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Common Blue - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 4

Another week passes and still the butterflies fly…just in some cases. Still only another 20 weeks or so and we’ll be back in the butterflies. In the mean time…

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years 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

End of May in the south of France. A mating pair. Chris

I'm going to cheat again, as I really can't decide between my two favourites!

The first stands out because it was my favourite butterfly of the day, on a day when I saw my first ever Large Blues! A marvellous ab. suffusa at Daneways Banks, on 23rd June.
The second was taken a month later (25th July) at dusk in a meadow behind YHA Wilderhope Manor in Shropshire. It appeals to me because it would almost pass for black-and-white at a glance, if it weren't for the shining row of orange spots.

I'm not even going to try to pick a favourite. This species had a good year by all accounts, they certainly seemd to be ever present at most sites I visited even up to last weekend! As ever the variety of female colouration was exceptional with several blue forms really standing out for me and about as blue as it's possible for a female to be As for the males, well this freshly emerged one on the last day of October looks rather nice uncoiling his tongue

I still think the Butterfly I miss took for a Brown Argus is my favourite but not to repeat myself, I've chosen a Male and Female I really like, I saw the Male at SPH OH! Kent on the 24th July and the Female in Southport Dunes on the 9th of August Goldie

I was struggling to find any reasonable images of a Common Blue this year, but this one came to my rescue on 2nd November.
Vince

Common Blue is one of those butterflies we take for granted. It's so...well....erm, common! However, when fresh it is a glorious insect and I always look forward to that mid May period when they start to emerge.

Here's the first male I saw in 2018 at Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea (18 May):

Great photo David. That has brightened up my evening

Common Blues seemed to have a good year in 2018. I had more in my garden than ever before and at several sites I visited they were also very numerous. Lots of photographs to choose from but I have selected one I took in on 1 June at Upton Towans, one of my favourite sites for butterflying. Although it was cool and a sea mist was blowing over the dunes I had a good visit and saw lots of nice things including this couple.

Lots of Common Blues seen this year and even a few third brood seen around the midlands. Most of my favourite shots were females which mostly consisted of good old fashioned brown forms.
I like the metallic sheen on the fresh first brood male below,
and the way the blue graduates to a more turquoise colour on the hind wings of this second brood male,
Cheers,

Neil.

I only seem to have pointed my camera at one of these butterflies this last season, so choosing has not been a problem.

It's a pretty 'average' specimen - some wear on the fringes, a tear in one wing - a representative of the 'common man'
Lets hope this species continues to be widespread in future years.

Mike

High numbers of Common Blues here in my part of Kent ,although for me the third brood ,particularly the females were practically non -existant . In the first brood in the local forest (Orlestone ) ,last year I had three 80 + counts but was amazed to have one count of 140
and another of around a hundred ,this year.Also high numbers in the Crundale and Wye area and at Dungeness and Lydden NNR. Allan.W.

For me, the Common Blues were definitely the winners this season.
I had some very good fortune, in finding some superb speciemens(most notably, the female blue type/phase/forms).
My 1st "blue female" was found at Queensdown Warren, late afternoon in early August.

Then on 29/9/18, i found 2 fresh females(Bredhurst, Kent). Both different colouration, yet stunning!

On the 5/10/18(once again at Bredhurst) I found a real beauty, my 2nd for the year, female blue type!
Again, i think it will be a long time, before i see/photograph these beauties, in such perfect conditions(although the late afternoon bright sunlight) made it quite difficult at times!

The Bredhurst site is new to me for Butterflies, ive been here for Adders(snakes) but that was 2 years ago.
I think i will make this location a regular place to visit now!

Female Common Blue(blue type). 2nd brood, Queensdown Warren, Kent. 4/8/18. Female Common Blues, various "browns an blues". 3rd brood, Bredhurst, Kent. 29/9/18. Not forgetting the males, same location/date.




Female Common Blue(Blue type) 3rd brood, Bredhurst, Kent. 5/10/18.

Common Blue

When it comes to picking your favourite shot for some species it can be really difficult, especially for the more abundant species because of the sheer number of shots to wade through. Normally Common Blues fall into this category but not this year. For me my stand out favourite came on my second visit to Broughton Down up in the top triangle field. A small to middling butterfly flew by and landed on the opposite side of the bank to me. I managed to get in a bit closer because I was baffled by its appearance. It looked a grey, silver colour but as I got nearer I could see that it had the shape of a Blue and not a Hairstreak. The wing margins weren’t chequered but instead were a dull grey and the main background colour was neither brown nor blue. It was a beautiful, dusky Common Blue.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Has to be this one for me. A gorgeous morning on Salisbury Plain when I stumbled across a roost of 30-40 Common Blues in a small area.

You can't beat a fresh Common Blue. This photo was taken this spring at Fermyn Country Park in Northants