In search of the Large Blue. M. arion.
Jun 28, 2015 8:44:58 GMT
deliasfanatic, cabintom, and 2 more like this
Post by nomad on Jun 28, 2015 8:44:58 GMT
It is now the protected Large Blue season in the U.K where the Summer photography shenanigans have began . Hoards of Large Blue enthusiasts come from all over the country to visit the two English sites that are open to the public. Some go to Daneway Banks in the lovely Cotswolds but most visit Collard Hill in the Poldens Hills of Somerset. It matters not to these people that the Large Blues that they are seeing are the descendants of the reintroduced Swedish race M. arion arion, which is similar in some ways to the extinct British subspecies eutyphron. The Large Blues from Sweden has been here for over twenty years and the people who now flock to see them regard this butterfly as one of our own. Large Blues are again flying in Britain and that is a notable butterfly success story. Some of those visiting, have no idea that Britain once had its own subspecies eutyphron and that it once occurred on both the Cotswold and Polden Hills where the reintroduced butterflies fly today. Most visitors do not seem to care, they want to see this beautiful butterfly with its special glamour and news appeal. It is enough for them that they have seen a Large Blue flying. By mid-July there will be only a few of these butterflies still on the wing.
I decide to join the throng, I like to see and photograph the enigmatic butterfly. Recently I visited three sites in England to see Large Blues. On the whole, I find the reintroduce race nearer to the population that once occurred in the Cotswolds and at Barnwell Wold further to the north. It seems to be darker than the population that was once found in Devon and Cornwall in south-west England. In the reintroduced race, so far, there seems to be only a few of the many different aberrations that were found in the old English populations.
Below. Collard Hill near Street in Somerset.
Below. The Polden Hills.
This site is situated in the Polden Hills just outside the town of Street in Somerset, which lies close to Glastonbury. The reintroduced Large Blue population here was doing extremely well at Collard Hill until last year, when there was a collapse due to the very wet winter, few butterflies were seen that summer. Numbers of Large Blues are up this year but are still well down on previous years. If you want to photograph the Large Blue on warm sunny days then you must arrive early. From late morning through the afternoon the butterflies become very active often flying at some speed , zig-zagging across the close cropped sward. The females stopping now and again to lay their eggs on the closed flower heads of the foodplant thyme, then quickly moving off to find other suitable plants. For both sexes, the foodplant thyme is also the main nectar source. The Large Blue has spread out from Collard Hill to colonize other limestone sites in the Poldens. It does appear that if the habitat becomes suitable this butterfly can survive very well on its own.
I arrive at Collard Hill fairly early, on what was going to be a rather hot summers mid-week day. During my visit here I was lucky enough to find several nice Large Blues females. The only male I encountered was worn, having emerged earlier. By ten o' clock the hill is full of people, many of them are holding expensive cameras . Some are also bird photographers who have those extra long telephoto lenses. One chap was even seen carrying light coloured boards, he for sure, did not want a messy background photograph. As soon as I find a butterfly, I have to be quick, with my shorter macro lens. Once the crowd observes me crouching and arrives, it will be difficult to obtain any decent photographs. Taking a couple of quick shots, one of those long lens is almost resting on my shoulder, no etiquette here. Then the very short lens party arrive, those that have to be almost touching the butterfly to obtain an image, some also try to get videos. By this time I move away, the butterfly has been disturbed and flies off as an old lady casts a shadow . There are now a lot more people on the hill than there are Large Blues. There is huddled group of prone botanists at the bottom of the slope photographing a variety of the unusual Bee Orchid which is known as the Wasp Orchid Ophrys apifera var trollii.
I meet a local elderly Somerset naturalist, who has found a basking Large Blue female. A newly arrived and excited group of people descends, the Somerset man cries, " ha! as soon as I find a butterfly there are 50 humans here ". " Be fair ", a hurt human voice replies in a Midland accent, I have travelled all the way from Nottingham to see this butterfly ". I start to leave to find some peace at another site in Somerset where if you are lucky you will see Large Blues but no other people. I do hope though that everyone that has visited Collard Hill today, will have seen a Large Blue and perhaps have managed to get a souvenir image. As I reach the top of the hill I am hailed by a disappointed group of people that have been here for an hour without seeing a Large Blue. " Have you seen any Large Blues they ask " hopefully. Being elderly they have kept to the flat upper ground and do wish to descend the much steeper ground. I help them search among the ant- hills, " is that one ", no that's a Common Blue Polyommatus icarus I inform them. Then in front of us there is a pristine Large Blue female feeding at thyme, it wings half open, they gasp at its beauty and I feel their joy.
