My 2021 Butterfly season

My 2021 Butterfly season

Butterflies of 2021 

Another strange year, starting with a further lockdown. 2021 would be my last year going for all the UK species as a recent job change and the guilt of driving all over the country chasing them, so this year my hopes were high for a good year. 

Although I've photographed all the species its been much hard as some have been a rush so I’ve decided to use one from this year if good enough or my best of the species.

I Started the year with a Comma in my backyard, you can't get a lot closer than that! 

1. Comma - (25/02/2021)

Polygonia c-album ssp. c-album f. c-album 

 The picture below shows where the Comma got his name, the tiny white comma marking

The paler early summer version

Polygonia c-album ssp. c-album f. hutchinsoni

2. Brimstone (16/03/2021)

My next species while standing on a roof working a fly past from this early spring specimen.

The Brimstone - Gonepteryx rhamni

My best effort at the flight shot but shows the difference in colors of the male & female

3. Peacock (29/03/2021)

A common early spring butterfly as are the first few another and very close to home. This one of the Uk's finest butterflies is bright when fresh with stunning eye spots to wear of predators

 Peacock - Aglais io

Close up and covered in pollen

4. Small White (02/04/2021)

A trip into Dorset birding and the next to species are added to my list

Small White - Pieris rapae

5. Red Admiral 02/04/2021

             A stunning Red Admiral in a few pose's 

 Red Admiral- Vanessa atalanta

The complex patterned underside

    6.Small Tortoiseshell (04/04/2021)

The early spring butterflies can appear anywhere at any time, the briefest spell of sunshine they can appear, one flitted past while twitching the Penduline Tits at Weston Super Mare

Small Tortoiseshell-Aglais urticae

7. Orange Tip (08/04/2021)

Just across the road from me, a small colony of this one resides. 

Orange-tip - Anthocharis cardamines

 

One of my favorite images,

the female posturing waiting for the male to ...connect

8.Green-veined White (14/04/2021)

More butterflies from just across road from my house these locking antennae

Green-veined White - Pieris napi

9.Speckled Wood- Pararge aegeria (16/04/2021)

Wings closed and head on

Speckled Wood-Pararge aegeria

10.Grizzled Skipper (17/04/2021)

First of the traveling butterflies, although last year I found a few 2 miles from home its always good to get out somewhere else and Axbridge hill is one of my favorites

Grizzled Skipper -Pyrgus malvae

11.Dingy Skipper (17/04/2021)

Another fabulous species from the same hill, why is it called dingy? maybe The Magician as all the skippers seems to disappear on every turn and twist.

Dingy Skipper - Erynnis tages

12.Holly Blue (20/04/2021)

A common Butterfly all around my patch, this year's numbers seem much lower.

Holly Blue - Celastrina argiolus

13.Green Hairstreak (24/04/2021)

My normal place Cotley Hill was, decimated earlier in the year, bushes and grass cut, and my fears that Green Hairstreak wouldn't appear this year were correct, just one seen, so this was taken at Battlesbury Hill, Wiltshire.

Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi

14.Large White (26/04/2021)

Other years I've struggled to get and sometimes see the Large White, I know right! but this year I've seen them at nearly every place I've been, while watching Wally the Walrus at Tenby at least 6 were buzzing around the small hillside.

Large White Pieris brassicae

15.Small Heath (01/05/2021)

A spur of the moment trip to Rodborough Common proved to be very successful. The temperature was 10c with grey cloudy skies and no reports I managed the next 3 species

Small Heath - Coenonympha pamphilus

16. Small Copper (01/05/2021)

This taken across the road from my house on the bank I call Sunnybank, trouble is it has ticks, almost every visit I've found 1 or 2 unfortunately

Small Copper -Lycaena phlaeas

17. Duke of Burgundy (01/05/2021)

The reason I went to the cold grey Hillside in Gloucestershire, very pleased I did.

Duke of Burgundy- Hamearis lucina (m)

This year I've seen more Dukes than any other year, Rodborough Common, Prestbury Hill, Battlesbury Hill, Swallowcliffe and Fovant Down, Wiltshire.

18. Small Blue (09/05/2021)

Another not Ideal day, but Small Blue from Prestbury Hill overlooking Cheltenham a superb Hill with Cuckoo's calling and giving some fabulous views.

