Butterfly Days encore!

I'd never been to Chambers Farm Wood [no apostrophe apparently], in fact I'd never heard of the place until I came across the name in a butterfly book. Further research led me to Butterfly Conservation's Lincolnshire sightings page and, well, I went. Three lifer butterflies plus more purple hairstreaks. Roll on next year: I was too late for some species.

The day before however I took a few snaps in the garden at home.

Peacock Tortoisehell

Holly blues, second brood, were too fast for me. Eventually managed this one!

Holly Blue

On to Chambers Farm Wood. I'll start modestly with a speckled wood basking in sunshine...

Speckled Wood

Before long I was introduced to my first ever white admiral, perched inaccessibly for the camera, the resulting image has an ethereal aura, I think.

White Admiral

In fact the white admirals I saw were looking rather tatty. But it was a lifer butterfly, so who cares?

White Admiral

There were many dragonflies about. Hawkers and darters...

Darter

...plus the more common butterflies...

Peacock Small White Red Admiral

A group had gathered round a purple hairstreak.

Purple Hairstreak Purple Hairstreak Purple Hairstreak Purple Hairstreak

I spotted a very small speckled wood...

Speckled Wood

...and a brimstone. Well camouflaged in the sunshine!

Brimstone

And when the cloud came over too!

Brimstone

Probable common hawker...

Common Hawker

...and common darter immature.

Common Hawker

There are very few benches but I spotted an old tree trunk and was glad of a rest until I spotted another white admiral on the brambles.

White Admiral White Admiral

I set off back north and called at Old Moor in case the great white egret was photographable. It wasn't there but this cormorant and a common sandpiper were.

Cormorant Common Sandpiper

Brown argus.
Brown Argus

brown Argus

Finally the best of all - brown hairstreak. The largest of the hairstreaks and the underwings are glorious!! This is a male: females are even brighter.

Brown Hairstreak Brown Hairstreak Brown Hairstreak

Just out of interest here are all the four hairstreaks I have seen - there's just one missing, the very rare black hairstreak.

Green Hairstreak White-letter Hairstreak

Green                                                                                                                         White-letter

Purple Hairstreak Brown Hairstreak

Purple                                                                                &                                                        Brown