I saw this Holly Blue butterfly up the Welcombe Hills today

Yesterday I was in Wolverhampton all day running a training course and only managed a short evening walk up the Welcombe. Imagine then how much I looked forward to working at home today and having a good walk up the hills.

I've a favourite little place that has always been good for bumble bees and butterflies. It gets the morning sun and there are banks of blackberry bushes and the Lady's Smock grows there too. Woods behind provide shelter.

We went there this morning and I was chasing (yes literally) male and female Orange Tips as they roamed in the sunshine looking for each other, or perhaps that should be scenting for each other. I was hoping to catch a female laying eggs on Lady's Smock but they didn't seem to want to settle. Then I caught a glimpse of  blue wings. I hoped it was a Common Blue as these have suffered a decline over recent years. It turned out to be a Holly Blue and I was lucky to catch it when it settled in the sun on bramble. 

This is a woodland butterfly that likes open downs and gardens. It's quite common. It lays its eggs on holly and the butterflies from these lay a second brood on ivy. The young caterpillars eat into the young buds and overwinter there as chrysalises to emerge in the spring as butterflies. A good find and despite missing out on the Orange Tips I went home very pleased.