Silver-washed Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2015

[Wurzel]

Silver-washed Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2015

Week 15

Sorry I'm a little bit late posting this week - the joys of Ikea and bed building that followed from it Anyway on with the Favourite Photo thread!

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

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Wurzel,
I managed to get some decent shots of this species in the south of France in 2015.
This species does not frequent the coast as far as I know. I had to move slightly inland and upland to find a colony.
Female :

Male :

Female, form valezina

Cheers, Chris

[Padfield]

A freshly ecdysed caterpillar beside its old skin, in my local woods on 15th June last year:



The leaf is honeysuckle. The caterpillar had climbed out of the low vegetation to shed its skin a metre from the ground.

Guy

[David M]

Didn't pay too much attention to this species in 2015. Although SWF is a regular at the Brown Hairstreak site in Pembrokeshire, it was at Fermyn Wood in mid-July where I took these images:

I was surprised to see form valezina this far north though, and managed to get a record shot:

[dilettante]

Gamlingay woods, Cambs, 11th July

[MikeOxon]

Like most Fritillaries, this fast-flying active species is never easy to photograph. This is a fairly run-of-the-mill photo but about the best I managed in 2015:

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150mm lens - 1/100@f/22 ISO400

(The very small aperture was a mistake - I opened up to F/9.5 after this shot but didn't get as nice a pose, although the background was less fussy)

Mike

[millerd]

I didn't see this species at its best in 2015, coming across only worn individuals. However I liked this female from Black Park in Buckinghamshire, probably my closest location, on 10th July...

... and a male from Chiddingfold on 2nd August.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

The first Silver-washed Fritillaries that I saw in 2015 were during a few days in the Heddon Valley in late June where I saw a few mixed in with the Dark Greens and High Browns down there. A couple of weeks later I went to Fermyn where I saw good numbers throughout the whole system of woods.

Silver-washed Fritillary female - Fermyn 15.07.2015

Silver-washed Fritillary male - Fermyn 15.07.2015

Silver-washed Fritillaries - Fermyn 15.07.2015

Silver-washed Fritillary male - Fermyn 15.07.2015

Cheers,

Neil

[bugboy]

Saw loads of these at Bookham Common where they had a good 6 week flight period. They provided a welcome distraction from my numerous failed Purple Emperor trips and were still on the wing when I was enjoying my Brown Hairstreak audiences.

a male

and a female

and a male swooping in for some frisky fun... I think he was sent packing though

[Wurzel]

Silver-washed Fritillary

I didn’t actually get that many shots of Silver Washed this year, my season kinda got compressed and I was seldom in suitable habitat or if I was they were bombing around all over the place.

This one is my Fave as in the past I’ve really struggled getting the under wing shot. I’ve had plenty of topside action but not so much side on, wings closed and in close for an under wing shot. This shot met all the criteria plus it was one of very few shots I got so it had to be my fave.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Chris Jackson]

A very nice under-wing shot, finally, Wurzel.
Chris

[Matsukaze]

I missed the species in the UK this year but there were plenty of them in Provence.

[ayjay]

A couple of SWF from Holmsley Inclosure in the New Forest, both pics taken in July, the first on the 11th and the second on the 28th.
I found them quite hard to photograph when I first found them here a couple of years ago but once they've been around for a couple of weeks they do seem to slow down a little later on in the afternoons. One top-shot and a very silvery underside.

[millerd]

Hi Ayjay - the top one looks like a great shot of a Dark Green Fritillary to me rather than a SWF.

Dave

[David M]

Hi Ayjay - the top one looks like a great shot of a Dark Green Fritillary to me rather than a SWF.

Yep. DGF for me too!

[ayjay]

Hi Ayjay - the top one looks like a great shot of a Dark Green Fritillary to me rather than a SWF.

Dave

Thanks Dave, I'm in danger of becoming a serial offender with that sort of thing, if I'm not already!

Pleased you at least like the pic though.

I'll toddle off and correct it later.