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Chalkhill Blue - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 2

Well where did that week go? There are still some butterflies holding on so don’t put your cameras away just yet, although it might be a good idea to have a think about your overall favourite now so you don’t inadvertently use it in the ‘Favourite (insert name of species here)’ post.

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 got then!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Maybe this one

Not so much a favourite image as a favourite butterfly, this female ab. from Denbies.

This is difficult. I find Chalkhill Blue very photogenic and obliging especially early in the morning. Early morning visits to my local site are possibly my seasonal highlight and these all came from one such trip.

Chalkhill Blues had one of their bumper years on a lot of sites, certainly on the two I visit most: Denbies and Aston Rowant. The former played host to thousands in the latter half of July and early August and they were a sight worth seeing. Aston Rowant also did well, and for some reason I've always found it a great spot to see the female of the species, with considerable variation between individuals. 2021 was no exception, but my most enduring memory from here in 2021 has to be from the soggy, foggy morning of 25th July...The following day was entirely different and I was able to concentrate on my hunt for interesting female Chalkhills. Dave

My favourite Chalkhill Blue photograph is of this male resting on the seed head of a soft rush in the middle of a wealden wood.
It is well known that this species can erupt from its downland colonies in good years.
I have seen such wanderers before but they seem so out of place flying around in a marshy meadow within a wealden wood, at least 5 miles from its nearest downland population.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

Some lovely shots in here, they put mine to shame, only excuse, I was hurried

I had about an hour to spend at Temple Ewell in July when I took these shots , I was so pleased to see some Butterflies in Kent other then in my Daughters garden Goldie

Chalkhill Blue

I had a cracking run in the lead up to the now annual again visit to my Outlaws in Wales. I’d ticked off Silver-Spots, Brown Hairstreak and Grayling but surprisingly I’d still not seen a Chalkhill so upon my return the first and second trips that I made were to The Devenish and on both occasions I picked up some lovely fresh Chalkhills. This one was my favourite from those visits and from all other subsequent visits too as it was such a fresh male but also because it had carrying a passenger. I’ve seen flies landing on Brimstones plenty of times – and Bugboy even got a shot of a Brimstone with Large Skipper in attendence but I can’t recall seeing flies on other species so this was a first for me, hence it stuck in my memory and hence it earnt its spot as my Fave of 2021.
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Wolfson wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:38 am This is difficult. I find Chalkhill Blue very photogenic and obliging especially early in the morning. Early morning visits to my local site are possibly my seasonal highlight and these all came from one such trip.

That middle image is a peach, Wolfson. Not sure how you improve on that!

As is often the case with the chalk grassland species, I only got one opportunity to see this butterfly in 2021. It was at Aston Rowant on the last day of the July heatwave (23rd):

Chalkhill Blue seemed to do pretty well on Denbies Hillside this year, although not quite up to the levels of about a decade ago when for a couple of seasons they were around in clouds.

Amongst the hundreds of Chalkhills flying at Temple Ewell (Kent ) this season was this , male AB;Caeca ,not an uncommon variation at this site ,but what was particularly unusual about this particular insect ,was the very striking ,metallic sheen to the topside ,which was very evident from some distance away ,and what actually drew me to this butterfly .......................sadly couldn,t capture the "shine" in my pictures,
the underside aberration was really just a bonus .
Allan.W.