Adonis Blue - Favourite Photo of 2013

[Vince Massimo]

Starting this week, here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2013 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter, eventually covering all 59 species which are regularly found in the British Isles. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

[Wurzel]

This was taken at The Devenish in the last week of August. It’s my favourite shot as I felt it was one of my first decent ones of an open wing second brood. Also it served as a reminder to me not to ignore what is on your doorstep. I could have driven to Martin Down or Stockbridge (25 or 40 minutes away) hoping to find these butterflies – but here they were 4 minutes drive away from my home. I like this as closer butterflies equals less petrol and less travelling time and so more time “on site” which when you’re on slim time rations is very important!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[John W]

This is my favourite of 2013 - the gorgeous azure blue brightening up a dull afternoon at Malling Down in Sussex, 1st Sept 2013.

Cheers
John

[CJB]

Hi UK B'ers,

This was the first time I had found an Adonis and as ever was taken with my mobile; it is the closest I have got to 'doing a Padfield'!

I took it at Figsbury rings back in June.

I have just noticed interesting spots on the right forewing, which I hadn't noticed before.

Flutter on!

CJB

[andy brown]

Took these in Wiltshire and it is the first year I have seen them included is an unusual one with Black instead of Orange spots on hind wing.

Cheers

Andy

[badgerbob]

Like Wurzel's this one was taken very local. Possibly not even a 4 minute drive, at High and Over. The same butterfly in each, with the upside down one being a different angle to the norm. This one also shows the underside pattern showing through. The weather was somewhat overcast so it was quite happy just hanging around.

[Nigel Kiteley]

Three of my favourite Adonis Blue images, all second brood males photographed at Swell's Hill near Stroud.

[ChrisC]

Took these in Wiltshire and it is the first year I have seen them included is an unusual one with Black instead of Orange spots on hind wing.

Cheers

Andy

Adonis Blue.jpg

Adonis Blue 3.jpg

love black spots one Andy.

[millerd]

I think I saw Adonis Blues at more sites than ever before this year - without seeing them at all at either Martin Down or Lydden, both prime sites. Mill Hill, Box Hill, Denbies, Kingsdown Leas, Durlston and Aston Rowant all provided sightings. Here is a spring one from Mill Hill and a summer one from Aston Rowant, showing a noticeable difference in colour - probably partly down to the angle of the light, though neither day was brilliant sunshine. The latter sighting was the first ever Adonis for me at Aston Rowant, and was on a terrific day when the slopes abounded with butterflies of many species.

Dave

[Neil Hulme]

Some fantastic stuff above! It's always difficult to restrict yourself to a single image of such a beauty, so here are three from Mill Hill, Shoreham, taken on either 21st or 26th August this year.
BWs, Neil

[FISHiEE]

Having moved to Hampshire just over 3 years ago I hadn't really seen Adonis Blues for a while as it turns out Hampshire is almost devoid of them. Old Winchester Hill had a small colony as a result of an introduction programme by the National Trust but they had fizzled out as a result of the poor summers just before I arrived in Hampshire so there was nowhere really in my locality that had any. This year however I was determined to make an effort to go find some, and after some research I was heading to Figsbury Ring in Wiltshire at 5am on the August Bank Holiday. The research proved good and the place was alive with them! When I was in Kent I saw them at several sites in Kent and Sussex but for some reason never really took many photos of them. I'd forgotten quite how striking blue they are!

Adonis Blue Figsbury Ring

Adonis Blue Figsbury Ring

Just a few days later it turned out the Adonis Blues were appearing back at Old Winchester Hill, less than 15 miles from home rather than the 50 mile trip to Figsbury Ring, and as the season progressed the numbers were good with 20-30 counts at their peak. I visited the site a lot early and late to make the most of the local bonanza! It later turned out that Natural England had made a small re-introduction last year following further conservation work and with the excellent summer weather this was really starting to bear fruits and bodes very well for the coming years!

Adonis Blue Old Winchester Hill

Adonis Blue Old Winchester Hill

[mud-puddling]

Wow some great shots above, I especially like Fishiee's shot from Old Winchester Hill (2nd to last). Like Fishiee I hadn't really photographed the Adonis Blue much until this year, so was determined to change that. I headed to Mill Hill, a local hotspot one summers evening at the end of August to try and make the most of the last of the evening rays. The light was beautiful at this time of day.

[Testudo Man]

Some really great photos of the Adonis Blues above^^^^^


Location was a place called Darland Banks in Gillingham.
The date was the 8th of June 2013.

I think this was my first ever visit to this area, i had read on the net that there were Small Blues here, so that was my target species...But as an added bonus, i also found The Adonis Blues!!
This being my 1st sighting of both butterflies, i had spent a few hours combing the area, looking for the small blues, when i finally stumbled onto them. Once i had shot some photos of the small blues, i then made my way up a steep hill, and rather than head back the way i came, i went into another area(in the opposite direction). Thats when i first saw an adonis blue, you know when you see an adonis, the blue colouration is just fantastic!
I found a mating pair of Adonis, right at the bottom/base of a Man Orchid, so i gently(and I mean gently)offered them my hand, they climbed aboard, then i placed them at the top of the Orchid. I then shot some pics of them, they slowly worked their way down the orchid, getting close to the bottom, then they parted company, so i relocated the female, and watched her for some time.

This next shot is not cropped at all, its a macro of the female adonis, sitting on my finger tip/nail.

Cheers Paul.

[David M]

This is a butterfly I find hard to photograph, but the most striking shades of blue are almost always achieved when only one wing is captured from a side-on perspective.

I spotted this one at Rodborough Common, near Stroud on 4th June 2013:

[Neil Freeman]

Some beautiful photos being posted so far.

Like last year, I spent a week in Dorset on a family break in early September and saw plenty of Adonis Blues at Bindon Hill, Durlston Country Park and especially on the south facing slopes by White Horse Hill at Osmington.
I took loads of photos of males trying to capture that elusive electric blue, some of which were reasonable, the shot below from Bindon Hill being a fair example.

Adonis Blue male - Bindon hill 06.09.2013

I also took quite a few photos of females,

Adonis Blue female - White Horse Hill 04.09.2013

I particularly like the way that the late afternoon sun is catching the scattering of blue scales on the one below,

Adonis Blue female - White Horse Hill 05.09.2013

My favourite Adonis Blue photo this year is probably the next one taken at Durlston of a male posing on a shrub at shoulder height with the path down to the lighthouse in the background giving me a nice background colour.

Adonis Blue male - Durlston CP 02.09.2013

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

My Photo was taken at Temple Ewell in Kent, I was so Interested in trying to find Siver Spotted Skipper that I only took a few shots of the Adonis But at least I got a few and this one is about the best taken on the 28th August Goldie

[nomad]

I love this beauty, our little Morpho. The Adonis had a good year in North Wilts with record numbers.

Male Basking August 2013.

Female aberration August 2013.

[Lee Hurrell]

..and a summer one from Aston Rowant...The latter sighting was the first ever Adonis for me at Aston Rowant

That's interesting...I had read they are to be found there but had never seen them myself, despite being there in prime season.

There are some lovely photos in this thread. There won't be one from me as I only saw one all year! (Denbies, 17th August).

Best wishes

Lee

[CFB]

A mating couple at the end of May in the Alpes-Maritimes:

This photo was taken whilst searching (sucessfully ) for Long-tailed Blues:

--
Colin

[Matsukaze]

An accidental photo - I had set up to photograph the butterfly on the ground when it was joined by the intruder. I also enjoy the shadow of the flying butterfly.