Common Blue. Photo: Donald Simcock

Common Blue. Photo: Donald Simcock

Donald has sent us these two photos of an emerging Common Blue with the following commentary:

Yesterday, 01/06/2021 I was out volunteering in Purbeck working next to an old filled in stone quarry and decided to have a walk to see what I could see.

The nutrient poor soils have very short grass and plenty of birds-foot trefoil in flower. On my first walk I saw 3 Common Blues and on my second walk saw a Dingy Skipper and one Common Blue.

As I was walking back, I caught a glimpse of blue on a birds-foot trefoil flower and then took a closer look.  My first thought was the poor thing is on its last legs – a Common Blue with badly damaged wings.

I have never seen anything like this before and couldn’t reference any memories but then it suddenly clicked that this must be a newly emerged Common Blue in the process of inflating its wings. What a sight and what a story.