Long-tailed Blue ALERT

[Mark Tutton]

After many fruitless searches I finally tracked down Long-tailed Blues on my local patch, Portsdown Hill.
Seven or eight were frequently spotted in a fairly sheltered area of south facing slope that they were using as their lek. Three males and a female were extremely fresh and it ultimately resulted in a pairing, probably the first to be photographed in Hampshire. These butterflies were certainly home grown and I have identified a large area of BLEP on the embankment of the M27, which is only half a mile away, that I think could be a significant breeding ground.
With the weather set fair for a couple of days I think we should see more