Common Blue - Favourite Photo of 2024

[Wurzel]

Common Blue - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 4

What with Halloween gone and Bonfire Night imminent the shops will soon start playing their Xmas songs! So while you grind your teeth in exasperation consolation comes in the form of this weeks’ Favourites.

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

Wurzel

[Bertl]

I visited my favourite annual Common Blue haunt at Fallin Bing near Stirling a little earlier than normal on the 3rd of June this year and found quite a few butterflies on the wing on a sunny but windy day. However there were only male butterflies showing.

I revisited on the 10th of June in the hope of photographing some female common blues and was rewarded within 10 minutes with a fantastically marked individual.

Cheers

Bert.

[David Lazarus]

I had not realised how many lovely photographs of Common Blue I had taken during 2024 - so many it was hard to choose. I had to select those that had a story to go with it. But I could not choose one favourite photo of 2024 - sorry again

Firstly, a male from the small meadow at Meadgate Fields Open Space on my local patch. I had to have him as he was the first there this year, and remained for a very long time. So few, that I always fear the worst - that one day they will become extinct in this meadow, I kind of regard as mine when it actually belongs to the council and remains unmanaged.

Common Blue male - Meadgate Fields Open Space, Chelmsford on the 1st of June 2024 at 13.53

Common Blue male
Meadgate Fields Open Space 01/06/2024

Secondly, the first female I came across within the same River Chelmer flood plain adjacent to the Chelmer Road Bridge which crosses over Baddow Meads. Not only was she the first of the year but also she would remain the most blue of 2024. I also love the photograph [one of a series] because it was hard to get as she insisted on burying deep into the bottom of the vegetation which became a fluorescent green backdrop to her iridescent blue wings.

Common Blue female - Baddow Meads, Chelmsford on the 27th of May 2024 at 12.14

Common Blue female
Baddow Meads 27/05/2024

And lastly one of a couple of similar incidents whereby a virgin female was being courted by a handsome male. I love this one the best as she was a pretty little thing and they made the perfect couple. They were also buried deep down in the base of the grasses and was difficult to get. Another favourite photo coming from the EWT Great Holland Pits Nature Reserve up near Frinton-on-Sea.

Common Blue male and female - Great Holland Pits on the 26th of August 2024 at 11.13

Common Blue male & female
Great Holland Pits 26/08/2024

[Goldie M]

I saw my first Common Blue this year at Seasalter on the 2nd of June, I was disappointed so few were around which seemed to continue for the rest of the year where I live. Goldie

[Mitch]

Seen 3rd of August in a small patch of wildflower meadow in The Regent’s Park that is this year’s last refuge for the species there. In past years they have been over most of the Park.

[David M]

This one, seen at Oxwich Dunes in mid-May, was probably my favourite:

[Neil Freeman]

Following a couple of poor years around here due to both broods being hit by bad weather during what should have been peak emergence, last year saw a bit of a recovery for my local Common Blues. It was a pity therefore that this year they were hit again by poor weather with low numbers appearing around my local sites.
They seemed to do better a bit further south in Warwickshire with good numbers seen on the limestone at Bishops Hill when I visited there in May.

Common Blue male - bishops Hill 20.05.2024

Common Blue female - bishops Hill 20.05.2024

They also turned up regularly when I spent a few days on the Lizard in august and again in Dorset in early September but in both areas numbers were down on what had seen there during previous visits.

Common Blue female - Coast path on the Lizard 05.08.2024

Cheers,

Neil

[Butterfly_Julian]

This year turned out to be a terrible year for Common Blue at our normal stomping ground of The Naze in North East Essex. The area of good numbers in previous year's was under water all spring.

Having moved to a village location last year i took to exploring the fields behind us. I found a south facing triangle of field margin set aside, looks like it gets cut once a year. This area turned out to be a little haven form many species, Common Blue being one.

Julian

[essexbutterflyer]

Sadly common blues did terribly locally on the London/Essex border. Not as bad as brown argus, but still the only highlight was the end of the season (third brood) where they were in good numbers. They did much better in Brighton (uni) which was slightly relieving!

[Allan.W.]

Common Blues had a terrible season in 24' in my part of Kent .From high double figure counts (to around 100+) in 22' fewer in 23' and my best count on a same set circuit in Orlestone forest this season ,only 11 .At Dungeness my other most visited site,again fewer than last year,although numbers did pick up in later broods , unfortunately the rides In Orlestone were completely flattened of all flowering plants right at the end of summer ,and very little for butterflies of any description to nectar on ...........Good old "FORESTRY ENGLAND "......that said still found a few attractive females
Allan.W.

[David M]

Nice selection there, Allan.

[Allan.W.]

Thanks David !...............I,ll swap em' all for your superb American Painted Lady !
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

Lol! No way!

[Wurzel]

Common Blue

I’m sure that we’ve all experienced the gut feelings about how well a species ‘did’ over the course of the season. However this species was one that I struggled to get a handle on. My gut would tell me that there seemed to be less and then I would go for a walk and they’d turn up in the usual spots and my fears would be salved…only to then return later whilst looking through the shots which featured only one (or three from a larger site)? When it came to picking my Favourite, another way I have of gauging how well the fared I found it quite easy…which would normally mean they’d fared poorly. However due to the obvious choice; a female from Martin Down in mid-August; I’m still not convinced as she was such a looker all the others didn’t get a look in. As for how they did my minds not made up…

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Like the Brown Argus, this is another species that barely showed until the third brood. Looking through my pictures I can see around 80% were taken from August onwards. Anyway, as I usually do I like to focus of the hugely variable females so a selection of those:

[David T]

These two female Common Blues both stood out as being my favourites. Both were at Totternhoe nature reserve on 21st September 2024.

Female Common Blue - Totternhoe 21st Sept @ 12:13pm

Female Common Blue - Totternhoe 21st Sept @ 14:40pm

[David M]

That first one is a lovely colour, David.

[David T]

That first one is a lovely colour, David.

David, Thank you.
I have noticed a change with more and more blue version female Common Blues during the last few years, and they are now becoming as common as the browner versions. I'm not sure if this is allowed on this post? Below is Female Common Blue ab. fusca-supracaerulea. from 2023.

[David M]

That's a real stunner, David.

I too have noticed the seemingly increasing proportion of 'blue' females. It's getting to the point where I'm surprised when I see an old-fashioned 'brown one.

[Stevieb]

A very poor year for Common Blues around my way with only a handful seen on my local patch. This lovely fresh female was nice to see though.

12th June Bewley Common, Wiltshire