Dark Green Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2011

[celery]

A thread in which to post your favourite photo(s) taken in 2011 of Dark Green Fritillary.

Part of a series inspired by ChrisC's thread about 'Favourite Photos' and hopefully growing throughout the winter until all 58 British species have been covered.

Details of places, dates, times and circumstances also appreciated. Feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, personal encounters, anecdotes, anything really...

[dilettante]

This was the best I managed, but I was so chuffed to see them at all. I had no idea they were in my local area (S Cambs) until NickB posted about seeing them on Fleam Dyke.


10-Jul-2011, Fleam Dyke, Cambs. Sony A700, Tamron 180 macro, 1/320s f/8.0, iso400, cropped

[Rogerdodge]

This was one of my favourites.

The day started out with really bad weather. I decided to risk it anyway, and ended up with some ocasional hazy brightish periods between the showers.
It was also pretty chilly, so any butterflies I came across were fairly docile.
Best of all - I hardly saw another soul all day!

I spent ages with this one, just really enjoying it's beauty.
I only took half a dozen shots.
Sometimes I think I spend more time looking at butterflies through a viewfinder than "in the flesh" so to speak.

Next year I plan to address this imbalance.

[Wurzel]

This was taken at Martin Down at the Blandford Road end and I just couldn't belive the numbers of them. There were four in the car park before I even go out of the car! By the time I got to the hollow I was a little bemused as there had been one on almost every flower and I didn't know where to begin to photogrpah them so after I got the shot below I just sat back with a coffee and watched their frenzied antics.
The shot below shows a mating pair and an interloper trying to muscle in - seemed unusal as he was battering what I think was the female rather than the smaller male? Just like in Dear Deidre this threesome didn't work out!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

a cracker of a butterfly that i have only seen flying past at speed at Martin Down. and i understand your sentiments Rodger, it's only since joining this forum and getting a camera that i have really "looked" at butterflies. i used to see them and the different species but i never really looked at them.

Chris

[millerd]

I think I saw more DGF this year than in previous years, and saw them at Denbies and Aston Rowant for the first time in 2011. However, I was most impressed by a female at Arnside in late July, as I had not previously seen how different to the males they can be.

Dave

[Michaeljf]

I saw plenty of Dark Green Fritillaries at Ewenny (South Wales) this year even though I was really trying to get good photos of the High Browns there! This one fooled me for a little while on the 18th June as I had to get some 'expert' advince and confirm it was a Dark Green Frit. There were several flying about on the rides stopping briefly on the ferns because there weren't a lot of nectar sources in that spot.

I like this picture because, like me, it's simple....

Michael

[celery]

The latest newsletter from the East Midlands branch of Butterfly Conservation features a picture of a dark green fritillary on the back cover. The caption says that it was taken in Cotgrave Forest in south Nottinghamshire, which is about three miles from where I live - though it doesn't say when it was taken. I walk around the area regularly and extensively... and I have never seen a dark green fritillary there.

The pictures below were taken at Arnside Knott hundreds of miles from where I live. If anyone knows the exact location of these beauties within the south Notts. area then please let me in on the secret. It might save me a trip and a few quid in petrol next year.


26th June, 2011

[Nick Broomer]

These two pictures were taken near the triangle in Chiddingfold Wood. Everyone it seems were getting some nice photo`s of this beautiful insect, or at least seeing them throughout the wood except me. When its your patch, and visit it as often as one can it can become rather frustrating. After being shown one by another butterfly enthusiast and taken some rather poor pictures i ventured of wandering were these individuals were coming from. Later that same day i saw my second Dark Green Fritillary and decided to follow it, if possible. This i did with success, and after watching males hunting for females in the afternoon sunshine i went home without getting a photo. I returned the next day to try my luck again now i knew where they were hiding. After 5 hours in hot conditions i had finally got some pictures. And the results are below.

[Lee Hurrell]

Glad you finally found them, Nick - you were talking about this quest when we met on 2nd July.

Cheers

Lee

[Nick Broomer]

Thanks Lee, you`ve got a good memory. I actually took the two photo`s the following day, on the 3rd July. I had to photograph the male on the thistle from a distance, about 2m , because every time i tried to get up close it would fly off. It was also constantly moving whilst feeding so i was rather pleased when two of the 15 odd pictures i took came out. The fellow on the Hazel leaf was easier apart from the Fritillary was one side of the Hazel clump and i was on the other. So i had to get my tripod in amongst the Hazel without disturbing it, and high enough to achieve the angle i needed for the shot, and the rest is history.

The one thing i have learnt, is that you need a lot of patience in this game.[ excuse the pun]

Thanks again Lee,

Nick.

[MikeOxon]

DGF is a 'bogey' species for me, in that I have never got a satisfactory photo yet! This one was on Watlington Hill, Oxon and was a chance encounter on a day when I was looking for Silver-spotted Skippers. It turned out to be the only one I saw this year. It will encourage me to try harder next year.

Watlington Hill, Oxon - 1st August 2011
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR - 1/180s@f/6.7, ISO400

Mike

[John W]

This was probably my best of the year. Sadly I haven't managed yet to get an underside shot of any kind, let alone one as beautiful as the ones posted above! It was an unexpected bonus on a trip to Meathop Moss (on July 11th) to see the Large Heath.