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Brown Argus – Favourite Photo 2024

Week 2

If the other weeks pass as quickly as that one we’ll be spotting awoken hibernators before you know it! This week we pass from the B’s into the C’s…

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

I was at Reculver on the 17th of August when I saw my First Brown Argus, I'd given up hope of seeing them for this year so was pleased to get a shot, Goldie

10 am Saturday 7th September, Pipers Vale , Ipswich, hot and sunny. A planned visit to see if we could find a Brown Hairstreak, sadly no joy. But was very pleased to find Some lovely, (and almost as hard to see this year) Brown Argus.

Julian

That's a real nice image, Julian.

Brown Argus were rather disappointing on my local patch in 2024. In 2023, they had outnumbered the Common Blues, but this year things have been very much reversed. This time last year (mid-October) I was still seeing one or two third brood individuals, but there have been none since the last week of September this year. That said, I discovered a new area on my local patch where they seemed to be thriving - which is where this particular shot was taken.Back in the spring I had found an unusual male, where the red-orange spots were a golden-yellow colour. This is the same butterfly a week later.However, probably my favourite shot of the species was taken at Cotley Hill in Wiltshire on 11th May. Dave

As others have noted ,Brown Argus were in very short supply in 24'. I found the same thing here in mid-Kent , only seen in ones and twos even in the "Hotspot" areas such as Dungeness and the North Downs .......and almost completely absent from Orlestone forest.This one is from Hothfield Common.
Allan.W.

millerd wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2024 9:39 pm =Back in the spring I had found an unusual male, where the red-orange spots were a golden-yellow colour.

You're doing very well on the aberrations, Dave! This conforms to ab. pallidior.

Cheers,

- Pete

Brown Argus are always a bit hit and miss for me locally and after a good year in 2023, I failed to find a single one at my local spots in 2024.

I did find a few elsewhere in my travels but numbers did not appear to be particularly good anywhere.

A first brood example from Prestbury Hill near Cheltenham where I saw a couple in May.
Numbers of second brood appeared to be a bit better in Dorset when I was there in early September but most of those that I saw down there were getting on a bit by then. The example below from Osmington was probably the best I saw.
Cheers,

Neil.

Apologies. I am hoping you will allow me the indulgence, as the following is not strictly speaking a Favourite Photo, but a sequence of photographs representing my favourite moment with a Brown Argus during 2024. An incredible swirling courtship around the pink-tinged tip of a grass head - just wonderful to experience. It went on so long, I left them to it before seeing them in cop, as I had more than outstayed my welcome and did not want to disturb them anymore.

Brown Argus courtship - Hatfield Forest on the 13th June 2024 at 11.00am
Another example [see Brimstone] of a male behaving how Essex Boys do, showing off their skills when a single female is about.

Brown Argus

These seemed to be one of those species which had mixed fortunes this year and your perspectives of ‘how well they did’ depended on which sites you visited. For me they seemed to arrive later than expected and their numbers gradually built to round about their usual figures. Hence when it came to picking my Fave I had a fair number of folders to search through. However I actually only got one folder in when I suddenly remembered this shot from The Devenish back at the end of May. I’d gone to visit not expecting anything out of the ordinary and then this little blighter went and sat on a Spotted Orchid. Thus brightening my day and as well as making a nice addition to my ‘Butterflies on Orchids’ collection, cementing its place as my Favourite shot of this species for 2024.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Seen precious few of these domestically this year.

It took till 10th May to get my first:

No real stand out moments for them this year, primarily because I barely saw any until the third brood kicked in. Still this amorous male pestering a patient female did make for a nice image

After the boom of 2023 was followed by the bust of 2024. This Female Brown Argus Aberattion is my favourite.

David T wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 10:13 pmAfter the boom of 2023 was followed by the bust of 2024..

Absolutely. This species suffered seemingly more than any other in my experience last year.

David M wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2025 10:10 am

David T wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 10:13 pmAfter the boom of 2023 was followed by the bust of 2024..

Absolutely. This species suffered seemingly more than any other in my experience last year.

I agree David, only the Small Cooper and Small Tortoiseshell locally had a worse 2024. All three had their worst seasons on record, we can only hope with many of our butterfies that had a poor 2024 season, numbers will recover again in 2025.