Purple Hairstreak - Favourite Photo of 2014

[Wurzel]

Week 14

So continues sequence of posts giving one and all the opportunity to showcase their favourite shots of 2014 (or the last time you saw one)!

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

[MikeOxon]

A pretty rubbish photo but the only one I got of this species, last year. It was a chance encounter, when my main target was Brown Hairstreaks along the Roman Road on Otmoor, Oxon.

Otmoor, Oxon - 18th August 2014
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR lens - 1/500s@f/8 ISO400

Mike

[Padfield]

This is my favourite, if only for the curious person sniffing around in the background.



(13th September, 2014)

Guy

[peterc]

I took this shot fairly late in the season and probably an ageing specimen showing a slight 'browning' of the forewings. Not the best quality

Peter

[David M]

I made a special effort to see recently emerged Purple Hairstreaks in 2014 in the hope that I might get to see one close to the ground for a change.

I visited Alner's Gorse on 1st July and duly managed to find a fresh PH on the ground although it made its way into deep ground cover meaning that any attempt to expose it risked the butterfly's well-being (so I beat a retreat). The best image I could take prior to the insect's escape was this:

A little later I saw another fresh looking individual seeking sugars on the berries of what appeared to be hawthorn:

[bugboy]

Beautiful image David

[David M]

Beautiful image David

Cheers, Bugboy. It was an exciting moment to see a freshly emerged specimen, but the hoped for open wing shot was sadly not forthcoming.

Not to worry, I still have another 25 years to achieve this!

[Jamie Burston]

Hi David,

berries of what appeared to be hawthorn

- I think this is Alder Buckthorn. Regarding your second photo of the Purple Hairstreak seeking sugars, was this individual (both are male) low down in height compared to the ground ? Thanks, Jamie

[David M]

Hi David,

berries of what appeared to be hawthorn

- I think this is Alder Buckthorn. Regarding your second photo of the Purple Hairstreak seeking sugars, was this individual (both are male) low down in height compared to the ground ? Thanks, Jamie

Thanks for the ID, Jamie (I'm not great with trees and shrubs tbh).

In fact, the second individual was fairly high up but the tree itself was only about 3m high. It was probably 2 feet above head height.

[Neil Freeman]

My favourites were from a short stop at Bernwood Meadows on my way back from Aston Rowant on 29th July. Having seen a number of Purple Hairstreaks here a few years back in some hawthorn at the end of the narrow meadow by the road, I have stopped off for a look every year since but this was the first time I have repeated the experience. There were a dozen or so hairstreaks in the hawthorns, mostly looking a bit aged and mostly around 8 to 10 feet or more high in the branches. Taking advantage of the variable angle screen on my Lumix FZ150 whilst holding it at full stretch above my head and using a bit of flash to light the butterflies against the sky, I managed a few shots that I was quite chuffed with.

Purple Hairstreak - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2014

Purple Hairstreak - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2014

I have posted all these before in my personal diary, including the following twosome shot...

Purple Hairstreaks - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2014

...and what are probably my favourites because of the behaviour involved, the following series of two individuals having a bit of a wrestling match over a prime bit of branch,

Purple Hairstreaks - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2014

Purple Hairstreaks - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2014

Purple Hairstreaks - Bernwood Meadows 29.07.2014

Cheers,

Neil.

[PhilBJohnson]

All these PH's were feeding on or near ground level and all pictures were taken on 12th July 2014 around lunchtime.
I think it was a damp, humid morning after a previously hot day and warming up fast (I am trying to think of something better to call it, rather than "a witching hour")
My experience might be more important than the quality of these pictures:

One on Bracken for Wurzel ! 12:03pm

12:05pm

12:10pm

12:56pm

I have a few other "not so good" photos which I am not sharing

[Jamie Burston]

Everyone's photos and information has been really helpful to me,especially regarding low down, thank you! I saw my first ever Purple Hairstreak back on the 16th August 2010 (have no idea how I post a photo on here), since then I've been observing and studying a colony at Wild Park in Brighton, observing near complete flight periods across 2011 - till present. As a result of my deep interest in this species I'll putting together a fact file or what you might just be able to class as an article for the species. Part of this is creating a chart which represents the times when Purple Hairstreak have been observed or photographed low down. The information you've provided will all help this, I currently have over 100 Purple Hairstreak instances, where the photographer has provided me with the time of which a Purple Hairstreak was photographed down low. This article I'm putting together will cover mainly the imago stage of the butterflies life. I'm a member of Sussex Butterfly Conservation and only joined UKButterflies in December after many years of following and visiting the site. It's finally great to reply and ask members on here when there is something of interest or liking. So far I've joined without anyone realising I'm new to the site.

[peterc]

Everyone's photos and information has been really helpful to me,especially regarding low down, thank you! I saw my first ever Purple Hairstreak back on the 16th August 2010 (have no idea how I post a photo on here), since then I've been observing and studying a colony at Wild Park in Brighton, observing near complete flight periods across 2011 - till present. As a result of my deep interest in this species I'll putting together a fact file or what you might just be able to class as an article for the species. Part of this is creating a chart which represents the times when Purple Hairstreak have been observed or photographed low down. The information you've provided will all help this, I currently have over 100 Purple Hairstreak instances, where the photographer has provided me with the time of which a Purple Hairstreak was photographed down low. This article I'm putting together will cover mainly the imago stage of the butterflies life. I'm a member of Sussex Butterfly Conservation and only joined UKButterflies in December after many years of following and visiting the site. It's finally great to reply and ask members on here when there is something of interest or liking. So far I've joined without anyone realising I'm new to the site.

Hi Jamie,

I used to live near Brighton a long long time ago

Anyway, as regards to Purple Hairstreaks being observed low down, in my experience, anytime between 0930 and 1530 hours is good if the weather is favorable. Also they are more likely to come down if any honeydew on the oak leaves has been washed away by rain. For the record, I took some photos of Purple Hairstreaks in the Stevenage area with the following dates and times:

13 July 2005 1318 hours
5 August 2006 1103 hours
8 September 2012 c1500 hours
19 August 2013 c1015 hours
23 August 2013 c1100 hours
2 September 2013 c1345 and c1520 hours (probably same individual)
3 August 2014 0935 hours

From just these observations it is possible that they are more likely to be seen low later in their flight period.

Good luck with your research.

Peter

[Jamie Burston]

peterc wrote:
13 July 2005 1318 hours
5 August 2006 1103 hours
8 September 2012 c1500 hours
19 August 2013 c1015 hours
23 August 2013 c1100 hours
2 September 2013 c1345 and c1520 hours (probably same individual)
3 August 2014 0935 hours

Thanks Peter for these low down times and dates, your observation notes are helpful. So far I've collected the data but I haven't really had the chance to organise the data to see the relation between times and the dates (flight period) when they are mostly seen at low levels. Really helpful and your comments are much appreciated. Jamie