Many Butterflies at 企嶺下 (Kei Ling Ha) @ Sai Kung, Hong Kong

This blog has not been updated for some weeks as I was away for summer holidays in Singapore and Germany from mid July to early August.

企嶺下 (Kei Ling Ha) is located on the Sai Kung Pennisular in the eastern New Territories of Hong Kong. Based on the number of butterfly photos taken at Kei Ling Ha and posted on various social media platforms in June and early July,  it seemed that a stretch of mangrove habitat there was the butterfly hotspot.  

So, on 9 July I joined my usual group of butterfly enthusiasts to explore this rather remote site. After a long bus and train journey and a 15-minute of  walking, we were greeted with a big group of photographes.

Not so keen waiting there, I decided to explore other areas first. As I walked towards the end of the path, I encountered some nymphalids puddling on the ground. This Gaudy Baron (Euthalia lubentina) was hovering around before it settled down for me to snap some quick shots. 

The female seemed to be less common - this was another male specimen making a short perch on the foilage.

 This particular Common Sailer (Neptis hylas) preferred concrete cement surface.

The Common Jester (Symbrenthia lilea) was rather common in Hong Kong. Now I tended to ignore it  unless I was presented with a pristine specimen on a nice perch like this.

I almost missed  this Athyma selenophora when it quietly resting on a high perch,overlooking at me.
Another look-alike, I believe this was a Athyma nefte.

A solitary Peacock Royal (Tajuria cippus) was enjoying its morning breakfast when I spotted it high on the flowers.

Of course, I had fun shooting with the big group of people at the "hotspot"  where there was a large colony of  Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete) and Red-based Jezebel (D. pasothoe). 

Surprisingly most of the photographers were not interested in shooting  this female Delias pasithoe when she suddently opened her wings on the sandy ground. For me this was a rare opportunity to snap the uppersides !

The star butterflies the photographers were eyeing for were relatively rare skippers. There was a small colony of  quite of  Burara gomata - rather tame and all resting beneath the leaf.

The most skittish and alert guy - this Burara oedipodae disappeared for a long period of time before it appeared again in the late afernoon.

I spotted two Choaspes benjaminii -  again both hiding under the leaf.

This Rapala manea was found perching on a shady spot. 

There were quite a number of butterfly species along a long stretch of walking path parallel to the shore line. This  Euthalia aconthea perched in front of me.

The Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace) seemed abundance too. Mating pairs always attracted our attention especially when a third party was trying to intrude the privacy of the mating pair.

Not a very big butterfly, the Sinthusa chandrana didn't attract much attention when it was taking its own time enjoying the nectar on the Bidens flowers.

Though a very dull moth,  I just could not resist taking a shot when it stayed at the same perch for a long time.

We spent a long time at Kei Ling Ha shooting, hunting and chatting with fellow photographers. This was one of my most satisfying and enjoyable butterfly-shooting trips I have experienced in HK.