Later, reaching the more discreet site, I sit there on a steep bank and watch for Large Blues, one turns up now and again, there is no need to try to take any more images, it is now far too hot and they are very active. I observe they usually fly low to the ground, but when they come to even quite large bushes up and over they go, no problem, a few even went up among the trees on the edge of the site to descend once more to fly among the ant-hills. We are very fortunate to once again be able to see Large Blues in this much changed country of ours. A study of our own vanished subspecies is important too. Data on historical specimens and field accounts that has been left by collectors have proved invaluable in helping those that have spent so much time and effort in the Large Blues reintroduction. The lessons learned from our failure to save our own subspecies, will I hope secure the new Large Blue's future here.
Below. Female Large Blue, Maculinea arion at Collard Hill in Somerset. Images 2 & 3. Female egg-laying on thyme.
I decide to join the throng, I like to see and photograph the enigmatic butterfly. Recently I visited three sites in England to see Large Blues. On the whole, I find the reintroduce race nearer to the population that once occurred in the Cotswolds and at Barnwell Wold further to the north. It seems to be darker than the population that was once found in Devon and Cornwall in south-west England. In the reintroduced race, so far, there seems to be only a few of the many different aberrations that were found in the old English populations.
Below. Collard Hill near Street in Somerset.
Below. The Polden Hills.
This site is situated in the Polden Hills just outside the town of Street in Somerset, which lies close to Glastonbury. The reintroduced Large Blue population here was doing extremely well at Collard Hill until last year, when there was a collapse due to the very wet winter, few butterflies were seen that summer. Numbers of Large Blues are up this year but are still well down on previous years. If you want to photograph the Large Blue on warm sunny days then you must arrive early. From late morning through the afternoon the butterflies become very active often flying at some speed , zig-zagging across the close cropped sward. The females stopping now and again to lay their eggs on the closed flower heads of the foodplant thyme, then quickly moving off to find other suitable plants. For both sexes, the foodplant thyme is also the main nectar source. The Large Blue has spread out from Collard Hill to colonize other limestone sites in the Poldens. It does appear that if the habitat becomes suitable this butterfly can survive very well on its own.
I arrive at Collard Hill fairly early, on what was going to be a rather hot summers mid-week day. During my visit here I was lucky enough to find several nice Large Blues females. The only male I encountered was worn, having emerged earlier. By ten o' clock the hill is full of people, many of them are holding expensive cameras . Some are also bird photographers who have those extra long telephoto lenses. One chap was even seen carrying light coloured boards, he for sure, did not want a messy background photograph. As soon as I find a butterfly, I have to be quick, with my shorter macro lens. Once the crowd observes me crouching and arrives, it will be difficult to obtain any decent photographs. Taking a couple of quick shots, one of those long lens is almost resting on my shoulder, no etiquette here. Then the very short lens party arrive, those that have to be almost touching the butterfly to obtain an image, some also try to get videos. By this time I move away, the butterfly has been disturbed and flies off as an old lady casts a shadow . There are now a lot more people on the hill than there are Large Blues. There is huddled group of prone botanists at the bottom of the slope photographing a variety of the unusual Bee Orchid which is known as the Wasp Orchid Ophrys apifera var trollii.
I meet a local elderly Somerset naturalist, who has found a basking Large Blue female. A newly arrived and excited group of people descends, the Somerset man cries, " ha! as soon as I find a butterfly there are 50 humans here ". " Be fair ", a hurt human voice replies in a Midland accent, I have travelled all the way from Nottingham to see this butterfly ". I start to leave to find some peace at another site in Somerset where if you are lucky you will see Large Blues but no other people. I do hope though that everyone that has visited Collard Hill today, will have seen a Large Blue and perhaps have managed to get a souvenir image. As I reach the top of the hill I am hailed by a disappointed group of people that have been here for an hour without seeing a Large Blue. " Have you seen any Large Blues they ask " hopefully. Being elderly they have kept to the flat upper ground and do wish to descend the much steeper ground. I help them search among the ant- hills, " is that one ", no that's a Common Blue Polyommatus icarus I inform them. Then in front of us there is a pristine Large Blue female feeding at thyme, it wings half open, they gasp at its beauty and I feel their joy.
Later, reaching the more discreet site, I sit there on a steep bank and watch for Large Blues, one turns up now and again, there is no need to try to take any more images, it is now far too hot and they are very active. I observe they usually fly low to the ground, but when they come to even quite large bushes up and over they go, no problem, a few even went up among the trees on the edge of the site to descend once more to fly among the ant-hills. We are very fortunate to once again be able to see Large Blues in this much changed country of ours. A study of our own vanished subspecies is important too. Data on historical specimens and field accounts that has been left by collectors have proved invaluable in helping those that have spent so much time and effort in the Large Blues reintroduction. The lessons learned from our failure to save our own subspecies, will I hope secure the new Large Blue's future here.
Below. Female Large Blue, Maculinea arion at Collard Hill in Somerset. Images 2 & 3. Female egg-laying on thyme.