Long-tailed Blues in Brighton

[AnnB]

Last minute decision to spend the weekend in Brighton chasing Long-tailed Blue butterflies. Weather has been lovely too!

 

[Hirsch]

Beautiful

 

[CWH]

Lovely creatures.
Beautiful and fascinating photos, I just love the foot placements on the second one, thank you for sharing.

 

[CazPaul]

Wonderful photos, lovely butterflies.

 

[DavidG58]

Why are they called long tailed

off to google it now

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[DavidG58]

Long-tailed Blue

The Long-tailed Blue is an exotic migrant from the Mediterranean with a handful typically reaching UK shores each year, but experts believe climate change is behind this butterfly reaching our shores more regularly and in vastly increased numbers. One of the largest migrations took place in...

butterfly-conservation.org

I didn’t spot the long wispy bits in the photos, but they gave it the name

Can see them now in photos

every day’s still a school day

 

[steve 6644]

Excellent

 

[Spriddler]

For several years I've participated in the Big Butterfly Count but I either missed it this year or CV19 put paid to it. Nice to identify them and learn a few names.

Big Butterfly Count

bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org

 

[CWH]

Seen fewer than 10 the whole year

 

[AnnB]

Lockdown put a stop to my usual butterfly outings but fingers crossed for a better year next year.

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[Spriddler]

Seen fewer than 10 the whole year

Last year over the fields where I walk the dog there were masses of all types of butterflies in the meadows and hedgerows. There seem to be far fewer this year.

 

[AnnB]

Sussex is a great place for butterflies with migrants like these Long-tailed Blues being blown over from the continent.

 

[steve 6644]

A fantastic year in kent, I was a budding entomologist as a kid, I can't remember their names now, very frustrating but nice to see them again anyway. This thread has cheered me up AnnB, thank you, please post more often