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Holly Blue - Favourite Photo of 2017

Week 8 - So we continue looking back and reminiscing - just a heads up - after some badgering at the Social last night next week there might be an additional Favourite to post about

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.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Here's a rare image of a Holly Blue multitasking, egg laying AND opening her wings and there was a discussion at yesterdays social about getting Holly Blues to open their wings as wide as possible so I thought it only right to show of this springtime male

I absolutely love this species, but it forever frustrates me.

Best I did in 2017 was this female which was fairly docile on 17th April at Welshmoor on the Gower:

Hmmm. This is a difficult one. Having seen the odd one or two of these this year, possibly the most memorable were the first and the (I'm pretty sure now) last, seen on 25th March and 16th November respectively.

The first was a male on a warm, sunny, but very windy day, attracted to a white feather on the ground in front of me.The last was a lovely female on a dandelion seeking out the last of the autumn nectar. Over the season, there were many (and better) examples - my sightings count locally comes to 286, beaten only by Red Admirals and Commas and just ahead of Speckled Woods - but these two stick in the mind.

Dave

The spring brood of this species was prolific on Pevensey Levels in 2017 and I spent a few happy hours looking for freshly emerged individuals at the base of ivy laden hedgerows. I sat for an hour or so next to this female, waiting for her to open her wings. Eventually, the sun briefly pushed through the grey cloud and she opened her wings for about 2 minutes before the sun disappeared again.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

My photo of an open winged HB was taken on the 8th May at Hall-Lee-Brook, I saw more Holly Blues this year than I've ever seen before so hope fully this will be good for next year.
My other two shots were taken in July on the 28th and 29th in Kent, one at Seasalter which was a surprise, I'd gone there because over the years it was a good place to see Clouded Yellow's and I was chasing around at the time to try to get a shot of a Cloudy when I spotted the Holly Blue in a bush there.
My other shot was taken at Reculver on a second visit, on both days the weather had been very windy , Sunny in the morning but cloudy in the afternoon Goldie

millerd wrote:Hmmm. This is a difficult one.

LOL! That could go down as understatement of the year!

There are some very nice open-wing shots here-above.
I had no such luck this year.
My first sighting of a Holly Blue in 2017 was on March 17th, in Marseilles.
The individual was attracted by a squashed berry which kept it occupied long enough for a photo. Chris

Holly Blues are 'regulars' in our garden, where we have both Holly and Ivy plants, to sustain the alternating generations. Throughout 2016, they all eluded my attempts at photography by only settling high in the trees, or simply 'melting away' as I walked out into the garden. I was determined to do better in 2017 and I was also armed with better equipment, in the form of a 100-400m telephoto zoom lens.

This time, patience was rewarded and I was pleased to get quite a number of reasonable shots. I chose this one because it shows both the upper and lower wing surfaces, and also the warm 'fur coat' that must be invaluable in the early Spring weather
Mike

Like Mike I have Holly Blues regularly visiting my garden, in fact I tend to see more there than I do out and about. This year the spring brood seemed to do well but I have to say that numbers of summer brood seen were lower than the past couple of years, probably due to the weather taking a turn for the worse from late June onward.
Most of my decent photos were of spring brood males...
...with just one female settling long enough to get a photo.
Apart from the lower numbers of summer brood, those I did see were looking the worse for wear and I did not get any photos that I was happy with.

Cheers,

Neil.

Holly Blue

On my second proper visit to Shipton I was lucky enough to find some great butterfies but this Holly Blue female was a real star. I’d been trying out my technique for Brown Hairstreak spotting where I stroll around whistling nonchalantly and then rapidly turn to look at the bush so catching the Brostreaks unawares. Sounds silly but it seems to work though this time it was a Holly Blue that caught my eye. It was tightly closed when I spotted it but this shots show just how fair I’m come in my Holly Blue whispering training having picked up a few tips from the Master Millerd. My mumblings and whispered sweet nothings enticed this little beauty to open up showing how beautifully fresh and pristine she was.
Have a goodun

Wurzel