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Went for a walk along devils ditch today and saw eight species including a clouded yellow. Two of the common blues were aberrant forms, I think. Am I correct?








Is there a tendency for aberrant forms late in the year, does anybody know? We also saw a lot of small heaths which was fun so here is one



and just to round off the day a clouded yellow, though needless to say we had no chance of photographing that....

The first blue looks like a common blue female, and the second looks like a chalkhill blue?

I like the small heaths, cute little things!

Nice photos too

I think the second photo is also a female Common Blue, albeit a very unusual one! I say this because the white fringes aren't intersected by black bands, as they are in both Adonis and Chalkhill Blue.

Cheers,

- Pete

Aha! good call Pete, perhaps indeed it is an abberation of the Common Blue then?

Thanks for the comments. I'm glad I can get photos worth showing with my rather more limited kit...

I'm really glad it wasn't a Chalkhill blue (though it would have been nice to see one) as I would have been embarrassed not to identify that. The black bands in the fringe are useful to identify Chalkhill and Adonis blues aren't they?

Chalkhills are dead easy to ID. They're silvery and big. The females are particulary dark I think, but it's the size that I notice.

Adonis are Blue. Like I mean, really blue, not purply blue like common blues. After a while I think you get an eye for them. Females look like brown versions of the males. Personally I think it's the chequered edge that's gives the game away.

I actually find the hardest one to distingush is the silver studded, but then that's just me I spose.

Danny