Holly Blue - Favourite Photo of 2023

[Wurzel]

Holly Blue - Favourite Photo of 2023

Week 8

So with the Social passed and the weather really turning wintry (for now at any rate) what better time to snuggle up with the warmth of the laptop and continue selecting your Favourite shots from 2023?

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

[Wurzel]

Holly Blue

This was taken at Five Rivers on May Day. During the morning we’d visited Garston Wood but come the afternoon I still had a bit of itching in my boots so I stomped over to Five Rivers to see what I could find. It turned out to be a mighty good decision what with some cracking Orange-tip shots and also this brilliantly well behaved Holly Blue. It instantly became my Fave of 2023 and didn’t lose its position over the course of the season despite stiff competition. I chose it as the three quarter open wing pose shows off the markings on the leading edge of the fore wing really well, I love that the black and white chequers that run down the costa are visible accentuating the fact that this species looks a little like half an Adonis and half like a Common Blue.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[overthepass]

These seemed to do well in the Surrey/ SW London area, especially the second generation. A partial third generation as well.

Here's a first generation male at a local nature reserve on the edge of SW London in early May. It was very vividly coloured so presumably quite fresh, but nevertheless looked already to have had an uncomfortably close encounter with a bird.

And here's a first generation female from the North Downs near Chipstead in mid May

This female seemed to be enjoying the yarrow at a local recreation ground in SW London. I've not previously noted that as a popular nectar plant, but then Holly Blue seems to be quite broad in its tastes, and will use garden flowers like golden rod and snowberry which other butterflies don't seem keen on.

Whilst later in August, at a local nature reserve in suburban Surrey, this one favoured fleabane.

[IAC]

I get very few bites at Holly Blue in former years feeding on the scraps whilst others elsewhere have enjoyed unfettered access. It's been frustrating. South east Scotland this year however was very well lit up revealing at last the hiding places of the Holly Blue. An embarrassment of riches. Good things come to those who wait. The waiting though is not at all fun. This one was a latecomer in September showing a Spring liverie. Probably the most beautiful Butterfly I had seen all year.

[Wolfson]

Holly Blue had a fantastic season in my South Cambridgeshire garden, especially the spring brood. When the Holly flower buds opened in late April, the females turned their attention to the Cornus flower buds. At times there were several females simultaneously laying eggs whilst the males investigated. I have chosen a photograph that shows a typical encounter between the sexes and a photograph taken shortly afterwards of a female who has just deposited an egg. I don’t know if it’s always the case but egg laying seems to require the “dipping “ of the antenna?

[David Lazarus]

A very good year for Holly Blue in Chelmsford, including at my home where 6 emerged in the Spring and 5 more later in the year. One of the Spring brood, a beautiful female basking on Persicaria during mid-morning

Holly Blue f 18/05/2023

And a tatty specimen from a trip to Brighton later in the summer nectaring on Hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabium - I like the profile shot

Holly Blue 13/08/2023

A female emerged on the 10th October to nectar on the abundant ivy flowers - however, I think she was alone.

[David M]

...Probably the most beautiful Butterfly I had seen all year.

That really is quite sumptuous, Iain. Even though they're common round my way, it still makes my heart jump when I see a fresh female posed like that.

[Goldie M]

I saw loads of Holly Blues this year in my garden, I found it hard to pick out just one so, i've posted four all taken from April through May and June Goldie

[Matsukaze]

A good year for Holly Blues in the garden. This one was being unusually photogenic on 1 September.

[IAC]

...Probably the most beautiful Butterfly I had seen all year.

That really is quite sumptuous, Iain. Even though they're common round my way, it still makes my heart jump when I see a fresh female posed like that.

Yes a corker of thing David. Still relatively scarce up here. It was a season to long remember chasing them through Hedgerows and Brambles in and out of private gardens and down sunlit woodland paths. . If things go to plan we should be seeing them far more regularly from now on in. The great Insect push north continues apace.

[David M]

Hope so, Iain. As you say, that border area to the east is gathering new species at quite a pace these last few years. You'll have Gatekeepers up there before much longer!

[Neil Freeman]

A good year for Holly Blues around my patch with above average numbers of spring brood seen.

Holly Blue male - Wagon Lane 18.04.2023

Good numbers also seen when we went down south to see our daughter in May.

Holly Blue female - Old Winchester Hill 13.05.2023

The follow on summer brood were also numerous around my area...

Holly blue male - Wagon Lane 25.07.2023

...but even more so when we went down south to see our daughter again in late August.

Holly Blue male - Pagham Harbour 30.08.2023

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

My favourites are both from April at Cwm Ivy on the NW Gower coast.

Firstly, this female (albeit with a slightly deformed wing) on 8th:

This fresh male on 17th had a highly attractive underside:

[bugboy]

Judging by everyone else's experiences, I must have been walking around with my eye's closed where these were concerned, I didn't see that many overall. Based solely on my experience I'd have said they had a below average season Anyway, here's a nice male who sat still low down long enough for my camera to record his presence.

[millerd]

Unlike Paul's experience, the Hollies on my local patch had a really good season (but to be honest, I can't recall a bad one here). They were a bit slow getting started, and the third brood was nothing special, but the aggregate count over all my 2023 outings came to nearly 1100 butterflies. The peak days were 4th May (29), 25th May (34), 23rd July (52) and 19th August (40). I must have taken thousands of photos, eventually distilled down to maybe a couple of hundred, but singling out a particular favourite is well-nigh impossible.

I've selected a few slightly different ones...

Firstly, here is a pairing from 9th May,

Considering the numbers I see overall, I rarely come across any pairings at all.

The spring brood really aren't at all fussy about what they lay their eggs on. Every year I see if I can spot a new plant and on 27th May 2023 it was a species of grass.

When the next brood appeared in July, the weren't in the least bit bothered by the downswing to cooler and wetter weather. In fact the wide array of muddy puddles enticed them down in numbers and several times when I wasn't paying proper attention I disturbed silvery clouds from the ground. The most I squeezed into one frame was this group of five, but there were twos and threes nearby as well.

Finally I always like to get a close-up of this charismatic little butterfly.

In the end, I also succumbed to including more standard views of both sexes.

Dave