Meadow Brown - Favourite Photo of 2013

[Vince Massimo]

Week 11.

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2013 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter, eventually covering all 59 species which are regularly found in the British Isles. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

[Wurzel]

Meadow Brown

This was taken at Larkhill at the end of July. I hadn’t expected to find anything due t the inclement weather. It was damp and cool enough for me to require a coat so I stopped off more out of force of habit than expectation.
As is so often the way when you’re not looking or expecting, I stumbled across this little cracker. It’s my favourite MB shot (particularly the higher resolution version) as it shows off the wonderful subtle markings and hues of an often overlooked butterfly. As an added bonus the collected drizzle drops seemed to highlight the velvety texture of the wings.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[CFB]

This is by far my favourite Meadow Brown, seen at the beginning of June in the Alpes-Maritimes:

I like the following one due to the unusual object on which it decided to land. Enigma: what is the object?

--
Colin

[MikeOxon]

This is one of those 'pathological' whitish specimens, which always seem to have rather brittle wings. Hence the broken bits...

Otmoor, Oxon - 6th August 2013
Nikon D300s with 300f4 + 1.4X TC - 1/180s@f/9.5 ISO800

Mike

[millerd]

As with many species, Meadow Browns started very late in my part of the world. This one was a fresh-looking male, seen near to home at Stanwell Moor on 10th July. I would normally start to look for them at the end of May, but this year's first was on 24th June.

Dave

[Padfield]

This was taken near Geneva at the end of July. It is easy to overlook this species but it is very attractive:



Guy

[Chris Jackson]

As for Colin's enigma above, it looks like the butterfly is perched on a rather large bolt head.
The plant in the background looks like Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic tree)!
Come on Colin, I give in.
I've got two favorite photos of jurtina from 2013, both from Marseilles: a pair mating, and a form hispulla (thanks R. Gibbons for the identification).
Chris

[David M]

For some strange reason, I noticed higher numbers of Meadow Browns than normal that were happily resting wings open this summer. Usually, they have a greater tendency to do this towards the end of their flight season, meaning that they're relatively tatty and faded. This year though, I photographed 3 or 4 in good condition, including this female seen at Aston Rowant on 8th August:

[Neil Freeman]

My first Meadow Browns of 2013 were seen in North Devon in mid June but I did not see them in any numbers until I returned home and had a look around a local spot, Shadowbrook Meadows near Solihull, at the end of June. There had just been a large emergence and there were hundreds all over the site, all males.

Meadow Brown - Shadowbrook Meadows 30.06.2013

Meadow Brown - Shadowbrook Meadows 30.06.2013

Meadow Brown - Shadowbrook Meadows 30.06.2013

I then saw Meadow Browns as usual everywhere that I went throughout the summer right up to early September when there were still good numbers around in Dorset, my last ones seen being on 29th September near Solihull.

I quite like the shot below taken at Grafton Wood in August of a female at a more unusual angle.

Meadow Brown - Grafton Wood 24.08.2013

Cheers,

Neil.

[False Apollo]

I found this little beauty whilst searching for Brown Hairstreaks at Shipton Bellinger in August. Happy Days !!!

Happy Christmas all
Mike Gibbons

[Nigel Kiteley]

My favourite Meadow Brown image from 2013 has to be this mating shot taken at Aston Rowan in August. I arrived very early and was searching for roosting blues when i came across this pair low down in the dew covered grass. They seemed to have been joined together all night as they were both soaking wet from the dew. I waited for the sun to appear by which time they had dried out considerably and coaxed them out of the thick grass for a photo.

[CFB]

Come on Colin, I give in.

Chris,
The Meadow Brown is on a bolt at the bottom of this electricity pylon. The photos were not taken on the same day.

--
Colin

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Colin, what a relief - now I can sleep soundly.
I'm sure you will have more enigmas lined up for us in 2014.
Chris

[Goldie M]

I took Photo's of Meadow Browns at two different places this year. I was actually looking for White Letter Hair Streak which I know to be along the old railway lines now closed at Helmshore, needless to say I was unlucky but did spot lots of other BF so still managed a few photo's this pic was taken on the 4th of August.
My second place was at Southport in the Dunes where loads of them were feeding on some Sea Thistle (1st of August) I think this is the photo I like the best Goldie

[Chris Jackson]

You're right Goldie, the prickly Sea Thistle photo provides nice contrast.
Chris

[maverick]

another buterfly from Sanky Valley just a five minute walk from my house

[IAC]

Meadow Browns have had quite a rough trot for wee while in the east of Berwickshire. Many once popular spots, devoid of the butterfly. Unsettled weather really does them no good at all. They were, as they always seem to be by seasons end, the most numerous butterfly again in 2013. So whats to moan about?......I can see changes in the species habits that I cannot yet explain. They are tending to swarm in small pockets, not being seen in more open habitat as they were used to doing. They are turning up in more untypical habitats...it is certainly strange. Ringlet seem to be less affected...I dunno...maybe its a cyclic event.
This butterfly was taken on a dull warm day in a quarry site where I have recorded 100s...since 2011 it has been 20-30 max.

I am taking it, that nobody else is seeing changes in Meadow Brown behaviour, density and habitat.?


Iain.