It's a boy! Managed to catch him between this afternoon's showers. I thought he was a Common Blue but Miseria has kindly identified him as an Adonis Blue which can be found on chalk downland in Kent.
@miseria Thanks very much for the fav, and the information! I'm not particularly knowledgeable about butterflies so have to take a guess sometimes. Am so pleased he's not as common as I thought. The local nature reserve has so many of these little critters on a calm day. Sadly the past few days when I've actually had a camera and/or a zoom lens, it's either been really windy or raining!
@fbailey That's always how it goes! I am always after dragonflies that always seem to get away from me, or appear when the camera is in the bag, has the wrong lens or is not with me. Then the days I plan to go it's suddenly raining or something else comes up!
Blue butterflies are one of the more tricky ones! The wing edges being "unbroken" white means it's a common blue...unless it's a Silver Studded blue (which look basically the same with a slight variation of course). With black lines (like your example) means it's either an Adonis Blue, or Chalk Hill blue (which have thicker black edges and are paler and bigger), though individual variations sometimes kind of blur into each other (and that's just the males)! So really being definite is rather difficult at times. But chalk areas are the best places to find them (and of course the Chalk Hill Blue just to be difficult)! :D
@miseria Dragonflies are on my wish list - haven't seen one for a long time sadly.
I'll try and get some more shots of these little blue chaps - they are small and the underside of their wings are heavily spotted. Will post some as soon as I can get a decent picture, and thank you again!
It also might not be so common after all! The black bits in the wing edges means it might likely be an Adonis blue which are much rarer! :D
Blue butterflies are one of the more tricky ones! The wing edges being "unbroken" white means it's a common blue...unless it's a Silver Studded blue (which look basically the same with a slight variation of course). With black lines (like your example) means it's either an Adonis Blue, or Chalk Hill blue (which have thicker black edges and are paler and bigger), though individual variations sometimes kind of blur into each other (and that's just the males)! So really being definite is rather difficult at times. But chalk areas are the best places to find them (and of course the Chalk Hill Blue just to be difficult)! :D
I'll try and get some more shots of these little blue chaps - they are small and the underside of their wings are heavily spotted. Will post some as soon as I can get a decent picture, and thank you again!