Green Hairstreak - Gratton Dale

First Green Hairstreak seen and photographed today by Doug Aston in Gratton Dale. One of the first records in Derbyshire I think.

Green Hairstreak (© Doug Aston)

Green Hairstreak - Big Moor

Met James mid-morning and went across to Big Moor where I finally caught up with Whinchat, a singing male. We also had a couple of Green Hairstreak butterflies which were our first for the year. The Green Hairstreak occupies widely varying habitats; we were on grassland with last years bracken, I can only assume there is Rock-rose or maybe Bird's-foot-trefoil in the area as I couldn't see any other food plants. Very different habitat to the Buckthorn scrub where it is found in the dales.
We had one Common Lizard which I would have loved to photograph it was the same colour  as the hairstreaks.

Green Hairstreak

Green Hairstreak - Via Gellia

I went to the coast yesterday and wasn't sure what to do today but after the usual early morning trip to the moor and then Rowsley I decided on the Via Gellia for butterflies and orchids. It has been very windy today and this is one area that is reasonably sheltered. 
The sunny spells brought the butterflies out and in addition to the Dingy Skipper below I had my first Green Hairstreak of the year I also saw a Brimstone. They looked like they had been on the wing for a while so were slightly battered but still great to see.

Green Hairstreak