I just have to share one more find from my visit last week to Charlton King’s Common in Cheltenham, the gorgeous butterfly that is the Green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi). Its green wings provide this creature with such excellent camouflage that I was extremely lucky to spot it. They’re usually found on a favourite perch in a tree, from where they vigorously defend their territory, but this particular Green hairstreak flitted up from the ground as I walked along a narrow path. At first, I wasn’t sure what it was – a small flying creature in my peripheral vision – but I walked on a couple of paces, turned, waited and watched. I saw another flicker of movement and spotted the butterfly sitting on a flower. Fortunately, it stayed still long enough for me to get a few photos before flying up in to the foliage of a nearby tree and disappearing.
A streak of green
13 Tuesday Jun 2023
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