Small Copper - Favourite Photo of 2011

[Vince Massimo]

This is a thread in which to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2011.........................or the last time you saw one!

This is part of a series which will hopefully grow throughout the winter until all 58 British species have been covered. Three new threads will be introduced per week. Our overseas friends are welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to our rare migrants, but please try to observe the alphabetical listing

Details of places, dates, times and circumstances would be appreciated and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, personal encounters, anecdotes and other interesting points.

Vince

[dilettante]

I love Small Coppers, so I was blown away by the numbers of them when I went to look (in vain) for Northern Brown Argus at St Abb's Head, Berwickshire in early August. I only ever see one or two of them down here in Cambs, but at St Abb's they were everywhere.

[marmari]

Taken on the 3rd October on a sunny early autumn day at a spot where this species is seen regularly.
The upper SC was energetically wing fluttering at the lower one.I would be very interested to know if this is a mating ritual or maybe just one telling the other to buzz-off.

[ChrisC]

one of my ever growing list of favourite butterflies. could probably do with a crop but....i still like it aas it is.

[millerd]

I don't seem to have taken as many this year as usual - this one is the first of 2011, taken on a hot day at Bedfont Lakes Country Park (21st April).

Dave

[Nick Broomer]

This is my favourite, i like the pose, where you can see both upper/undersides of the butterflies wings.

1.8.2011 S.C..jpg

Nick.

[Reverdin]

This is, quite simply, the best image I have ever obtained in 5 years of photographing Small Coppers. There is a small gully in the local dale which is Heather, Bilberry and Sheep Sorrel strewn, which has on occasions produced up to 30 individuals jostling for position on one visit. It is a cracking place to visit. This shot came frrom there in Spring 2011...

[MikeOxon]

I like the way these seem to turn up in unexpected places! I spotted this while I was searching for Silver-spotted Skippers near Swyncombe, Oxon:

Sliding Hill, nr.Swyncombe, Oxon
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR - 1/350s@f/9.5 ISO400

Mike

[Wurzel]

This was taken at Garston Wood during early July - on the same day I managed to find my Valesina - and it was the star of the morning right up until I spotted the Greenish lurking in the shadows. It was a fantastic morning, warm and sunny and I had the whole reserve to myself and had set up camp as it were in the newly cleared area. This Small Copper appeared almost as soon as I'd poured my coffee (this technique seems to work better than any lure, bait or inside knowlegde for me - no butterflies , pour a coffee, butterflies out the yin yang) and posed nicely on a log. I noticed two or three other Small Coppers flitting about and so I started a new game. I'd bet on whether they were caeruleopunctata or not. I'd watch them settle and then wait for them to open their wings before I could find out whether my bet was correct...

Is it or isn't it? Hmmmm, I'll go for not.

In the end I found 4 Small Copper in this small area, 1 of which was a quite heavily marked caeruleopuntata, one very slightly marked and 2 normal, and I managed to only guess one out of four correct - not good!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

If there is one butterfly that will lift my spirits it is the Small Copper. They seem to appear just about anywhere and almost anytime throughout the summer.

I took loads of photos of Small Coppers and really have a hard job to pick a favourite but the ones below are some that I like for one reason or another. They were all taken towards the end of July,

this one at Prestbury Hill,

Small Copper - Prestbury Hill

this one at Aston Rowant,

Small Coppers - Aston Rowant

and this one stopping off at Bernwood Meadows after spending the morning at Aston Rowant.

Small Copper - Bernwood Meadows

Cheers,

Neil F.