Holly Blue

I have a couple of Holly trees in my garden and we are close
to a wood where it is common. I have always asssumed the
blue butterflies that always appear are Holly Blues.
Today Iwas able to see one very close. It appeared to be laying
it's eggs on a green holly berry.
Does this match the habit of a Holly Blue?

A few weeks ago I saw something like a Speckled Wood perched
on some open soil. They are always present during the summer.
This one was as small as the Holly Blue, and it always perched
with it's wings closed.
My second question then, is this a very small Speckled Wood, or
maybe a Skipper of some sort? The opened wings in flight were
the reason I thought of the Speckled Wood.
I did notice that it's underside had a small "eye" at the outer edge.

Miles

If the Blue female was blue and had dark bands round the outside of the
forewings, then it was a Holly Blue. The underside of the wings is silvery,
with small, dark spots. Common Blue females have varying amounts of brown on
the upper side of the wings, although I have only seen them all brown or all
blue (in Scotland); also my butterfly book shows them with orange spots along
the outer edges of the wings in both the brown and blue forms. The undersides
of the wings are brownish with the female having orange spots like the upper
sides.

Regarding the possible Speckled Wood, we have seen them about for a few weeks
now, here in the south of England. They do seem to be small, but as there are
two broods a year, perhaps the second brood are bigger. My butterfly book does
show an `eye`, like you describe, and the Grizzled Skipper doesn`t have one. So
it sounds as though it was a Speckled Wood.

Kate

"Miles - Nature" <grass@trees.csx> wrote in message
news:f3u0i1$caj$1@aioe.org...
>I have a couple of Holly trees in my garden and we are close to a wood where it
>is common. I have always asssumed the blue butterflies that always appear are
>Holly Blues.
> Today Iwas able to see one very close. It appeared to be laying it's eggs on a
> green holly berry.
> Does this match the habit of a Holly Blue?
>
> A few weeks ago I saw something like a Speckled Wood perched on some open
> soil. They are always present during the summer. This one was as small as the
> Holly Blue, and it always perched with it's wings closed.
> My second question then, is this a very small Speckled Wood, or maybe a
> Skipper of some sort? The opened wings in flight were the reason I thought of
> the Speckled Wood.
> I did notice that it's underside had a small "eye" at the outer edge.
>
> Miles

In article <f3u0i1$caj$1@aioe.org>,
Miles - Nature <grass@trees.csx> wrote:
> I have a couple of Holly trees in my garden and we are close
> to a wood where it is common. I have always asssumed the
> blue butterflies that always appear are Holly Blues.
> Today Iwas able to see one very close. It appeared to be laying
> it's eggs on a green holly berry.
> Does this match the habit of a Holly Blue?
It certainly does, actually it was probably the flower at this stage.
This first brood uses Holly. The second and sometimes a third brood lay
their eggs on ivy flowers.

> A few weeks ago I saw something like a Speckled Wood perched
> on some open soil. They are always present during the summer.
> This one was as small as the Holly Blue, and it always perched
> with it's wings closed.
Speckled Woods are normally considerably bigger than Holly Blue
> My second question then, is this a very small Speckled Wood, or
> maybe a Skipper of some sort? The opened wings in flight were
> the reason I thought of the Speckled Wood.
> I did notice that it's underside had a small "eye" at the outer edge.
Speckled Woods tend to sit in dappled light conditions and will chase off
other butterflies. The grizzled and dinghy skippers are quite rare and
rather small. The large Skipper is flying now but is rather more ginger
in appearance than SW

Possibly you saw a moth but probably few have the eye.
> Miles

--
Regards from Bob Seago: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/rjseago/

