Adonis Blue - Favourite Photo of 2019

[Wurzel]

Adonis Blue - Favourite Photo of 2019

Week 1

So it’s that time of year again; the shops have Halloween AND Christmas displays, the weather is up and down and butterfly sightings are coming fewer further between. So it’s time to search through the hard drive and find your Favourite Photos of 2019.
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.
Here we go then!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Always one of the trickiest to select - I visit quite a few of the good sites for this species. Most are doing well, though the second brood at Denbies this year seemed rather weak and drawn out. Theories have been advanced about the grazing regime - we shall see. Here goes with a few highlights. The most memorable female I saw was on 19th May at Cotley Hill in Wiltshire: I am a sucker for the really dark ones with contrasting sparkles of blue scaling.

A few fresh males from across the sites and from both broods:

Martin Down 12th May

Denbies 14th May

Aston Rowant 25th May

Mill Hill 2nd August

Shipton Bellinger 13th August

An underside:

Aston Rowant 17th August

Finally, a male ab. krodeli from Denbies on 31st May.

What a glorious butterfly this species is.

Dave

[MrSp0ck]

Only one entry this year, taken at the Spring Brood at Denbies, the Second Brood was very weak.

[bugboy]

No competition for me this year. When a fresh male settles in front of you in perfect light and open his wings up like this how could I possibly ignore him!

[David M]

Didn't see this species in the UK this year, but there are always plenty on the continent, including these individuals seen puddling in the Pyrenees towards the end of May:

[Wolfson]

After an absence of c. 60 years, Adonis Blue was reported at Therfield Heath, Hertfordshire in late August. I think the explanation for the reappearance remains a mystery. I visited on 1 September and saw 20 males and fewer females one of which was very attractive. Despite her deformed wings, she was extremely active and not easy to follow across the very steep slope. However, I did managed one photograph that shows her beauty and this, combined with the effort involved makes her photograph my favourite of 2019. I found one mating pair so they might be seen in 2020.

[Neil Freeman]

As usual for me, I missed the first brood of Adonis Blue and caught up with the second brood during a trip down to Dorset in early September. Numbers were lower than I have seen in some years but I saw them at all the usual sites that I normally visit down there plus a couple of new spots for me.

A small selection below;

Adonis Blue - Fontmell Down 01.09.2019

Adonis Blue - Osmington 04.09.2019

Adonis Blue - Osmington 04.09.2019

Adonis Blue female - Durlston 03.09.2019

Cheers,

Neil.

[Allan.W.]

All my Adonis pics ,were from my closest site near Crundale in Kent ,far fewer this year compared to last ,and the second brood was very disappointing ! that said there still seemed to be a lot of Abberant individuals about .
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

Lovely presentation, Allan, especially that first aberrant individual.

[Wurzel]

Adonis Blue

I haven’t really started considering how each species fared over this season but my gut feeling was that I didn’t see as many Adonis as I’m used to seeing? Either this or I missed out on visiting sites where they were prevalent as when it came to selecting my favourite shot it wasn’t as hard as it usually is. This shot was taken at Hill on a meet up with Dave and Philzoid and is my favourite because she was simply stunning – not only does she sit so nicely but with and glorious smattering of electric blue ‘sequins'.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[CallumMac]

I really struggled to find these this year - my visits down south just missing the end of the first generation and the start of the second. Finally I caught them in the early morning sun at Anchor Bottom on 1st Sept. This female slowly woke up on the tip of a spike of Autumn Ladies-tresses. Or did I place it there in the cool of the morning? Who knows...