Small Heath - Favourite Photo of 2013

[Vince Massimo]

Week 17.

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]

Small Heath

This was taken at my new Duke site when I made a visit later in the year at the end of September. I’d been really lucky over 2013 with some difficult shots taken and in the bag as well as capturing some of the rarer images. The rarest one was a male Brimstone roosting open winged. At the time the challenge of a Small Heath was mentioned so as this particular shot meant I had met my challenge it’s my favourite.
I was walking along one of the paths when a vibrating movement caught my eye. As I approached closer it didn’t disappear and I realized that it was a Small Heath trapped in a spider web. As I continued to watch it felt like I was embroiled in a horror movie as Arachnid legs appeared and wrapped themselves around the butterfly locking it in a fatal embrace.
The butterfly shock itself even more frantically now until somehow it managed to break the web falling to the ground and sending the spider swinging Tarzan style away. ‘Lair of the Spider’ became the ‘Great Escape’ with Steve McQueen’s role reprised by Small Heath...
I then broke the wildlife observers golden rule and ‘interfered’, gently picking the butterfly up and placing it on my leg. It was still alive, slowly walking around and then it opened its wings fully for a few seconds, just long enough for a few rapid shots. I then gently moved it onto an area on the path and after I saw it making a few steps I made off – preferring the uncertainty of its outcome to a realization of my expectations.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Chris Jackson]

This individual is from Cantal in the Massif Central region of France on July 7th.

pamphilus July 07 - Cantal, France

Chris

[downland boy]

Although it has a character of its own, the Small Heath doesn't quite have the same kudos as those purply sparkly things that we all love to chase. I haven't taken a recent photograph of this species but having read Wurzel's tale (above) I was moved to include this photo from 2006. I came across this Small Heath whilst walking my transect at Frog Firle in East Sussex; it was trapped by the surface tension of a pool of water that had formed in an upturned hub cap. I took a couple of shots before lifting it out of the water on the end of my finger and hooking it onto a grass stem to dry off.

[CFB]

This is one of my favourite butterfly photos of 2013, not just of Small Heaths but of all the species I've seen:

Could this second one be f. lyllus?

--
Colin

[Goldie M]

My Small Heath photo's were taken on the 25th May, no matter how I try I never seem to catch a good shot of this one, may be this year with my new camera I'll get some thing better. I hope so Goldie

[MikeOxon]

I cannot believe that I didn't photograph a Small Heath in 2013 - too busy with Large Heaths! - so, not wanting to leave out a favourite butterfly, here's one from earlier. Not quite in accordance with the rules, as I'm sure I saw lots in 2013, but it will remind me to take some this year.

Seven Barrows, Berks - 4th June 2008
Nikon D70 with 70-300VR zoom - 1/500s@f/11 ISO400

Mike

[millerd]

This is my favourite only because it was the (joint) first one reported to BC in 2013. It popped up at Denbies Hillside on 2nd May when I was enjoying the Green Hairstreaks and looking vainly for Grizzled Skippers. This was the same date as my first sighting of 2012, but 2013 was a very late year and I didn't see another for a couple of weeks.

First of the year

Unfortunately I was some distance away when I took this, and it was much better at flying up the slope than I was at following...

A glorious day, but a steep slope

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

After taking some good Small Heath photos in 2012, I seemed to overlook them somewhat in 2013.

The first ones that I saw were on Prestbury Hill on June 5th where there were large numbers flying all over the hillsides. I took a few photos but most settled down in the grass like they do and were difficult to approach on what was a warm sunny day. Even so I quite like the shot below,

Small Heath - Prestbury Hill 05.06.2013

For the rest of the season, despite seeing Small Heaths at various places around the country, I don't think I photographed another one until early September when I took the shot below in the late afternoon sun up on White Horse Hill at Osmington in Dorset.

Small Heath - Osmington 04.09.2013

Cheers,

Neil

[Debbie]

On the day that I took this picture, it was the one and only butterfly I saw that day.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Debbie, love your Small Heath shot much better than mine Goldie

[John W]

I took this picture on May 25th 2013 at the Kithurst Hill flower meadow in Sussex. The dark background is my friend's coat or trousers, out of focus, so not natural but effective none the less!

Cheers
John

[David M]

This was a particularly pretty individual, very fresh looking and with nice, bold hindwing spots (taken at Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea on 24th August):