The one butterfly species that has eluded me so far this year is the green hairstreak. I have tried to find it at three different sites already this year but with no success. Being a butterfly that emerges as early as April, I knew that its flight season was practically over, and if I was to see it this year I would have to try again now before it was too late. So, with another free morning, again with glorious sunshine, I checked the Wiltshire Butterfly sightings blog and found that a green hairstreak had been seen 2 days ago at Morgan's Hill, a site that I visited last week.
I knew the area where it would be likely to be seen, and made my way there, spotting a number of marsh fritillaries on my way and also my first large skipper of the year. I checked the hawthorns and brambles next to the path, hoping that a green hairstreak might give itself away by flitting about between leaves but saw none.
I then decided to look at some of the hawthorns on the opposite bank, and while there a photographer I have met on other occasions, started to chat, and in conversation I asked if he had seen a green hairstreak. 'Yes, just one,' he said, 'on that small tree just behind you! '
It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to scan every leaf on the tree so I had no real option other than to wait and hope that I'd see a small dark butterfly rise from its resting place on one leaf and flutter over to another. And eventually I saw one leave the tree but it fluttered over to a tree not too far away, although I could not see where it settled. Hopeful that it might be what I was looking for, I moved over and fixed my eyes on the area I'd seen it. At last I saw it once more as it flew and settled where I could set my bincoulars on it. Yes, it was a green hairstreak, rather faded looking, but nevertheless I could now tick it off for the year!
I decided to spend a bit more time seeing what other species I could find, and was pleased to see my first meadow brown over in the quarry area. It didn't settle though, but I expect there will be hundreds more for me to photograph over the coming months!! Other species I found today included dingy skippers, common blue, marsh fritillary, red admiral, brimstone and small tortoiseshell. I had hoped I might find a wall brown but will have to wait another day for that.
brimstone female
marsh fritillary
large skipper
green haistreak
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