Small Blue Cupido minimus

19.Pearl-bordered Fritillary (09/05/2021)

On my way Home and worsening weather, I parked up and wandered into Cirencester Woods, so glad I did, 2 other guys also looking had no success, I carried on looking and found a good number along with many 1000's of Wood Ants.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne

20. Marsh Fritillary (15/05/2021)

My 20th Species came closer to Home just 9 miles away, just inside the Wiltshire border. A very wet few hours searching when finally it paid off with some beautiful views of this stunning butterfly, it was early in the season and left with soggy socks, but happy

Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia

21. Common Blue (15/05/2021)

 The same day and the sun had now appeared I walked across the road to my closest hill, Sunnybank. Another Tick and not just the parasitic arachnids!

Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus

22. Wood White (22/05/2021)

I have a number of sites for these but this site in the Forest of Dean is by far the closest and easiest. As I drove to FOD the heavens opened wipers on full blast, a temperature drop from 15c to 8c I walked up track not very hopeful, but a break in the clouds sunshine and BOOM!

Wood White - Leptidea sinapis

Simple plain in color but I love this butterfly it seems to fly only just, just perfect.

23.Glanville Fritillary (25/05/2021)

This my favorite trip of the year, A drive to Lymington, bike ride to ferry port, criuse across the Solent then ride the few miles to Compton Bay, with a mate a perfect day!

Glanville Fritillary - Melitaea cinxia

A windy day but this butterfly always seems to pose perfectly, with those beautiful blue eyes and one of the best undersides of all the Uk species.

24. Painted Lady (25/05/2021)

 Painted Lady numbers this year seem much lower but with a couple on my patch, it is always a welcome visitor.

 Painted Lady - Vanessa cardui

25. Brown Argus (29/05/2021)

A perfectly possing Argus at Battlesbury Hill on a very warm morning

Brown Argus-  Aricia agestis

26. Adonis Blue (29/05/2021)

 Same moring but the UK's most colorful Blue butterfly, note Black fringe only blue with this.

Adonis Blue -Polyommatus bellargus

 

27.Wall (29/05/2021)

 Another tick from Battlesbury Hill Wiltshire, sometimes butterflies pose and sometimes you chase them all over the hillside!

 Wall Brown-Lasiommata megera

28.Chequered Skipper (04/06/2021)

Sometimes you just have to pick a day and go! 

Unfortunately, the Chequered Skipper closest spot to me is some 480 miles away, not counting Rockingham forest. So the M32/M4/M5/M6/M74/A82 roadworks diversions and 9 hours later I pulled in to Glasdrum, Scotland and within 10 mins Chequered Skippers and Mozzies!

Chequered Skipper- Carterocephalus palaemon

29.Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (04/06/2021

My plan was to stay in Scotland a couple of nights but  I'd got all the pictures I needed and the weather was on the change so I drove down to the Lake district the next morning.

 

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary -Boloria selene

30.Mountain Ringlet (05/06/2021)

After 5 hours of driving in the right direction, I parked in Irton Fell tiny car park, almost dark I settled in for Chunky Chicken and New potatoes,  a campervan favorite, a few films and dreaming of butterflies awoke the next morning at 7am, I wandered up to Irton Fell, minutes later Mountain ringlets arose from the grasses it took me another hour to get pictures but with views across the Lake district on a perfect day not many better places in the world I'd rather be!

Mountain Ringlet -Erebia epiphron

31.Northern Brown Argus (05/06/2021)

I took too many pictures of the Mountain Ringlets but it was still only 10:30AM so I packed up and headed for my next target NBA. 
Latterbarrow just off of the A590 is a cracking little reserve and full of wildflowers this time of year.

It didn't take long, but being a little early in the season, I'm normally a little later, I saw just the one Northern Brown Argus.  

Northern Brown Argus -Aricia artaxerxes ssp. salmacis 

(10/07/2021)

Road trip holiday to Scotland and managed to find 

Aricia artaxerxes ssp. artaxerxes 

Differs from ssp. salmacis, White Spot much more prominent, only found in Scotland

Aricia artaxerxes ssp. artaxerxes 

32.Large Heath (05/06/2021)

Sometimes time and effort don't count for anything, I spent the remainder of Saturday and most of Sunday pacing the boards of Meathop Moss looking and getting very poor pictures of the Large Heath, here's my best from the 10 hours. I saw at least 2 but they were not stopping, I counted it but was not very happy as I always like to take a decent picture just to confirm, to myself.