"Robert Seago" <rjseago@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4eedd80ffarjseago@zetnet.co.uk...
> In article <f3u0i1$caj$1@aioe.org>,
> Miles - Nature <grass@trees.csx> wrote:
>> I have a couple of Holly trees in my garden and we are close
>> to a wood where it is common. I have always asssumed the
>> blue butterflies that always appear are Holly Blues.
>> Today Iwas able to see one very close. It appeared to be laying
>> it's eggs on a green holly berry.
>> Does this match the habit of a Holly Blue?
> It certainly does, actually it was probably the flower at this stage.
> This first brood uses Holly. The second and sometimes a third brood lay
> their eggs on ivy flowers.
>
>> A few weeks ago I saw something like a Speckled Wood perched
>> on some open soil. They are always present during the summer.
>> This one was as small as the Holly Blue, and it always perched
>> with it's wings closed.
> Speckled Woods are normally considerably bigger than Holly Blue
>> My second question then, is this a very small Speckled Wood, or
>> maybe a Skipper of some sort? The opened wings in flight were
>> the reason I thought of the Speckled Wood.
>> I did notice that it's underside had a small "eye" at the outer edge.
> Speckled Woods tend to sit in dappled light conditions and will chase off
> other butterflies. The grizzled and dinghy skippers are quite rare and
> rather small. The large Skipper is flying now but is rather more ginger
> in appearance than SW
>
> Possibly you saw a moth but probably few have the eye.
>> Miles
>
> --
> Regards from Bob Seago: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/rjseago/

Thanks both for the replies. I was beginning to think there was
no-one out there!
I should mention that my little book mentioned speckled woods
tend to perch with wings open and not on bare patches of earth.
This was the main spur to post.
I could not find much about the Holly Blue, such as where it
lays it's eggs. It too perched with wings closed, so I only had
a glimpse of it in flight.
In other years I have identified other blues from my book.

Thanks again,
Miles

> Thanks both for the replies. I was beginning to think there was
> no-one out there!
> I should mention that my little book mentioned speckled woods
> tend to perch with wings open and not on bare patches of earth.
> This was the main spur to post.
> I could not find much about the Holly Blue, such as where it
> lays it's eggs. It too perched with wings closed, so I only had
> a glimpse of it in flight.
> In other years I have identified other blues from my book.

> Thanks again,
> Miles

There are photos of aq selection of butterflies on my web site though they
won't provide a lot of extra help to you probably.

--
Regards from Bob Seago: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/rjseago/

In article <f3u0i1$caj$1@aioe.org>,
Miles - Nature <grass@trees.csx> wrote:
Try this web site. It includes many angles on all the species.

Enjoy!

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/index.php

--
Regards from Bob Seago: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/rjseago/

Robert Seago wrote:
> The grizzled and dinghy skippers are quite
> rare and rather small.

I've just been on a yachting trip with one of those. But the boat was a bit
big to be caled a "dinghy"!

Mike.
--
If reply address = connectfee, add an r because it is free not fee.

	#1
Miles - Nature	Holly Blue I have a couple of Holly trees in my garden and we are close to a wood where it is common. I have always asssumed the blue butterflies that always appear are Holly Blues. Today Iwas able to see one very close. It appeared to be laying it's eggs on a green holly berry. Does this match the habit of a Holly Blue? A few weeks ago I saw something like a Speckled Wood perched on some open soil. They are always present during the summer. This one was as small as the Holly Blue, and it always perched with it's wings closed. My second question then, is this a very small Speckled Wood, or maybe a Skipper of some sort? The opened wings in flight were the reason I thought of the Speckled Wood. I did notice that it's underside had a small "eye" at the outer edge. Miles

	#2
Kate	Re: Holly Blue If the Blue female was blue and had dark bands round the outside of the forewings, then it was a Holly Blue. The underside of the wings is silvery, with small, dark spots. Common Blue females have varying amounts of brown on the upper side of the wings, although I have only seen them all brown or all blue (in Scotland); also my butterfly book shows them with orange spots along the outer edges of the wings in both the brown and blue forms. The undersides of the wings are brownish with the female having orange spots like the upper sides. Regarding the possible Speckled Wood, we have seen them about for a few weeks now, here in the south of England. They do seem to be small, but as there are two broods a year, perhaps the second brood are bigger. My butterfly book does show an `eye`, like you describe, and the Grizzled Skipper doesn`t have one. So it sounds as though it was a Speckled Wood. Kate "Miles - Nature" <grass@trees.csx> wrote in message news:f3u0i1$caj$1@aioe.org... >I have a couple of Holly trees in my garden and we are close to a wood where it >is common. I have always asssumed the blue butterflies that always appear are >Holly Blues. > Today Iwas able to see one very close. It appeared to be laying it's eggs on a > green holly berry. > Does this match the habit of a Holly Blue? > > A few weeks ago I saw something like a Speckled Wood perched on some open > soil. They are always present during the summer. This one was as small as the > Holly Blue, and it always perched with it's wings closed. > My second question then, is this a very small Speckled Wood, or maybe a > Skipper of some sort? The opened wings in flight were the reason I thought of > the Speckled Wood. > I did notice that it's underside had a small "eye" at the outer edge. > > Miles

