www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Week 4.

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

Common Blue

Some years I seem to miss out on certain species; either because they’re not having a good year or because I’m busy focusing on something else. This year however I really struggled with trying to decide on my favourite Common Blue as I’d had quite a successful year of photographing them. I’d found fresh and worn, first, second and third broods, open and closed wing, aberrant and mating. However the choice in the end was this comical shot of miniscule female taking nectar. It was so intent in getting every last drop of nectar that its proboscis was fully extended and as it withdrew it I captured this shot. To me it looks like it’s struggling to get its probosicis under control without realising that it’s standing on! Have a goodun

Wurzel

I like this shot because it called to mind the old theological debate about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin.

Something made this flower-head very appealing to these Common Blues.
Mike

A very hard choice indeed. However, I do like this mating pair from my local patch taken on 4th August, as both butterflies were clearly pretty new. So often one or both have seen a bit of wear, especially the males. I also like this male from the very end of the season, possibly a third brood example, which was nearly as turquoise as an Adonis. 30th September at Bedfont Lakes CP. Dave

My first Common Blue sighting this year was at the beginning of May, six weeks later than last year (!), due presumably to the amount of rain we had in the Alpes-Maritimes earlier in the year.

Here's one from a bit later on:
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Colin

This photo is from near Marseilles. I like the transparency of the wing - the sunlight must have been strong that day.
Chris

My favourite image taken this year is undoubtedly this one which is of the bluest female icarus I've ever seen.

She was less than 200m from my front door too - just across the road in the cemetery opposite:

I saw many more Common Blues during 2013 than I did in 2012 and was pleased to see local numbers bounce back a bit.

During the year they appeared at most places that I went to including,

Braunton Burrows in North Devon...
all of my usual local spots including those that I failed to see them at during 2012 ...
loads of them at Arnside in the meadows along the path from the knott down to Heathwaite...
at Grafton Wood where I took the following topside shot that I particularly like and probably my favourite underside...
and in Dorset where I saw this nice female at Lorton Meadows...
Cheers,

Neil.

I love the variety of female Common Blues. Back in my younger days all the females seemed to be brown but nowadays most of them have good quantities of blue in them. This year was particularly good for Common Blue around here with High and Over being very good. 3 of these pictures were taken within 5 yards of each other but over several weeks. http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

Here are a few of my favourite 2013 Common Blue images.

I didn't see many Common Blues this year, it did strike me that a lot of the females I saw were very blue indeed this year, this isn't one of them obviously!

I think my favourite this year as to be this photo I took at Temple Ewell in Kent 20th August I was trying out my new Camera and getting used to it Goldie

This is the second time I have posted this photo as I had previously mistaken it for a Chalkhill Blue. This was photographed on Stockbridge Down, Hampshire early one very calm morning. This is one of my favourite images of the year.
Canon 5d MK3 with 100mm f2.8 macro lens mounted on a tripod. Settings f8 1/80s and ISO800.

I would just like to mention, that the Common Blue image with red mites was shown out of interest, right or wrong, I removed the mites, so a happy butterfly!

Common Blues, Noar Hill, 2013.

Here are a couple of my favourites open wing shot at Old Winchester Hill the other was at Magdalene Hill

Cheers

Andy

two males having fun at the seaside on Abergele beach

Here are a couple of CB shots taken on a local Suffolk heathland...

Belated posting of my favourite of the year.