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Adonis Blue - Favourite Photo of 2015

Starting this week the first opportunity to showcase your favourite shots of 2015! Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As like last year details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Here we got then!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks for getting the show on the road, Wurzel. Sunday evening is a nice time for it .

Managed to get a full underside shot in the Pyrennees this June, so can't complain.
Male Adonis Chris

I only caught the tail end of the spring brood so I made an effort to get some late summer shots. This underside one stands out for me, giving just the hint of the electric blue uppers

In the UK, the only encounter I had with this species in 2015 was on 23rd May at Rodborough Common, near Stroud.

I managed to get a male with his wings open (albeit missing an antenna):
I was also fortunate to find a mating pair:

My favourite photos come from the best day I had with this species on 29th August on Denbies hillside. There were both fresh Adonis and Chalkhills in good numbers and you couldn't ask for more. Dave

Late season second broods from Aston Rowant in September.

First brood males - Yoesden Bank - June 8th.
First brood females - Yoesden Bank - June 8th.
Second brood male - Aston Rowant - August 28th.
Second brood male - Swells Hill.

Not too many encounters with Adonis Blue this year as I didn't visit their haunts that often, these two were taken at Martin Down on 7th June, with any luck I've got the ID correct after making a complete tit of myself last year in this part of the forum by mixing up my blues.

ayjay wrote:Not too many encounters with Adonis Blue this year as I didn't visit their haunts that often, these two were taken at Martin Down on 7th June, with any luck I've got the ID correct after making a complete tit of myself last year in this part of the forum by mixing up my blues.

....

Ummmmm I think your male is a Common Blue, I can see the charateristic double fringe and the blue does seem to have a violety tinge to it Happy to be told I'm making a complete tit of myself by suggesting this though . Its a good picture nontheless

bugboy wrote:

ayjay wrote:Not too many encounters with Adonis Blue this year as I didn't visit their haunts that often, these two were taken at Martin Down on 7th June, with any luck I've got the ID correct after making a complete tit of myself last year in this part of the forum by mixing up my blues.

....

Ummmmm I think your male is a Common Blue, I can see the charateristic double fringe and the blue does seem to have a violety tinge to it Happy to be told I'm making a complete tit of myself by suggesting this though . Its a good picture nontheless

Thanks bugboy, maybe I should stick to Dragonflies. I was quite content chasing them until the wife got interested in Butterflies.

Either way, one of us is a tit, but at least I'm used to it.

My Adonis Blue photos were all of second brood seen in Dorset during what has become a regular family break down there at the end of August/early September. I saw them at Durdle Door, Bindon Hill, Durlston CP and at what has become my favourite site in the area along the path to White Horse Hill at Osmington. This year they seemed to be a bit later than usual, especially at Bindon Hill where they were still outnumbered by Chalkhill Blues on 2nd September.

Amongst the many photos that I took I particularly like these two of a male and a female from a late afternoon visit to Osmington,
A male underside from Osmington,
and this male from Durlston on the morning of 1st September,
Cheers,

Neil

The late August weather on the Isle of Wight was not ideal for butterflies but some Adonis Blues were firmly attached to grass stems and allowed me to get close. The weather that followed my visit was foul, I hope they are tougher than they look.
Woolfson

Adonis Blue 07-09-25

As you can see from the date this was a second brood Adonis. It was taken on one of my final trips out at Laverstock Down and it felt like a fitting finale to a season of regular butterflying here over which time I’d managed to see all the species referred too from historical records. Luckily for me the butterfly landed and posed so nicely up the slope from where I was so I didn’t need to scrunch my head back into my neck too much in order to get the shot with the butterfly filling the frame with the sky forming the background. Have a goodun

Wurzel

Shame about the crumpled right forewing on this one because otherwise I really like it..
Malling Down, 29-08-2015

I'm recently back from a month in SE Asia so a bit behind the curve! My favourite Adonis shot has to be the polonus form that I saw at The Holies, near Streatley in early June.

This form is characterised by paler colour, spotting on the wing margins, and slightly later emergence than 'regular' Spring-brood Adonis.
Mike