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Small Blue - Favourite Photo 2016

Week 16

Only 5 weeks remaining now for this series of Posts - so if you haven't already now would be the time to start working out your overall favourite for the final week!

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 remember several people mentioning that these had a good spring but I hardly saw any last year, must have been looking in the wrong places. I did however manage to track down some eggs which is something I failed at in 2015. One of the first adults I saw was on a rather grey, cloudy day when I noticed this very fresh female roosting low down in the grass, sticking out like a sore thumb!

Two very local species together, its a pity about the grass. In 2015 this would have made BugBoys day
Small Blue & Female Glanville Frit 6th June 2016

A couple o' shots from my trip to Dordogne in May.

As usual, I found Small Blues in several places in 2016, but the closure of Butterfly World near St. Albans has removed access to one of my nearest and best sites. Here are one or two from all over the place. Totternhoe 16th May: Southam Bypass 4th June:Hutchinson's Bank 27th May:This last one is probably my favourite. A very fresh female with a lovely sheen across the wings.

Dave

A run down to Bishops Hill in Warwickshire provided me with my 2016 Small Blues which were flying in good numbers in the sunny spells on an otherwise cloudy and showery afternoon.
The male below stood out as having more extensive blue scales than I usually see.
Cheers,

Neil

Small Blue

This was taken at my Marshie Site back at the end of May. It was a glorious day with glorious butterflies all over the site and also was the day that I finally met up with Dave Miller somewhere other than a pub! That’s partly why I chose this as my fave shot; it reminds me of the day, but also because of what was happening at the time.

There was a group of 5-6 other butterfliers nearby and one of their member kept stomping over, asking what were onto and threatening to barge in to get their shot. Luckily for me I was photographing this “lowly Small Blue” and not a mating pair of Marshies that they were after so I had this butterfly to myself. While this person continued with their stomping, barging-in and further interrogation of Philzoid I zoned out. As the butterfly came into focus all surrounding sounds ceased, the air stilled and there was nothing but the Small Blue and me. Nice and Zen I was for what felt like an hour but was really only a few moments before I was brought back to reality by the ‘Stomper’ doing their thing and trampling by to close sending the butterfly aloft. Have a goodun

Wurzel

Taken in May on the East Sussex Downs. I like the remnants of gossamer thread on its right forewing that it has picked up whilst flying through the grass.

My specialist subject, Small Blue. I spend more time on Small Blue than any other species. 2016 was a rough year for them on the Berwickshire coast with cold sea breezes through the early flight period, however, undettered they bounced back when the weather cleared and persisted until the end of July from a typical mid May emergence. This photo was typical of the species desperately soaking up any solar power it could muster in-between the large slabs of cloud.

We're pretty lucky in Swansea to have Small Blues practically everywhere near the coast. This mating pair were seen at Crymlyn Burrows on 22nd May:
....and this second brooder was encountered at Whiteford Burrows on 30th July: