Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)

Although this might be difficult to believe, sighting this globally widespread species in the UK is almost on a par with finding Bigfoot in your garden would be in the USA.

In this country just a handful of migrants are usually found most years if that, although there's some evidence that numbers may slowly be increasing as these migrants breed and our winters get milder, if not yet quite mild enough.

Today I found 5 individuals and signs are good more will be found in the next few weeks, because, as you can see, these two are coupling.

I have a video from 2019 of the Long-tailed blue in Italy yet to be posted.

I never imagined I'd be able to take one in my home town, but here it is!