Brown Argus - Favourite Photo of 2017

[Wurzel]

Brown Argus - Favourite Photo of 2017

So the Favourite Photo enters round 2!

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As like last year details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.
Here we go then!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[MikeOxon]

As I mentioned in my Personal Diary, the majority of all my species sightings in 2017 came from a single visit! This splendid trip to Bucknell Wood, recommended by 'Art Frames', proved very successful, providing me with 20 species in one afternoon - including this Brown Argus:

Bucknell Wood, Northants - 25th July 2017
Olympus E-M1 with 100-400mm lens - 1/800s@f/9 ISO 1000

Mike

[Chris Jackson]

This is about the only photo I took this year of a Brown Argus. They fly from early to late season in the south of France. This one, from mid September, is feeding on Heliotropium europaeum.
Chris

[Goldie M]

My favourite photo of the Brown Argus was taken on the 26th July at Temple Ewell in Kent, It was a warm day although windy if I remember rightly, I like it because I managed to get two for one Goldie

[millerd]

A very difficult choice again, as I am blessed with a healthy contingent locally, and regularly see them elsewhere. However, the standalone "top moment" for me was seeing two males on my local patch having a rare old ding-dong. I don't think I have ever seen two butterflies of any species get so aggressive with each other...

...and such tiny protagonists!

Dave

[bugboy]

I can't choose between these for for various reason:
This female on Box Hill with an unusual brown fringe on the forewing

This male looking pretty on a Hawkbit clock

and this gorgeous first gen male I found whilst chasing Duke of Burgundy up at Ivinghoe Beacon

[Allan.W.]

My Brown Argus ,were all taken ,in Orlestone forest in Kent(local patch) , in most years at Orlestone you are very lucky to see one Brown Argus at peak times but this year on several occasions I counted between 5-8 unheard of here (at least for me) ,similarly the Common Blue has also had an amazing season in Orlestone ,I do a regular circuit and normally if I,m lucky I may see 7-8 ,but this year I,ve had three
80 + counts .

Excuse the Common Blue on the Brown Arg; thread ,in last image but I was pleased to get both undersides in same shot.

Regards Allan.W.

[Chris Jackson]

... Excuse the Common Blue on the Brown Argus thread ....

On the contrary, Allan, a very good educational photo.
Chris

[Allan.W.]

Thanks for that Chris ! Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

This species was thin on the ground again for me this year. I saw a handful locally but my favourite image was probably of this female at Rodborough Common on 20th May:

[Wolfson]

An early season encounter on 2 May shows its beauty, but yesterday's encounter with a veteran on the Norfolk coast is my favorite and looking out of the window, probably one of my last encounters with any butterfly in 2017.

[peterc]

A good year for this species for me but frustratingly it did not appear on one of my transects when I walked it. However, on a cloudy afternoon, I found a pair together on a grass stem on 4 September. I also saw a nice example on 1 August.

ATB

Peter

[Wurzel]

Brown Argus

This was taken back in early May at my Duke site and it’s my favourite for two reasons. Firstly because it was taken whilst on the first joint trip of the year with Philzoid and secondly because of the way the light caught the light on the open forewings giving them a silk sheen like appearance.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Matsukaze]

Brown Argus seems to have disappeared from the countryside where I live in the last decade - whether the loss of set-aside or the endless sequence of abominable summers is responsible I am not sure - so it was good to run across the species at Daneway Banks in Gloucestershire this July.