Peacock - Favourite Photo of 2018

[Wurzel]

Peacock - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 12

The days are getting longer, we’ll soon offically be in 2019 so here’s hoping that it’s even better than 2018 – Happy New Year to you all. However before we look ever forward there’s still another 9 weeks of looking back WINK

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years 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

[MikeOxon]

My photo is one of several I took on an early Spring visit to my local Dry Sandford Pit reserve. I find that Peacocks almost always provide good results so I chose a shot which I feel is a little 'quirky' in its setting.

Dry Sandford Pit, Cothill - 5th April 2018
Olympus E-M1_ii with 100-400mm lens - 1/5000s@f/4.8 ISO 1250

Mike

[Goldie M]

Love that shot Mike,
my year for the Peacock Butterfly was very disappointing , for the first time ever I never saw one in my garden and the only shots I took of them was in Kent In East Blean woods on the 10th and 23rd of July, I did see some at Gait Barrow but not close enough for any shots. Goldie

[Vince Massimo]

Very few of these were photographed by me this year, but nothing was going to beat this rare find of a second brood pupa at Mill Hill, Sussex. Unfortunately it turned out to be parasitised.

Peacock pupa - Mill Hill, Sussex 29-Sept-2018

Vince

[bugboy]

For me there was little chance of this springtime encounter being beaten, mating Peacocks . I probably wouldn't have found them had I not stumbled across them courting first. They didn't go far to complete the act and were settled enough to allow a bit of clearance to get plenty of clear shots. I like this one as it shows just what a stunner the female was. It would have been even better had he opened up as well, but I guess he other things to think about

[David M]

Easily my worst year for Peacocks, and I think next spring might be tricky too given how few were around in late summer.

This one seen basking on sand on a cool, mid-April day near Three Cliffs Bay, Swansea, is probably the best I managed:

[Neil Freeman]

A few Spring brood appeared around my local patch, well down in numbers again compared with a few years ago, they at least gave me the chance to take some of my favourite early season photos - butterflies on spring blossom.

The same individual below taken from two different angles as I can't decide which one I like best.

Peacock - Bickenhill 05.04.2018

Peacock - Bickenhill 05.04.2018

Summer Peacocks were even fewer although they did appear to be a few more about further north.

Peacock - Arnside 31.07.2018

This species tends to go into hibernation comparatively early and I have heard it said that this year they tucked themselves away earlier than ever due to the hot summer. let's hope that there is some truth in that.

Cheers,

Neil.

[CallumMac]

It's a funny coincidence that Painted Lady and Peacock are in the same batch of this review, because my favourite Peacock shot was taken on the same day, in the same meadow, and a mere 10 minutes before my favourite Painted Lady! 25th July, Llanymynech Rocks: see my Painted Lady post for the full story...

[Wurzel]

Peacock

My favourite Peacock shot was taken at work at the end of the school fields back in the late Spring (when it finally arrived in April!). I chose this shot because it showed some interesting behaviour. The Peacock was perched on the side of a concrete fence post and was being hassled or courted by a Small Tort. I carried on watching hoping to catch something even more interesting but in the end the Peacock had enough of the unwanted advances/hassle and flew off. The interaction was still interesting enough to make this worthy of selection as my favourite shot…

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Always a welcome sight after the cold and grey of winter, a Peacock was my first sighting of 2018 on 16th March. However, it wasn't until 26th that I managed a photo, and April before numbers built up.

The next brood appeared in mid-July and then rapidly disappeared: I saw a dozen locally on 13th and 14th but none thereafter until the end of September (poosibly a second brood).

Dave