Duke of Burgundy - Favourite Photo of 2023

[Wurzel]

Duke of Burgundy - Favourite Photo of 2023

Week 5

Week 5 already?! That must mean that the new season is on the distant horizon, Xmas is closer and the Winter Social (25th November – The Old Forge, Otterbourne) is just round the corner.

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

[Wurzel]

Duke of Burgundy

This was taken at my relatively unknown Duke site somewhere in the Fovant Badges locale. A lot of the surrounding hills hold good numbers of Dukes but this little spot seems to attract them to join together almost in a communal lek. I chose this Duke as it was a real cheeky chappy and the more time I spent with him the less confident I became that it was me doing the watching! I chose this particular shot as I feel it gives a sense of why I started feeling that way.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

....the less confident I became that it was me doing the watching!
Wurzel

Yep, you're definitely the one under surveillance there, Wurzel!

I had fewer than usual encounters with the Dukes than usual this year, missing out on some of my trips to Chiltern locations. However, I did manage an outing to Incombe Hole on 3rd May - which must have had a persuasive weather forecast as there were quite a few other folk there seeking out this and other spring species. These two in particular (a male and a female) stuck in the memory, being so readily distinguishable.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Duke of Burgundy is a species that in the past I have only usually seen once a year, if at all. This is due to my nearest population being at Prestbury Hill near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire which is a good hour and a half away and not somewhere that I always get the chance to visit. To be honest, I think the nearest chiltern populations are a similar distance but the drive down to Cheltenham past Evesham is much more pleasant than the M40.
Anyway, with my daughter now living down in Emsworth by Portsmouth, a visit at the right time now gives me the opportunity to see this species down that way which is exactly what we did this year when visits to Butser Hill/Rake Bottom and Old Wichester Hill in mostly borderline cool and cloudy condtions produced a couple at each site.

Duke of Burgeundy female - Butser Hill 12.05.2023

Duke of Burgeundy male - Butser Hill 12.05.2023

Those at OWH were more worn than the ones I saw at Butser Hill and I presume that they had been out a bit longer. One of the males seen there was a particulaly dark looking example.

Duke of Burgeundy male - Old Winchester Hill 13.05.2023

A visit later in the month to Prestbury Hill produced half a dozen or so, mostly worn looking males plus a couple of better looking females.

Duke of Burgundy female - Prestbury Hill 24.05.2023

Cheers,

Neil.

[overthepass]

In something of a recurrent theme during the slow start to the season, we didn't make it down to Hampshire to see the Dukes there until very late in the flight period, right at the end of May. So it was hardly surprising that the ones we saw at Butser Hill were mostly a bit worn, although there were still decent numbers present. A couple of the more presentable individuals are below.

[MrSp0ck]

We had good numbers at the only site in Surrey this year. We had 4 pairs at the same time at Chapel Bank.

[Wolfson]

One of my favourite Duke of Burgundy sites has some very steep slopes. I suspect this will become a problem in a few years, but I am still able (just) to take advantage of the opportunity slopes provide. After an early start, I was sitting on a slope having a coffee and noticed a Duke perched a few meters away. It was a cold sunny morning and the butterflies were still warming up, allowing me to finish my drink and take some photographs.

[David M]

Just the one visit to Rodborough Common during their flight period, where I was delighted to find this Duchess:

[bugboy]

For the first time I went to see Dukes outside the Chiltons, and saw hundreds of the feisty little buggers on some of their best Sussex sites, including a few pairings. I watched this female emerge from the undergrowth after drying her wings and waited half an hour for her to make her maiden voyage to capture her mating. Despite the busy Kithurst meadow that morning, I was the only person to see this particular mating.

[Allan.W.]

I only had a couple of visits looking for Dukes this season ,on one occasion to a small Kent colony ,i found around a dozen or so .This small colony near Crundale in Kent varies little season by season but at peak periods there are generally around 15-20 (ish) to be found ,and colour variation ,from very dark individuals to pale individuals (AB;Leucodes ) is quite common..
At another small site close by ,on the Wye NNR . I generally see one or two per visit during their flight period .This year i had my best count there of 5 ,mostly fairly worn ,so i,ll have to plan some slightly earlier visits this coming season.
Allan.W.

[Mark Tutton]

Every year I visit a small colony on the Hants/Sussex border which is high up on a north facing slope of the South Downs. The purpose is to do a count for Sussex BC and I suspect I am probably the only person to see them each year.
The colony is quite small (20-30 individuals) and restricted to a relatively small area of habitat.
I always sit and watch the males take up their preferred lookout posts, which are pretty much the same bushes each year, and marvel at their battles as they spiral high into the sky - only to return to exactly the same spot.
One of my favourite butterflies

Spot the Duke ready for combat

[Charles Nicol]

This was at Totternhoe Quarry May 9th this year