Painted Lady - Favourite Photo of 2011

[GOLDENORFE]

an unusuall view, landed on path infront of me at arnside knot!

phil

[Vince Massimo]

This thread is now officially open . This is where you can 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 welcone 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

[Wurzel]

This was taken during a visit to my wife's family in Wales (she doesn't like me calling them the "in-laws" or as I prefer to call them the "outlaws" ) near Aberaeron. It was one of only three individuals that I managed to see this year, the others being at Stockbridge Down and Martin Down respectively, but it was my favourite as it was the most "exotic" find of the holiday and meant that I actually stopped looking at Gatekeepers for a moment much to the relief of my wife (she seemed to think that I was becoming a bit obsessed by them )! I also liked the way that it moved from one flower head to the next and then to the next, like it was jumping from one stepping stone to another.

When I first started photographing butterflies in August 2009 you couldn't move for Painted Ladies, they were everywhere! Yet in 2010 I only saw 1, and 3 this year so if they show a similar pattern to Clouded Yellows then it could be a few years until they seem as common as muck as I first thought they were. That is unless they've had a good year and I've just missed them...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

The last time I took a reasonable photo of a Painted Lady was in my Back Garden in Sept 2010. I saw a few last year, 3 I think, one of which had more white then any thing else on it's lower wing, I asumed it was released here in the UK by someone and the wings hadn't dried out properly. I let 4 go the year before which i'd raised from the Catapiller stage and mine looked like this at first, I kept them 2 extra days and they were ok, so I let them go. I've put 2 photo's in the 1st is the 2010 the 2nd 2011Goldie M Oh! sorry if the 2011 one is not too clear Goldie

[MikeOxon]

I have to resort to the "..........or the last time you saw one!" clause and go back to the great influx of 2009.

I think the underside deserves more exposure - the array of colours is breathtaking and fully merits the description "Painted Lady" - just look at those lipstick shades on the forewing and the eyeshadow colours on the hindwing eyespots!

Otmoor, Oxon - October 2009
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR lens - 1/1000s @ f/8 ISO400

Mike

[Susie]

From a couple of years back too. Still my favourite ..

[marmari]

Lucky enough to see just two or so this year and this one on the 7th September at Clamerkin NT,IOW.Glad to say in excellent condition.

[MikeOxon]

Still my favourite ..

That's an interesting example of where the background is an important part of the photo's composition! Lovely pic! A rather more gently-toned 'Lady' than my photo.

Mike

[Susie]

Thanks, the colours on that painted lady were wonderful. It was a beauty. Just a shame the butterfly is in the shade and the background in the sun which spoils it. Hey ho.

[Vince Massimo]

This year I only saw 1 Painted Lady and it was the same in 2010 (both in coastal locations). I have to go back to the influx of 2009 to find a significant photo. After seeing thousands of adults during the course of the 2009 season, I then found a larva at my local reserve on 27th September, which I looked after until it hatched on 17th November. This was probably one of the very last of the year and this significant individual was to become the source of my avatar.

Painted Lady (newly hatched) - Caterham, Surrey 17-Nov-09

Painted Lady underwing detail

Will there ever be another year like that?

Vince

[Neil Freeman]

My one and only photo of the only Painted Lady that I saw this year.
Taken at Ryton back in early June, I remember it flying past and landing not far in front of me. I took me a while to find the butterfly as the undersides were perfect camouflage against the ground. Before I could line up a better shot, it took off and was gone into the distance.

Painted Lady - Ryton Wood

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Susie]

Will there ever be another year like that?

Vince

I'd like to think so but I suppose it is unlikely. I imagine we all have amazing stories of how many PLs we saw, mine will certainly stick in my memory for a long time I hope. My garden was a riot of painted ladies and I used to sit on the gravel next to the bowles mauve plants and watch them for ages.

[Neil Freeman]

Although I was not really into butterflies at the time ( I should say back into them since my childhood), I remember seeing loads of Painted Ladies in 2009 including 4 or 5 at a time in my back garden which for me in the midlands was very unusual.

I also remember a similar situation back in the mid nineties sometime, I can't remember the exact year, when I also saw unusual numbers of Painted Ladies, although probably not quite as many as 2009.

Neil F.

[Reddog]

I only saw two Painted Ladies this year the first was at Collard hill on the 25/6/11 and the second was at Aston Rowant on the 3/9/11. If you look closely at the first one photographed at Collard Hill there is something on the end of its body.

[Susie]

I can't see anything on it's body, but I can see a flower stalk with a couple of buds on which is sticking up by the butterfly's rear end.

[Mark Colvin]

I struggled to find a Painted Lady this year.

This individual photographed on 13 September 2011.