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Chalkhill Blue – 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 on the White Cliff's at Dover when I spotted just this single Chalkhill Blue, it was August and a really sunny day I'd been to Temple Ewell before and not seen a single one so I was pleased to get a shot .Goldie

this was taken on 24th July near Sundon Bedfordshire

Midday on the 14th July will had made a special trip, second of the year, to Devil's Dyke, Cambridgeshire.
Are targets for this trip were Chalkhill Blue, Dark Green Fritillary and Marbled White.
The Chalkhill blues were out in good numbers and looking very fresh, plenty of photo opportunities on a hot sunny date.

Julian

I almost missed out on Chalkhill Blue this year and just managed to catch up with a few aged examples on Bindon Hill when we were down in Dorset in in early September.
The two below were the best examples among a handful of well worn individuals seen comprised of two males and 5 or 6 females.
Cheers,

Neil.

This was taken at Arreton Down IOW. Best seen full screen.

Chalkhill Blue

This image, from Martin Down, struck me at the time it was taken as my favourite encounter with this species and hence it’s selection for my Favourite. I think it was the combination fresh individuals in cop that first started edging it up into the ‘Favourite’ section of my mind but then its fate was sealed when I spotted the ‘silver studs’ on the female, something I’d seen before but not quite as extensive as this.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

The Chalkhills seemed to be a little late in appearing this year, and it was well into July before I found the first males at both Denbies and Aston Rowant. Numbers were definitely lower than usual, and though I counted a couple of hundred on one day at Denbies, this is much reduced from the peaks of some years. They were pretty sparse at Aston Rowant, and also at Box Hill on visits I made there. That best day at Denbies was 1st August, and the numbers included at least ten mating pairs......a rather nice ab......and one of several fresh females.An earlier visit on 28th July had produced one of the "silver-spotted" variety.The other two that stick in the memory are both from Aston Rowant - a male drying its wings on 29th July......and a pristine male right at the start of their season on 17th July. Dave

Just got the one opportunity with this species domestically - at Swellshill Bank in Gloucestershire in mid-August.

This male was probably the nicest I came across that day:
But this year's favourite is a female, due to the suffusion of blue scales on the uppersides, even a little on the forewings:

My abiding memory of them this year was I seemed to come across an ab every time I was out looking for them. A female with some asymmetrical blue scaling. I'm not sure if she is a true gynandromorph but that's what I've labelled her for want of a better name so I can find the pics in the future. I found a male ab. fowleri on Denbies hillside and on the same day my first ab. obsoleta (this was his better side) The following day I found another on Malling Down, here's both sides of him and finally, at the end of the month I found a third at Mill Hill

The season started late this year for the chalkies on 16th July. With no October sightings this year for the first time in 5 years, with the last sighting of a female on 29th September. A fresh male and female below were my two favourites.