Green Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2016

[Wurzel]

Green Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2016

Week 6

Week six and we're close to a third of the way through the '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

[millerd]

This has to be my favourite because it was confirmation that the species had moved north across the railway line to appear in the main part of Bedfont Lakes Country Park (which is five minutes from work). Even better, this individual appeared to be laying on the bird's-foot trefoil that grows abundantly here under a stand of bramble. I just hope the rater haphazard mowing regime here didn't interfere too much with the early stages.

I saw the species in number of other spots, and it appeared to have done quite well this year. Here's another one, from Totternhoe in Bedfordshire, showing the chalky habitat.

Dave

[bugboy]

This year I really wanted to capture the iridescence of the underside and after a tip from Susie I found the colony at Denbies using a small Hawthorn almost like a master tree and spent a good hour with them. I was very pleased with what I managed to get

[IAC]

With such a short window of opportunity and so few decent days to go looking for this species, it is always a tense affair looking for them. We do have some very lively colonies up here in the Scottish Borders, but there is always so much more to do than be dragged up into the high hill burns for a species that flies so early when nothing else dares to. But I cannot resist this..no matter how hard it might be..how can anyone resist the lure. This one was one of just three found on a Blaeberry infested hillside overlooking the town of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.

[Chris Jackson]

There is nothing remarkable about these photos apart from the dates they were taken on.
My first GH sighting in 2016 here in the South of France was on February 1st .
This is very early, even for here. If this repeats itself in 2017, I only have to wait 11 weeks from now.
GH on Globularia:

GH on Rock Rose:

Their habitat as was, on my works lunchtime patch:

Their habitat now after the wildfires of August 10th.

Will there be any BFs to be seen here in 2017 ?
Cheers, Chris

[Goldie M]

I took my photos between the 9th of May and the 22nd of May at Gait Barrow, usually I've only seen them once on my journey to GB but this year they were more plentiful and in places i'd not seen them before which was unexpected and exciting and I thought at the time maybe the Dukes would also be the same, (no such luck) Goldie

[Allan.W.]

Didn,t have a great season,with the Green Hairstreaks this season,those I did see were mainly in the Wye/ Crundale area in the North Downs,
That said ,I was very pleased to find a single individual ,in Orlestone forest (Longrope wood),just off my transect walk,there have been one or two records here in the past
but not recently, I,ve been visiting this wood for over thirty years ,and this is the first I,ve seen,so well pleased,i,ll make more effort to find them there again next season (hopefully !!). My picture was taken on one of the "Duke" expeditions I managed this season. Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

This species is right outside my front door on the Gower, but I spent far too little time in their company in 2016.

This individual was defending his territory a mere 10 minutes walk away on 3rd June:

[Matsukaze]

but I spent far too little time in their company in 2016

So did I (just a few on one day), but is it ever possible to spend enough time with them?

[Wurzel]

Green Hairstreak

This was taken at my Duke Site and it was my first view of a Greenstreak in 2016. It would have been a fantastic photo if the buds hadn’t have been in the way and at first I was slightly frustrated with the butterfly as it insisted on staying in this place. Later I was disappointed as the parts visible through the foliage were in sharp focus and really detailed. Later still it became my favourite because it reflects my history with this species – from an initial ‘easy win’ to years of struggle and strife before laterally settling into a relationship of mutual respect/distrust!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

My favourite Green Hairstreak photos last year were all taken at Ryton Wood Meadows which is probably the most reliable site in Warwickshire for this species. My visit on a mostly dull and overcast Spring Bank Holiday Monday nevertheless produced half a dozen or so individuals that were just active enough to be flying but settled often, albeit with the usual shuffling about that Hairstreaks are known for.

Green Hairstreak - Ryton 30.05.2016

Green Hairstreak - Ryton 30.05.2016

Green Hairstreak - Ryton 30.05.2016

I also saw plenty of Green Hairstreaks in Glen Loy a week later but these were much more worn and faded which indicated that they had been flying longer, no doubt due to the weather up there which had been much better than we had been having in the midlands.

Cheers,

Neil

[celery]

I know a few people who went to the usually reliable site at Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire and came away without seeing a single critter - but they were there - and in similar numbers to previous years. They had simply relocated - to the bilberry bushes about 200 metres away from the 'normal' ones.

Theses shots aren't from that location however, they're from the former steel works site at Asfordby Hill, near Melton Mowbray. It's the same individual - but I couldn't decide which I like best.

[David M]

They had simply relocated - to the bilberry bushes about 200 metres away from the 'normal' ones.

Always pays to know the foodplant(s) of butterfly species. More often than not, they can be found in close proximity!

[MikeOxon]

I always enjoy the spectrum of colours that this species displays. This example, which I saw at the Warburg Reserve, near Henley, was particularly colourful but almost completely lacked any white 'hairstreak'.

Warburg Reserve, Bix - 16th May 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/1000s@f/10 ISO 500

Mike