Large/Scarce Tortoiseshell - Favourite Photo 2014

[Wurzel]

Week 9

Another week comes and goes soon be Christmas! Here continues the sequence of posts giving one and all the opportunity to showcase their favourite shots of 2014 (or the last time you saw one)!

For this one I thought I'd combine it with Scarce Tortoiseshell as I don't recall there be that many sightings of either this year, although saying that I'm sure that some lucky people might have seen both

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.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I foresee tumbleweed on this thread, sadly.

[Padfield]

In March and April large tortoiseshells accompany every butterfly trip in Switzerland. It is something of a mystery to me that this beautiful species has never managed to regain its foothold in the UK.

I didn't take any particularly exciting pictures of them in 2014 but to kick off the thread, here are two. The first shows the classic, head-down territorial posture, which they adopt on trees, lampposts, walls or anything really, and the second an equally common leaf-litter view. Both were taken in March.

[Goldie M]

I've never seen this Butterfly for real, so to see photo's of them like the ones posted is very helpful to study . I find videos interesting but a photo easier for me to study Goldie

[Chris Jackson]

This year around Marseilles / Vitrolles, I saw what I believe were individuals out of hibernation between last week of February and the first week of April
(here in leaf litter):

and then this year, for the first time in May, I saw what I suppose was an individual from this year's brood:
(head-down posture)

Is it normal to see quite a few ex-hibernators and then after, virtually no fresh brood ? Where do they go ?
Chris