www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I hope this doesn't seem too mundane - I mean, it's not a championed species as far as my local branch (Upper Thames) is concerned - but I reckon I hadn't seen one for approximately 30 years when I encountered one on Sunday at my allotment. (Almost as unexpected as the Green Hairstreak that visited me at the same site in June, which I had never seen before.) Anyway, it was always a particular favourite of mine when I did occasionally spot it as a youth, so I was well pleased to renew acquaintance after all these years.

Have I just been particularly unlucky in missing this species for so long? I presume I could have seen it easily enough if I had made a point of seeking it out, but in terms of "random" encounters, have I been hard done by? Presumably there is national variation in distribution - perhaps my occasional moves around the country have been out of phase with it!

Interested to hear any points of view.

Andy

They are quite rare hereabouts (northern Somerset) in the wider countryside, and I am always pleased to come across one. They do tend to be more common in places that are good for other habitat-specialist butterflies, and particularly round old quarries etc.

I visited Ravensroost Meadows in Wiltshire looking for brown hairstreak early in September and there was an excellent late brood of small copper there, centred mainly around the pond.