www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Week 16.

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2013 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter, eventually covering all 59 species which are regularly found in the British Isles. 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 members 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

Small Blue

Back in early June I made a visit to a new site in Wiltshire for Marsh Frits accompanied by Philzoid. The day seemed to be divided into two halves with a break in the middle while the sun rested behind the clouds, the temperatures erred towards the cool side and pretty much everything, barring Philzoid and I, hunkered down.
This was photographed just before the ‘break’ and I just love how thick and furry the wing margins are, something I’d not appreciated before. Have a goodun

Wurzel

I saw Small Blues at Martin Down and at Totternhoe last year, but my favourites come from a less likely site. This is the A423 Southam Bypass where a colony has established itself from the nearby quarry - with a bit of help in terms of planting additional kidney vetch along the verge. On 8th June, I stopped there in the early evening on the way back from Rugby, and saw several flying in the late sunshine, including this pristine female showing off beautifully the feathery wing edges Wurzel mentioned. There was also a male with quite a dusting of blue scales, and quite prominent dark spots on the forewing. Dave

I was pleased with this individual because it allowed me a topside and underside shot. Photos from the south of France 2012.
Chris

A picture can't do justice to my favourite 2013 encounter with little blues, so I'm posting a video instead. I don't know if this is in the spirit of the game, and I'll remove it if Vince tells me off!

Notice the ants, running after the blues!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWU8uYpCtrg[/video]

Guy

I hope Vince doesn't, Guy! Lovely video.

What was that at 0.35, looked like a Marbled or Tufted Marbled Skipper?

Excellent furry blue, Wurzel.

Best wishes,

Lee

What a great video!

I hope I have never given the impression that I would object to such a thing
The only rule here, is to only add images (static or otherwise) at the appropriate time.

Vince

Fantastic, incredible and other similar adjectives, Guy.
--
Colin

Thanks for the kind comments on the video!

I see the insect you mean, Lee, and think it is a common heath moth (Ematurga atomaria). I checked up on the original, which is much higher definition that it ends up on YouTube! Shame, as I dipped out on tufted marbled last year ...

Guy

I did briefly think it may be a moth but it reminded me of the Tufted Marbled Skippers I saw in the Alps a couple of years back. (Quite wrongly ).

Lovely video though.

Best wishes,

Lee

I'm always pleased to find Small Blues and this one posed nicely for its portrait:
Mike

Not a great image (as ever), but the butterfly in question just happened to be the first Small Blue reported to Butterfly Conservation's 2013 First Sightings page.

After emerging as early as late March in 2012, it wasn't until 6th May (at Kenfig Dunes in Glamorgan) that this species got going in 2013. Here he is:

This is my Favourite Totternhoe 26th May Iain helped out with this one 2nd June

Some very nice photos here. Guys video is very special, still to see the Little Blues ground feeding on mass like this. That would be quite something to see. Rosalyn`s first photo is very beautiful indeed...very unconventional...I like it

My favorites of 2013 from the two wee colonies we have here on the rugged Berwickshire coast are a few of many shots I try to get every season. It can be difficult to comprehend the size of this butterfly. You often forget just how small it is once May comes round again.The first photo was taken on an overcast warm day deep among the undergrowth. I had been inspired by a local artist who had been painting the butterflies. After seeing his work...my camera felt somehow, a cheap quick fix....so I endeavored to do my very best to try and capture the butterfly as artistically as I could. I was very happy with the outcome...however, I would say that wouldn't I. The second shot was taken at 7.30 in the morning roosting on Cowslip of all things, I waited patiently as the haar broke ever so slowly to sunshine among the dew encrusted webs and grasses. A dozen little blues all at once gradually opened there wings to warm up. Quite a magical moment, even more magical that I managed for once to be on sight so early in the day. Roll on May, as the Small Blue are no small highlight in season, and I always look forward to seeing the first ones.

Iain

My first Small Blue photos were taken at Bishops Hill in Warwickshire in late May, just a few miles from the Southam bypass where Dave(millerd) took his photos above.

My favourite has to be the very first shot I took, just minutes after arriving at the site, of the two males below,
I also quite like this shot of another male,
Just over a week later I was down at Prestbury Hill in Gloucestershire looking for Duke of Burgundies and was pleasantly surprised to find loads of Small Blues all over the slopes, even higher up where it is more exposed. I had seen them here in previous years but in much lower numbers and usually along the more sheltered lower slopes.
Cheers,

Neil.

I love Small Blues. They are like tiny little bonsai butterflies! Small but perfectly formed, as the saying goes Here are two from the Kithurst Hill flower meadow taken on 25th May 2013. The first one looks so dainty sitting on something unmentionable!
Cheers
John

I like Small Blues very much but don't always get to see them when I go out to look for them in my most local site at Box Hill zig zag. One year plenty, the next ... Another thing I like about Small Blues is their tiny size which is always an impressive sight although on occasions large individuals are found which can match very small examples of Brown Argus and Common Blues .
This year my quest to see Marsh Fritillaries was also rewarded with Small Blues at Wurzel's Wiltshire site. Despite the good numbers, I find this little diamond of a butterfly can be difficult to photo sometimes. Perching in long grass their wings can be obscured by the unseen blades or the shadows they cast. And around 95% of my photos never reach an acceptable sharpness. I have my own pictures of Wurzel's 'furry' female but mine would be better described as foggy . That's why I'm happy just to get these. My best Small blue photos so far with plenty of scope to improve. Great photos. I particularly like IAC's on Cowslip and nfreems shots with a blue-ish bronzey sheen on the wings somewhat reminiscent of female Silver studs