Adonis Blue

I've come to the conclusion that the Blues are some of my favourite Butterflies. Maybe it's because they are such a familiar and welcome sight dancing over the grassy slopes of the Tring area or perhaps it's because they provide a real identification challenge, as anyone who has been butterflying in Southern Europe will know only too well. Maybe it is that these tiny glittering jewels are so redolent of high Summer in England. Whatever the reason there is no doubt that of all the Blues, the most beautiful must be the sky blue Adonis. I have spent many hours this summer photographing these glorious little butterflies at Radnage, near Princes Risborough. The small population on the grassy south facing slope above the village has been in decline recently but this year made a spectacular recovery, with a particularly strong second brood in August and early September. Sadly, the late summer weather was not kind, with constant cool nagging wind and low light levels, which suppressed butterfly activity and made photography a bit of a challenge. The Butterflies were often buried deep in the grass or clinging on for dear life to wildly shaking grasses and flowers. It took several trips to Radnage and a huge amount of patience before I had some pictures I was happy with. The Adonis Blue is our rarest blue, having suffered a long term decline due to agricultural intensification, so it is great to know that it's numbers are now rising thanks to careful land management and grazing. Losing such a beautiful butterfly would be unthinkable.

Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus  (Radnage, 21/08/2011)

Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus  (Radnage, 21/08/2011)

Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus  (Radnage, 21/08/2011)

Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus  (Radnage, 21/08/2011)