Large Blue - Favourite Photo of 2017

[Wurzel]

Large 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

[petesmith]

Had my best ever year with Large Blue in 2017, in the Dordogne. Three of my favourites below - just a stunningly beautiful butterfly with a fabulous history and lifestyle to match...

[bugboy]

A last minute decision to go to Daneway Banks again this year made for a memorable afternoon chasing all sorts of butterflies. The Large Blues all seemed to be egg laying females, although I never actually saw an egg actually being laid. I like the Plume moth here casually photobombing the Blue

[David M]

Made a trip to Daneway Banks on 17th June and was fortunate to see this mating pair:

Even in the French Alps this species is relatively thin on the ground. I think their lifecycle dictates that they can never be around in plague numbers. These Large Blues are darker than the UK form, but no less attractive for that:

[millerd]

I had two visits to Collard Hill in three days (en route to and from Taunton for a weekend). Both visits were cursed with cloudy and not very warm conditions, but I saw Large Blues on both days. On 23rd June, there were more around, but they weren't opening up...

...and on 25th, I found only two, but in a two-minute burst of sunshine, one finally obliged.

.

I need to try Daneway for a change next year.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Large Blue

Some Favourite selections are really tricky to make as there are for species that you either see in huge numbers or at a multitude of sites. However for the Large Blue this year it was a relatively simple task as I only visited the one site – Daneways and due to the baking hot weather they were quite hard to photograph as they were so active. Perseverance did pay off and I managed to get a range of shots including an open wing shot which for a day with such high temperatures was a real rarity. However this one was my favourite as it stood out and as I’d scroll through the images from the day this was the one that I stopped at most times.

Have a goodun

Wurzel