	#3
Robert Seago	Re: Holly Blue In article <f3u0i1$caj$1@aioe.org>, Miles - Nature <grass@trees.csx> wrote: > I have a couple of Holly trees in my garden and we are close > to a wood where it is common. I have always asssumed the > blue butterflies that always appear are Holly Blues. > Today Iwas able to see one very close. It appeared to be laying > it's eggs on a green holly berry. > Does this match the habit of a Holly Blue? It certainly does, actually it was probably the flower at this stage. This first brood uses Holly. The second and sometimes a third brood lay their eggs on ivy flowers. > A few weeks ago I saw something like a Speckled Wood perched > on some open soil. They are always present during the summer. > This one was as small as the Holly Blue, and it always perched > with it's wings closed. Speckled Woods are normally considerably bigger than Holly Blue > My second question then, is this a very small Speckled Wood, or > maybe a Skipper of some sort? The opened wings in flight were > the reason I thought of the Speckled Wood. > I did notice that it's underside had a small "eye" at the outer edge. Speckled Woods tend to sit in dappled light conditions and will chase off other butterflies. The grizzled and dinghy skippers are quite rare and rather small. The large Skipper is flying now but is rather more ginger in appearance than SW Possibly you saw a moth but probably few have the eye. > Miles -- Regards from Bob Seago: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/rjseago/

	#4
Miles - Nature	Re: Holly Blue "Robert Seago" <rjseago@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message news:4eedd80ffarjseago@zetnet.co.uk... > In article <f3u0i1$caj$1@aioe.org>, > Miles - Nature <grass@trees.csx> wrote: >> I have a couple of Holly trees in my garden and we are close >> to a wood where it is common. I have always asssumed the >> blue butterflies that always appear are Holly Blues. >> Today Iwas able to see one very close. It appeared to be laying >> it's eggs on a green holly berry. >> Does this match the habit of a Holly Blue? > It certainly does, actually it was probably the flower at this stage. > This first brood uses Holly. The second and sometimes a third brood lay > their eggs on ivy flowers. > >> A few weeks ago I saw something like a Speckled Wood perched >> on some open soil. They are always present during the summer. >> This one was as small as the Holly Blue, and it always perched >> with it's wings closed. > Speckled Woods are normally considerably bigger than Holly Blue >> My second question then, is this a very small Speckled Wood, or >> maybe a Skipper of some sort? The opened wings in flight were >> the reason I thought of the Speckled Wood. >> I did notice that it's underside had a small "eye" at the outer edge. > Speckled Woods tend to sit in dappled light conditions and will chase off > other butterflies. The grizzled and dinghy skippers are quite rare and > rather small. The large Skipper is flying now but is rather more ginger > in appearance than SW > > Possibly you saw a moth but probably few have the eye. >> Miles > > -- > Regards from Bob Seago: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/rjseago/ Thanks both for the replies. I was beginning to think there was no-one out there! I should mention that my little book mentioned speckled woods tend to perch with wings open and not on bare patches of earth. This was the main spur to post. I could not find much about the Holly Blue, such as where it lays it's eggs. It too perched with wings closed, so I only had a glimpse of it in flight. In other years I have identified other blues from my book. Thanks again, Miles

	#5
Robert Seago	Re: Holly Blue > Thanks both for the replies. I was beginning to think there was > no-one out there! > I should mention that my little book mentioned speckled woods > tend to perch with wings open and not on bare patches of earth. > This was the main spur to post. > I could not find much about the Holly Blue, such as where it > lays it's eggs. It too perched with wings closed, so I only had > a glimpse of it in flight. > In other years I have identified other blues from my book. > Thanks again, > Miles There are photos of aq selection of butterflies on my web site though they won't provide a lot of extra help to you probably. -- Regards from Bob Seago: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/rjseago/

	#7
Mike Coon	Re: Holly Blue Robert Seago wrote: > The grizzled and dinghy skippers are quite > rare and rather small. I've just been on a yachting trip with one of those. But the boat was a bit big to be caled a "dinghy"! Mike. -- If reply address = connectfee, add an r because it is free not fee.