Brown Hairstreak and Wall Brown: Looking back on two super butterflies seen at Shipton Bellinger recently
On two visits to this insect haven over the past few weeks I have spent some glorious time watching two warm, vibrant and exhilarating butterflies, getting astonishing views of two of the finest species of my wonderful butterfly year.
Brown Hairstreak is what we first came to Shipton Bellinger for, seeing them for the first time pretty well at the second time of asking on a second visit there in 2021 and then on a third visit last year getting a brief view of one flying. So with us knowing from a fellow butterfly enthusiast online that they were out here in late July on the 29th we headed there on what would become one of our most extraordinary butterfly days ever on a Saturday with sunshine, we wondered how we'd do this year. We managed to see Brown Hairstreak that day in a sensational way. As I busied myself counting butterflies for the Big Butterfly Count early on in the walk my attention turned to a patch of thistle which I saw orange butterflies some I could clearly see were Gatekeepers on and tried to compute how many, when to my astonishment I saw that one of the orange butterflies was a Brown Hairstreak. It was incredible to see one so close, so low down on vegetation and so soon. We were filled with glee as we watched this ravishing insect. We saw one in the same spot at the end of the walk, probably the same one, when the sun shining down on it brought out its rich colour exquisitely. It is an honour to see such a special butterfly. We enjoyed a similar intimate view of one when back here on Sunday, I liked seeing it perched up above on vegetation for a while was lovely to watch too.
To my relief on the late July day one I was worried we might not see this year having missed them at the coast where we're more used to seeing them, seeing our first Wall Brown of the year made my butterfly year list my joint highest ever before later in the day at Perham Down seeing our first Silver-spotted Skipper of the year made it my highest. It was a lovely view of one landed and still. And when back on Sunday it was extraordinary to see loads of Wall Browns across the site, getting exceptional views of this intricately marked butterfly evocative of dry places. This was such a thrilling experience. As I said on Sunday Wall Brown is one of the first butterfly species I ever learnt when identifying a photo of one I'd taken in Pembrokeshire when I first got my trusty butterfly book when getting into them as a kid so I've known the species a long time, but the experiences I've had seeing them at Shipton Bellinger has complimented coastal views we've been so lucky to get of them over the years to break new ground. Seeing them in this habitat and getting close views has allowed me to really cherish and appreciate their beauty, notice lines and spots I'd not noticed before and be spellbound by their beauty. After some classic thrill of the chase that I love with attempting to photograph butterflies of trying for photos I had a brilliant moment towards the end of the walk when two were flying along battling in the air at times. I watched one settle and in some amazing moments it went down onto the grass and opened its wings of wholesome colour. I was able to manage some macro photos which I was pleased with. Uniquely I managed photos with all three of my lenses of Wall Browns on Sunday, in some cases typical of this mobile species I needed my normal and big lens' zoom to get a shot. But I also had that magical macro moment my preferred lens for insects.
Seeing these charming butterflies at this special place has been a true highlight of my summer and year, and I was very pleased to take the photos in this set and others of them.
