Small Heath - 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

[Mark Colvin]

My favourite, as it is just so different from all the other shots ...

Well 2012 is Olympic year!

Photographed on 27 July 2011.

[dilettante]

Although I saw them in many places, I didn't get many photos of SH this year. But I liked this one: the only butterfly I found in a trip to a local chalk pit on a cold May day, doing its best to avoid being photographed:

[ChrisC]

thought this an unusal spot to find them as normally tucked away in the grass. was pleasantly surprised how long they stuck around for too in the breeze.
Durlston.

[millerd]

This is a key inhabitant of my local patch - present from April to October, and in some numbers. On 2nd June, I lost track along a 250 metre section of path after counting to sixty. Not quite clouds of butterflies, but they were flying up in groups of four and five and almost every step disturbed a few. I've chosen another local one from 4th May, nothing special as a photo, but showing an overall richness of colour and a sliver of the upperside warm tan shade. Late sunshine may have assisted!

Dave

[Nick Broomer]

This is my contribution, in a typical pose on dead vegetation very close to the ground.

13.6.2011 Small Heath.jpg

Love your picture Mark.

Nick

[Neil Hulme]

Here's my offering, taken at the back-end of the season (22nd September) at Kingley Vale. In fact it was one of the last decent butterfly images I managed in 2011. It's a quite boldly marked individual and surprisingly fresh for the time of year!
Neil

[David M]

Here's my offering, taken at the back-end of the season (22nd September) at Kingley Vale. In fact it was one of the last decent butterfly images I managed in 2011. It's a quite boldly marked individual and surprisingly fresh for the time of year!

That's a lovely shot of a butterfly that is unphotogenic 90% of the time.

[MikeOxon]

This species is not often easy to approach, so I was pleased to get this close view, albeit with a 300mm lens:

Lambourne Downs, Berks - 4th May 2011
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR - 1/250s@f/11 ISO400

Mike

[Wurzel]

This was taken at Garston Wood. Last year there was a small plantation with a few exotics and lots of pines, amongst the few bramble bushes there were Greenish and normal Silver Washed Fritillaries. So I headed back there this year only to discover that the pines and exotics were gone, and in their place there were small corridors of bramble and hawthorn. Amongst the cleared debris and gouged earth a Small Heath seemed really out of place which is why this photo is my favourite shot. It also helped to erase the frightening memory of trying for my first shot of Small Heath in 2011 when I almost trod on an Adder at Martin Down!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Vince Massimo]

This was my first Small Heath of the year and it turned out to be one of my favourite images of the whole season. It was Easter Sunday at my local site and I saw it land on the Dandelion head. I got one shot and was moving in for another when it flew off................

Small Heath - Chaldon, Surrey 24-April-11

Better to lucky than good, I suppose

Vince

[Reverdin]

This is my only attempt this year, and reminds me of the day high in the Fells looking for Mountain Ringlet, 24th June, weather not bad but not in any way great.. breathless and not a Mountain Ringlet to be seen ( up to then), still a good day, good company

[johnv]

The best of very few in 2011.
Magdalen Hill Down, 9 August 2011

[Trev Sawyer]

I've been making some greetings cards up for my friends and family and I think this one has worked well...

It was taken along the slopes of 'Over Railway Cutting' (now the infamous Cambridge Guided Bus Route) in the summer. This venue is not very far from me and is one of the few local sites with Grizzled Skippers - Now that the route is finally in operation, I hope the butterflies can thrive along its edge and I will be watching the site with a particularly keen eye over the next few years.

Trev

[Neil Freeman]

I must admit, I did not get many decent photos of Small Heath, I either found them difficult to approach or they were hiding low down in the vegetation. I think the photo below taken at one of my local spots is about the best that I managed.

Small Heath - Castle Hills, Solihull.

Cheers,

Neil F.