Bank holiday Monday dawned with the promise of some sun and warmer temperatures so I was hopeful when I made the journey over to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust's small reserve at Gunton Warren of seeing plenty of butterflies. Recently a great deal of work has been carried out by the trust to clear areas of dense undergrowth and restore the habitat to support a wide range of species including butterflies, birds and reptiles. Walking along the cliff top a strong wind got up and I began to think that I would be out of luck but near the south end of the reserve I found some sheltered areas adjoining the local properties and began to search.
Green Hairstreaks are the only butterfly with green underwings but with their brown upperwings are not easy to spot in flight especially as they fly so fast. Eventually I got my eye in and managed to spot a few individuals predominantly resting on the leaves of Brambles or Gorse but whenever I approached they would take to the wing, but before long I realised that they would return to their favourite perches if I remained still allowing some really close views.
Positioning myself to show the magnificent colour of their wings in the sunshine I managed to get plenty of shots some of which are shown here. Green Hairstreaks are often missed because of their early appearance in the year and because of the relatively short period when they can be seen on the wing during May and into June. They feed on a variety of plants including Gorse and Broom and can be found along much of our local coast land although much of their habitat has been lost in recent years.
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