www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2012 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter until all 59 UK species have been covered. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas friends are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

This was the first Small Copper I saw in 2012, taken at Kenfig Dunes on 12th May.

The fact that I never managed to get another open wing image of this species throughout the course of the rest of the year tells you a lot about how much they were affected by the generally atrocious conditions:

Small Copper
Having spent a couple of months worried about the dearth of Small Coppers I’d almost given up on seeing any more this year and decided to check out Ham Hill at Martin Down for Chalkhill Blues which I found easily enough. We reached the foot of the down and the girls settled down on one of the sparse patches of springy turf in the shade of a bramble bush. The sun actually was quite strong and the white chalk reflected it back at you so it seemed slightly hostile. However the small bramble patch there was like an oasis and so I didn’t have to go anywhere, the butterflies came to me. Over the next 40 minutes there were both a male and female Common Blue, Meadow Browns, Hedge Browns, Chalkhill Blues as well as a Brimstone and a Peacock but the stars of the show – at least 3 Small Coppers. I was lucky enough to get some great shots but this was my favourite as it fitted into my backlit collection and it captured an intimate moment spent watching the butterfly watching me. It stayed here for a couple of minutes more and then took the wing. Happy memories. Have a goodun

Wurzel

Majorca, 29 July to 5 August 2012

Far too hot to handle ...

One of very few I photographed this year ...
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5432&start=500#p64075

I did`nt see one Small Copper on my local patch in 2012, and only managed one photo, taken at Denbies, where i saw five in total, in several visits.

Although I managed to get a few nice upperside shots this year, one of my favourites is this image, showing the subtle beauty of the underside. It was taken at Rewell Wood on 22nd July.
Neil

The profligacy of nature. She throws out beautiful creatures like this fresh, golden small copper, and within a couple of weeks they are dust again.



A quite different photo, setting this enigmatic butterfly in a different context:



Guy

The back of Seaford can be quite good for Small Copper. There is one particular bank that is reliable for Coppers as well as Brown Argus.

I saw lots of Small Coppers last year, the first being on March 19 and the last on November 20. This one was taken on June 6.
--
Colin

I find that, more and more, I like to try to capture unusual views. Thus, I was pleased with this head-on close-up of a Small Copper, taken at Aston Upthorpe Down, Oxon.
Mike

CFB wrote:I saw lots of Small Coppers last year, the first being on March 19 and the last on November 20. This one was taken on June 6.

I thought you were joking until I saw your location!

I've noted that French Small Coppers are noticeably darker than UK ones with much 'chunkier' upperwing spots.

Mark Colvin wrote:Majorca, 29 July to 5 August 2012

Far too hot to handle ...

One of very few I photographed this year ...

Small Copper (male), Campanet, Majorca (31 July 2012).jpg

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5432&start=500#p64075

it's almost identical to the SBA in your diary even down to the same flowerhead, in warm temps that's my kind of nature watching, don't have to go far

Mating pair at Butser 30th of May 2012.

I saw a few Small Coppers in Norfolk in late May but my favourite photos were all of second brood, when they finally showed up.

The first second brood that I saw in any numbers were at Aston Rowant,
where I saw the ab. radiata below
My favourite shots were taken at Shadowbrook Meadows, the only local site where I saw any at last year.
including this female with smaller black markings on the forewings than usual.
Despite searching other local sites where I have seen Small Coppers before I did not find any others. I paid particular attention to a site where I had seen third brood up until October in 2011 but without any luck.

Cheers,

Neil.

For a long time in 2012, I hardly saw any Small Coppers - a couple at Ryton, one at Denbies and none at all on my local patch. Then at the start of August, a trip to Allerthorpe Common near Pocklington in Yorkshire discovered a healthy colony of which one is shown below. A great relief to see a good number at once.

I still despaired of seeing one near home, however - until right at the end of the season on 14th October I found the second individual below, chasing a Comma only a hundred metres or so from my front door. It was particularly intensely coloured. There must have been others around earlier in the year for this one to be flying - probably two broods of them - but I didn't see them. Makes you wonder what else might be under your nose that you miss...

Dave

My one and only sighting this year was in the dunes at Southport on the 10th of August, I'd almost given up on them has I'd been down to Kent where I usually see them but saw nothing this time ,so I was thrilled.
I don't think they did very well in the weather this year so I was suprised to see one in the Dunes and where the Graylings were, I'll have to check there this year and see if they come back. Goldie

With your usual aptitude for finding aberrants , Goldie, your SC seems to have quite strong blue markings on the hind-wings - the (admittedly, fairly common) form known as ab.caeruleopunctata.
Mike

I didn't see many small coppers this year. I was delighted to see this one in some local fields which are filled with buttercups in late spring, unfortunately it was only once I got the camera out that I discovered I'd left the memory card at home in the computer! I managed to fire off a couple of shots on the camera's built in storage but that was that for the day. I was glad I hadn't travelled far.

both taken at Hod Hill.

Just read your comment Mike about my SC and I wonder if it is an Ab-Caer- I also took another photo where the Sun was much Brighter and the SC looks quite differant. Of course I could have taken two differant ones, I'm not sure now to long ago I do remember it flying off and I followed, maybe,? What do think? Goldie