Coenonympha tullia ssp. polydama  

This slightly better version was taken in 2018, the same spot.

10/07/2021

Road trip holiday to Scotland and managed to find 

Coenonympha tullia ssp. scotica  

 ssp. scotica absent, underside eyespots or smaller. appears very similar to its close cousin, the Small Heath.

It was a bad year for me and Large Heath, next year I aim to improve both Scotica & polydama 

Coenonympha tullia ssp. scotica 

33. Heath Fritillary (07/06/2021)

This time of year is hectic and many miles are needed to get all the species, along with research and constantly looking at weather forecasts.

Back home and the following day off to Halse Combe, Devon for my next, much easier butterfly to photograph and plenty of them, plus plenty of ticks in this part of the country!

Heath Fritillary - Melitaea athalia

Love the Blue Eyes. 

On grey days Butterflies once you've found them, love to pose.

34.Large Blue (14/06/2021)

A much shorter drive and a  pleasant morning spent at one of Somerset's best reserves

Large Blue Phengaris arion

35.Meadow Brown (14/06/2021)

One of the Uk's commest butterflies with 100's seen on some reserves.

This picture was taken across the road from my house with the setting sun behind.

Meadow Brown -Maniola jurtina

36.Silver-studded Blue (20/06/2021)

This was a very difficult weekend, a 6 hour trip to Norfolk for Swallowtail but first stopping for Black Hairstreak at Glapthorn, Northamptonshire, a fruitless walk around Glapthorn in cold, grey, and even drizzle is not the best conditions to look for this species, but thinking it's not all lost we could drop in and way home. 

So carried on to Hickling Broad, Norfolk. The rain continued all weekend, temperatures not rising much above 12c, hopeless, 15 miles walked around Hickling then Strumpshaw produced zero Swallowtails, in fact, a Red Admiral, and Meadow brown were the only butterflies all weekend.

 Changing tactics we went Birding, by pure chance we drove past Buxton Heath and popped and found Silver Studded Blues.

Silver-studded Blue - Plebejus argus

 I was gonna get the Blues in Dorset this year but a tick is a tick!

Silver Studded (male), has a close relationship with Black Ants. These Black Ants were keeping this newly hatched blue safe.

37.High Brown Fritillary (26/06/2021)

A quick trip across the Seven Bridge to Bridgend, the previous year I went to Aish Tor, I had an amazing time with the High Brownsthere but decided to see how this species was doing inSouth Wales, after a bit of hunting we eventually found some giving great views 

High Brown Fritillary -Fabriciana adippe

38.Silver-washed Fritillary (26/06/2021)

Bridgend that day proved to be a good shout with 3 fritillaries in total including this Silver Washed & DG below

Silver-washed Fritillary -Argynnis paphia

39. Dark Green Fritillary (26/06/2021)

Dark Green Fritillary - Speyeria aglaja

40.Marbled White (01/07/2021)

The next four species were from across the road on my Hill, Sunnybank

Marbled white - Melanargia galathea

40.Large Skipper (01/07/2021)

The markings on the wing look similar to Silver sotted skipper, but with closer examination and habitat not likely around these parts. 

Large Skipper - Ochlodes sylvanus

40.Ringlet (01/07/2021)

Ringlet - Aphantopus hyperantus

40.Small Skipper (01/07/2021)

When you watch butterflies I always think all the species fly slightly differently, height, and wing speed, next time you see them just watch, suppose its like birds.

Small Skipper - Thymelicus sylvestris

44. White Admiral (03/07/2021)

Although this year I saw a few, photographing was hard work, only getting distant views with a large crop. This one was taken at East Woodlands, nr. Frome, a woodland normally full of Silver-washed Fritillaries, but this year butterflies seemed to be very scarce here.

