Green Hairstreak on Wanstead Flats

I was minding my own business on the Flats this morning, wandering home from a mildly successful photography session with Meadow Pipits, when I spotted a small green butterfly on one of the paths near Long Wood. I'm not that hot on butterflies, so I waited until I got home before proclaiming it to be a Green Hairstreak. I texted Tim, who seemed excited enough to want to out and look for it, so I gave him rough directions. It wasn't long before he texted back that he had discovered five more!

I went out a little later on with a camera, this time armed with directions from Tim, and found them sunning themselves on some brambles. I soon also spied Paul F, who had in turn found half a dozen more a little way west of the original sighting. It seems that a few small colonies of this tiny butterfly have been under our noses the whole time! I remember twitching the Ingrebourne Valley to see these, so it's great we have some of our own now!