Glanville Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2024

[Wurzel]

Glanville Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 6

Another week has passed and with various forecasts predicting dropping temperatures it could soon be the close of the season. At least there’s the Favourites to warm the cockles…

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

[MrSp0ck]

The Glanville Fritillary had a good year at Hutchinsons and Chapel Bank, with 54 larval webs over the winter it was going to be, here are a few shots of mine taken in the busy time of the year for the site

[Matsukaze]

With the species gone from Somerset I now have to go further afield to find it.

(Huesca, Spain, 28 April 2024)

[millerd]

I caught up with Glanville Fritillaries at Hutchinsons Bank as I usually do, though (from what MrSp0ck has said) it wasn't at their peak. Nevertheless I found a newish female overburdened with eggs and only flying in short bursts.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Glanville Fritillary

This was taken from the released/naturalized stock at Compton Down near Shaftesbury. There is always a little seed of doubt in my mind about visiting such sites for species like this but I salve my conscience as the site is very close to several others, there are a cracking range of species present making it worth the visit Glannies aside and finally it’s much, much closer than the Isle of Wight so saving petrol and releasing less carbon dioxide.
So caveat dealt onto the Favourite photo itself…It was taken on my second visit and being during the working week it was much quieter. I got there early in the hope that I would catch the Glannies whilst they were still sleeping/roosting and was quickly put onto a few by the three people there already. I found a few myself lower down the track but this one was my Favourite as I love both this particular pose; the fore wing held lower than the hind wing, and the way the antennae are held pointing backwards giving it an alert appearance.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

This individual, in the French Pyrenees in late May, was the only Glanville I photographed all year.

They are so common on the continent that I rarely bother with them:

[Butterfly_Julian]

I caught up with Glanville Fritillaries at Hutchinsons Bank as I usually do, though (from what MrSp0ck has said) it wasn't at their peak. Nevertheless I found a newish female overburdened with eggs and only flying in short bursts.
Dave

Hi Dave, nice photo
That's one i hope to see next year on a visit to Hutchinsons Bank

Julian

[bugboy]

The weather didn't want to behave on my couple of visits to Hutchinson's bank this year so they took a bit of searching out. One hiding in plain sight

and on my second visit the sun did come out a bit but they were still rather scarce