White Admiral - Limenitis camilla

45.Gatekeeper (14/07/2021)

A trip down to Alners Gorse, Dorset proved to be successful with the next three species, Gatekeeper a very common Butterfly can be seen in most areas, and habitats

Gatekeeper - Pyronia tithonus

46.White-letter Hairstreak (14/07/2021)

The next White-letter Hairstreak proving to be getting much harder to even see, looking at my records going back for the last few years it was a butterfly I would see in numbers but the last 2 years finding and photographing is much harder, this year pictures were distant and treetops height, this photo is from my Patch 2020, a very small colony I found myself, a highlight! This year I couldn't find any in the same spot.

White-letter Hairstreak - Satyrium w-album

47.Purple Hairstreak (14/07/2021)

Alners gorse this year was full of them almost every tree had them flitting around, still not got that open wing shot i want, this close.

Purple Hairstreak - Favonius quercus

48.Purple Emperor (15/07/2021)

A drive to Oversley wood in Warwickshire, with my butterfly buddy Allan, was proving hard work we had one view on arriving then nothing for 4 hours then a long desperate walk around the woodland thinking we'd go, when on Emperor took off from the path in front of us, we waited a few minutes and it returned, great to see and one of the easiest to photograph once on the floor. The best part was a female swooped down a flew around us giving great views.

 I consider the female much better looking, slightly bigger, and lacking the purple on wings, sorry to all you Purple, H.I.M fanatics.

Purple Emperor - Apatura iris

Herself, Purple Emperor female.

49.Essex Skipper (17/07/2021)

Another species very close to home, once you get your eye in, very easy to spot the difference, antenna dipped in black gloss, the flight pattern again very distinctive.

Essex Skipper - Thymelicus lineola

50.Chalkhill Blue (19/07/2021)

The last of the blues to emerge, going through my images I've realized this is the only open wing shot, 2017! 100's of the closed wing, as below taken on Portland, Dorset this year, note to self must try harder next year.

Chalk Hill Blue - Polyommatus coridon

51.Grayling (19/07/2021)

Grayling also from Portland this year, is a really good looking butterfly, very rare to get an open wing shot of this one, this is my best effort.

Grayling - Hipparchia semele

when wings are closed in its habitat it's so well camouflaged.

52.Lulworth Skipper (19/07/2021)

Another from Tout Quarry, Dorset the  Lulworth Skipper, this year there were 100's, the most I've ever seen, chasing everything, really funny to watch 6 of them chasing a burnet moth, reminded me of a Benny Hill sketch.

Lulworth Skipper - Thymelicus acteon

female.

male

53.Silver-spotted Skipper (26/07/2021)

Been to a few different sites for this species, From Fontmell Down, Aston Rowant, Broughton Down but the flattest and easiest was a site I discovered this year near Tidworth, Warren Hill, so many seen along with 19 other species on the day I visited.

Silver-spotted Skipper - Hesperia comma

These shots were taken at my new site, on a sunny day, hard work chasing, but follow one and eventually, it'll stop....that's my plan anyway.

54.Brown hairstreak (31/07/2021)

With with season coming to an end and the weather changing I had to pick my days, Alners Gorse, Dorset although just over an hour away from me, I wouldn't wanna make to the trip without getting my target. A cold wet, drizzly day greeted me but felt lucky as a few had been spotted recently, so went anyway, arriving in a lull from the rain, walked to an area I'd seen them before, and bingo! treetop view but a tick . spent 4/5 hours wandering around a few more brief views and so decided to go, spotted some friends from Instagram/Twitter crowded around a Knapweed, a beautiful male Brown Hairstreak sat perfectly posing.

Brown Hairstreak - Thecla betulae

Even an almost open wing shot.

55.Scotch Argus (01/08/2021)

A week later I wanted to do my last major trip of the year, Smardale is a great spot for this species and a drive up on Sunday. I parked up in the rather nice car park and wandered along the old railway track, just before the Smardale Gill Viaduct, Scotch Argus were out in numbers, Green Veined Whites, Dark Green Frits, and Meadow Brown were also seen but the Argus was my target, and being so many of them it was very easy, the hard part was getting open wing shots. 

The place is so quiet I was finding even the snap of my camera would spook the Scotch Argus, blue skies and 25c temperatures were not helping the butterfly settle, lots of failed attempts plus even an early morning visit the next morning Iand I had a few shots I was happy with.

Scotch Argus - Erebia aethiops

Thanks For Looking! 

&

  Thanks For All Your Support!

If you enjoy our blog's, why not follow us on our social media:

 

Twitter

 

Facebook