Brown, Yellow, Blue

A very quick and unusually rapidly turned-around post!

So, today I went about the Bay looking for butterflies. Most of my time was spent having Brown Hairstreaks play silly buggers with me; I got very prickled for, well, you look down there...

Then I went over to Berry Head to see if any Clouded Yellows were still there. On my way down into the Quarry, I noticed [as well as far-too-rapidly-moving Hummingbird Hawkmoths] several odd dark blue butterflies - like huge Small Blues, perhaps? - and duly zapped one;

Now that's well-worn!

It is, of course, a Common Blue. A very well-worn one! [Sorry if anybody got excited, but I've heard online speculation about Long-tails 'everywhere' and felt cold water was required..*]

One from Preston Down

But I was there for yellow ones, and well... In a shocking turn of events, there was one;

 Clouded Yellow!

Woo. :D
I was also there for other things, but they can wait.


Right, that Brown Hairstreak business. I got lots of flight views, but the only perching - aside from one sadistic little bugger which posed in front of Bailey Snr. - was done well out of easy view.. I got very prickled getting this;

Brown Hairstreak!

Yes it is. Moving by itself - look at the still, sharp leaf - you have bright orange underwing with white hairstreak visible, and even the tails - just above the leaf edge - and dark upperside just visible in right wings. Of course it decided to shake the second I had it finally focused.

Though undoubtedly awful, this is still the best BH shot I've ever got. No, I'm not leaving it there.


More was seen, and much better photos of other spp. were obtained [also nearly as bad ones :) ] and a longer post will be coming about it. Oh dear..


Be Seeing You...




[[*I'm not saying there aren't LTBs in country, just that there weren't any in view there this afternoon]]