57.006 Small Skippers mating at North Loop, Cromwell Bottom, June 21st 2018.
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57.009 Large Skipper at Tag Loop, Cromwell Bottom, June 15th 06.
57.009 Large Skipper at Hollas Lane Nature Reserve, June 12th 2018. There is a small population here at present.
61.001 Small Copper nectaring on Ragwort at All Saints' graveyard, Skircoat Green on July 30th 2017.
61.001 Small Copper nectaring on Ragwort at All Saints' graveyard, Skircoat Green on July 30th 2017.
61.001 Small Copper, Mathew Laithe near Lobb Mill, May 31st 2014. It was waiting for the sun to come out for long enough so it could be on its way.
Fortunately the temperature was still cool enough to prevent it from flying - allowing for a great photo opportunity.
61.004 Purple Hairstreak at Tag Meadow, Cromwell Bottom on July 18th 2021. This one was disturbed and landed about 15 feet up an oak tree.
61.005 Green Hairstreak, details above.
61.006 White-letter Hairstreak, 14mm caterpillar found at Boy Mill road, Luddenden Foot on May 8th 2024. It was found on a wall underneath a Wych Elm which I suspect it was washed out from by torrential rains two days earlier.
61.006 White-letter Hairstreak, same caterpillar as above. The tiny, black head is tucked under the prothorax.
61.006 White-letter Hairstreak chrysalis on May 14th 2024. Four days after changing colour and spinning itself to the leaf the caterpillar has pupated.
61.006 White-letter Hairstreak on May 30th 2024. Just 16 days after pupation the adult has emerged.
61.006 White-letter Hairstreak on pasture land on the edge of Only House wood on July 9th 2023. An amazing little spot with Wych Elm trees in the wood for the butterflies to breed on and a patch of sun-drenched Creeping Thistles for them to replenish their energy.
61.006 White-letter Hairstreak, details above. They were so intent on feeding that they allowed me to get within about 8 inches of them, I was so close I could use my camera's Raynox lens attachment!
61.006 White-letter Hairstreak, a cropped version of the above photo showing the delicate tail streamers that will disappear through wear.
61.012 Holly Blue nectaring on Ragwort by the towpath at Ellen Royd, Brearley on Aug. 26th 2023.
61.012 Holly Blue details above. It's a rather tatty female but at least she was approachable, usually they are fleeting glimpses of brilliant blue.
61.012 Holly Blue details above. It's been a good year for them across Calderdale with many more people reporting sightings.
61.004 Purple Hairstreak captured by day at New Lane, Aug. 24th 2012. A worn and battered individual no doubt washed out of the canopy by the heavy showers that morning and found resting on a drystone wall.
61.004 Purple Hairstreak at Cromwell Bottom dipping ponds, July 5th 2018. One or two were coming down from the tree canopies and darting around the ponds in the late morning sunshine. They were very skittish and refused to settle for long.
61.005 Green Hairstreak, one of four seen at Midgley moor just above Midgley village on May 9th 2024.
I was just about to go in for a close-up shot when a Common Heath moth appeared and the hairstreak took off to drive it out of its territory. Fortunately it soon settled again allowing the photo below to be taken.
61.005 Green Hairstreaks mating among the Bilberry on the moors above Pecket Well, May 20th 08. Found by fellow moth-er and guide for the day Winston Plowes. These were two of 15 found that day.
61.006 White-letter Hairstreak, same caterpillar as above on May 13th. It is now preparing to pupate, it has turned a dull brown and spun a silk girdle anchoring it to the leaf.
This is Andy Cockroft's patch so thanks go to him for guiding me around it.
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61.018 Common Blue female at Tag Loop, Cromwell Bottom on July 9th 08.
61.018 Common Blue male at Copley meadow, June 3rd 2018. This site holds a very small and endangered colony due to disturbance by dog walkers and the tipping of canal dredgings.
61.018 Common Blue at Copley meadow, June 3rd 2018.
61.018 Common Blue female sunning herself at Hollas Lane Nature Reserve, June 12th 2018.
61.018 Common Blues mating at Hollas Lane Nature Reserve, Sept. 13th 2019. Well spotted by local butterfly recorder Andy Cockroft.
61.012 Holly Blue on the garden on leylandii, Skircoat Green, Apr.17th 09. I see one or two in an average year and then they are usually just speeding through without settling for too long.
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