Green Hairstreaks!

After going several years without seeing a Green Hairstreak, and just a brief glimpse of one at Rainham RSPB last year, it's all change, this season I seem to be seeing them everywhere, it could have something to do with the type of reserve I have being visiting of late in search of native Orchids. lots of grassy banks, lots of wild flowers. Prime time to see them seems to be between April and June. so that all fits as well

  That metallic green underwing, the usual view you get of this butterfly is quite unique. I have also seen for the first time a couple of individuals showing there chocolate brown upperwing colour.
It's a tiny Butterfly and easily missed when sunbathing on a leaf, they tend to blend in well to the background especially if you take your eye off them for a second.

Green Hairstreak   Callophrys rubi  at Queensdown Warren Kent

These Green Hairstreak hold there wings closed, except in flight, there is sometimes a faint white streak, apparently quite variable and usally reduced to just a few white dots, which you can see on the individuals I photographed at Queensdown Warren, one of five seen.