightly shut allowing me to get my first closed wing shots, looking almost pink? Last year I got my first shots of Purple Hairstreak, a female on Braken with her wings open, then I found the butterfly mentioned above for the classic underwing shot and my second favourite enabled me to complete the set with a male open wings. I was walking back from a fruitless hour searching the "elms" near the memorial for White Letter Hairstreak when amongst the Silver Washed Fritillaries and Skippers something proper silvery caught my eye on some bracken at the side of the path. As I approached the butterfly I realised it was a PH and after a minute or two with it's wings closed it opened them and proceeded to slowly walk round in a circle as if to pose better for me. Some pay back for my patience or just luck? I didn't wait long to decide I just got some shots! Have a goodun

Wurzel

ps - Did you notice that all three of my Purple Hairstreak photos were on Bracken - perhaps these aren't Purple Hairstreak (Neozephyrus quercus) but a new sub-species, the Bracken Hairstreak - Neozyphyrus quercus pteridiumaquilinum

I did`nt manage to photograph one this year, so here is one from last year. I took this picture at the back of my garden,in very overcast conditions. I have seen them in perfect condition, on a few occasions, but they always seem out of reach. So i will have to keep looking.Taken on 25,7,2011 at 16-09-10 precisely.Canon 400D, Sigma 70-300 macro.
shutter, 1/25, A.V. 20, ISO 400.

This was the first Purple Hairstreak I've ever seen close up - unfortunately not quite in focus but I like the yellow proboscis! Taken on Susie's walk in Southwater Woods, on 3rd July.

Poor though it is, this is the only Purple Hairstreak open wing shot I've ever managed:

John W wrote:This was the first Purple Hairstreak I've ever seen close up - unfortunately not quite in focus but I like the yellow proboscis! Taken on Susie's walk in Southwater Woods, on 3rd July.

My favourite of the year is almost certainly the very same insect! The lovely grey underside is almost lilac.

I hope Neil (Sussex Kipper) posts his stunning shot from Arnside...

Dave

PS. Happy Christmas everyone!

Hi Dave,
Especially for you! The Arnside Blue Hairstreak.
Happy New Year, Neil

millerd wrote:

John W wrote:This was the first Purple Hairstreak I've ever seen close up - unfortunately not quite in focus but I like the yellow proboscis! Taken on Susie's walk in Southwater Woods, on 3rd July.

My favourite of the year is almost certainly the very same insect! The lovely grey underside is almost lilac.

Hi Dave, yes I have a shot almost identical to yours...
Possibly the most photographed Purple Hairstreak in West Sussex!

Cheers
John

I should like to slip in two photos because they are so very different and favourites for different reasons!

I spent hours watching a group in an oak tree in Bernwood Forest, waiting for a flash of purple and, eventually, was rewarded by this female. I'm still waiting for that elusive male!
On the same day, I was pleased to get this macro shot - Hairstreaks do have wonderful eyelashes! As the branches were waving about quite a bit in the breeze, I was amazed how well this came out.
Mike

Sussex Kipper wrote:Hi Dave,
Especially for you! The Arnside Blue Hairstreak.
Happy New Year, Neil

UKB Purple Hairstreak, Arnside Knott 24 July 2011.jpg

The only photo I know in the same league as that is Pete's.

Sure is a once in a lifetime shot.

David M wrote:Sure is a once in a lifetime shot.

Knowing Neil he'll get an even better one next year!

John W wrote:

David M wrote:Sure is a once in a lifetime shot.

Knowing Neil he'll get an even better one next year!

If he does it'd be an award winner!

Yes - thanks for posting the photo, Neil. Brilliant in every sense of the word.

Dave

Thanks for the kind comments but I won't be actively pursuing a Purple Hairstreak shot in 2012. This is one of the most difficult species to photograph by design and a large slice of luck is required in being in the right place at the right time. Even if, as I have done, you spend morning after morning (starting early) searching below and adjacent to lines of well-populated oaks, it's difficult to find more than a couple of freshly-emerged specimens per season. Then it has to be sitting in a photogenic position, it has to open its wings, it has to be sufficiently 'dry' to develop that iridescence, it has to be sitting at an appropriate angle and it has to be female to capture that beautiful purple/blue flash. Some will get even luckier, but recalling Pete's photo-article I dread to think how many hours we both invested over many years before generating sufficient luck for ourselves.

I'll be spending that time chasing other species with the camera. They must all be photographed to a standard I'm happy with, but despite having a well-defined goal the most important thing to me is that I enjoy every moment in the field. Wishing you all a Happy New Year and the successful achievement of your own butterfly goals in 2012.

Neil

I completely agree with Neil - this isn't a species you can plan to go and see! Unless you're looking for eggs, that is Here's my best effort from 2011. In fact, this is my best effort, ever!
Cheers,

- Pete

Some lovely shots in this thread.

Does anyone have a similar quality open wing shot of a male though?

I don't have any of anything like similar quality, male or female.

The only time that I managed to get any photos of Purple Hairstreaks at all, despite seeing them on a fair number of occasions, usually high up out or reach, was when I called in at Bernwood Meadows on the way back from Aston Rowant. As descibed in my diary, one of the reasons that I stopped off was to look for the 'Purple Hairstreak Tree' described by Michaeljf in on of his posts.

I found the tree as descibed and sure enough took a number of photos, all closed wing shots. The one below is my favourite as I think that it shows the butterfly's character.
Cheers,

Neil F.