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Small Blue - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 16

The week of diminutive! Which is what I said last year but when we get to the Smalls you know that the end is nearing!
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

Two Pictures of Small Blues taken 10th May 2024 at Chapel Bank NR in Surrey
Lower numbers this year and in 2 broods rather than the 17 weeks without a break as usual
6 Weeks 2 week gap then 5 weeks in 1s and 2s and a total of 66, down from 1400 in 2019

This one, seen on 3rd June on the Swansea coast, was probably my favourite:

I only spent one day looking for small blues on the 25th May at a site in Glamis. There were around a dozen on the wing that day. Best photos attached.

Bert.

A few more from Glamis, Scotland, along an abandoned railway track. There used to be many colonies on the old railway network, but most have scrubbed over over the decades.

Bertl wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2025 8:18 pm I only spent one day looking for small blues on the 25th May at a site in Glamis.
Bert.

Your photos were taken the same day that Ben and I were there, Bert. Maybe you were in the sand pits while we were on the railway line in the other direction.

ChrisStamp wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2025 11:20 am

Bertl wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2025 8:18 pm I only spent one day looking for small blues on the 25th May at a site in Glamis.
Bert.

Your photos were taken the same day that Ben and I were there, Bert. Maybe you were in the sand pits while we were on the railway line in the other direction.

Chris

You are correct. I was in the sand pits for a couple of hours between 10 am till midday.
Maybe I'll explore the railway line a bit more this year?

My best

Bert.

Despite relatively low numbers for the Small Blue in 2024 - The seaon ended up being one of the most unusual, fascinating, out of the ordinary years that I can recall. The flight season started on 11th May with 6 individuals at Totternhoe quarry, 1 on Sewell Cutting and single sighting on my local patch. The first of seven pairs was on my local patch with the last pair also on the same patch I had lots of sightings of fresh nice looking individuals. These two below were two of which stood out.The last of the mating pairs from my local patch in Houghton RegisThere was also what I can only describe as the tiniest Small Blue I have ever seen, only about 1/2 inch wing-span (12-14mm)In early September was when things got really exciting with a new fresh, active emergence of Small Blues. A total of 9 indiviual sightings on the 5th September.On the 12th and 13th the mornings started with a touch of frost and day time temperatures only reaching 12 degrees celcius. A fresh male thought my hand would be a good place to keep warm for a while, with 9 more indivdual sightings on the 14th. At least one made it through over 200mm of rain on the last week, with a single sighting on 28th before going on a 5 day holiday. On my return from my hols I was amazed to find a further fresh, active Small Blue on 5th October with two more sightings on 7th. What I also found unusual for some of the later sightings, I found they spent a lot of time higher up in the ivy canopy or bramble bushes, three or four metres above head height which I have not witnessed before. The last sighting was a male on 16th October. He was first seen up in the canopy of the IVY with a Holy Blue before briefly coming down to ground. If my calculations are correct the Small Blue on my local patch had an astonshing 158 days on the wing (over 5 Months) I would be intersted if the Small Blue has had extended seasons like this in any other locations?

As usual, I had a run down to Bishops Hill in Warwickshire in May to see Small Blue. Numbers appeared to be good although parts of this site are suffering from scub encroachment which will have a detrimental effect if it is not tackled soon.
I saw more (a lot more) a few days later at Prestbury Hill near Cheltenham where they were all over the hillsides, often congregating in groups around bird droppings on the paths.
Cheers,

Neil

A curious Small Blue which I think might have been a bilateral gynandromorph (you can see the difference in size and shape of the wings, near side male, far side female) however it never opened it's wings for conformation so it will have to stay as a maybe

Small Blue

I was lucky enough to make a recce visit to Sidbury Hillfort one evening after work. After the joys of Dukes and Walls and Marshies I was witness to all kinds of Blues starting to head for bed and settling down to roost. Amongst them were a couple of Small Blues one of which allowed me to capture an image that I’ve been striving for over a number of years. There it was, speckles of blue scales, wings open wide and head down whilst it soaked up the last of the days rays whilst all around the grasses made a complimentary colour palette. Job done, shot got – brilliant.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

bugboy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:38 pm A curious Small Blue which I think might have been a bilateral gynandromorph (you can see the difference in size and shape of the wings, near side male, far side female) however it never opened it's wings for conformation so it will have to stay as a maybe Small Blue, Hutchinson's Bank.JPG

I think you are correct as it shows all the signs, different length antennae, different wing shape that dont match, I always want to see one in the Duke to get a butterfly with 5 legs, the only possible odd number legs you can have.