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Brown Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2016

Week 2 - Here we go...again.

The second week and the second opportunity to showcase your favourite shots of 2016! Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos - just to make it easier to organise and keep everything on track so that we can enjoy this throughout the winter months? 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.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I'd had a rather fruitless afternoon, looking for Brown Hairstreaks along the Roman Road at Otmoor, Oxon., when I spotted this brightly coloured female as I was walking back to the car-park.
Mike

Lovely shot Mike, you've brought the rich Brown and Gold colour and the Orange out great, I've yet to see an BHS but hope fully I'll get a shot like yours when I do. Goldie

After last years lifer I wasn't expecting things to get better with this reclusive and elusive species but when I was offered a trip to the Brown Hairstreak Mecca that is Shipton Bellinger I jumped at the chance. Apparently it was a below par year but 10+ sightings in one day is still pretty damn good including my first male, on the ground! These two females put on the best show for me and a small group of enthusiasts and when they decided to share the limelight there was an immediate flurry of shutters. They never quite caught the sun from my angle but even so, two Brown Hairstreaks in the same picture is pretty good

I love this butterfly, but even though I have a good site nearby, the weather has seen to it that I have only been able to devote time to visiting on an infrequent basis in 2016.

Here's a female resting on a blackthorn tip which is probably the best image I obtained this summer:

My only encounter with this species this year was down at Bookham on 21st August. I saw four or five, including a brief glimpse of a male down on the brambles, but all were a bit worn and these two were the best views I managed. Dave

Thanks to Dave, I was able to find this species at Bookham Commons on 23 August - my first ever close-up view of one.

ATB

Peter

The only time I saw Brown Hairstreaks this year was when I spent a day at Grafton Wood when four different females were seen down by the pond area. Getting a decent photo was tricky as they all spent most of their time shuffling about in the shade but with a bit of fill in flash I managed a few shots that I was happy with including a nice backlit one.
I still don't have a decent open wing photo of this species...that has got to be a target for next year.

Cheers,

Neil

Brown Hairstreak

This was taken at Shipton Bellinger during my visit with Philzoid. It’s my favourite as it is so worn that at first I didn’t know what it was – tired and small Meadow Brown or Hedge Brown and even for a moment – because of the damage to the wing – Small Copper. However once I manged to get a little closer I could see that it was a decrepit Brostreak. Solving the ID puzzle was part of the reason that I chose this as my favourite the other reason was just because of what it stood for. Sometimes I find myself getting a little to wrapped up with the ‘perfect specimen’ and this served as a reminder to appreciate and enjoy every butterfly equally. Have a goodun

Wurzel