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Heath Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 7

This time next week we’ll have eaten the first calendar chocolate and possibly be nursing a slightly sore head after several ales at the Winter Social! Soon be spring – just as well after the battering we had weather wise this weekend.

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

This was probably the best day out for us, a walk with Cambridge and Essex BC to Hockley woods on the 9th June.
Weather wasn't looking to great, but right on time the sun came out the the ride came to life with this beautiful butterfly.
We were amazed by the numbers on the wing, for such a scarce butterfly they seamed to have had a truly great year.

Julian

Butterfly_Julian wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 8:16 pm...We were amazed by the numbers on the wing, for such a scarce butterfly they seamed to have had a truly great year.

Lovely shots, Julian. Like High Browns, this species has few strongholds in the UK but where it does occur it can do so in impressive numbers.

David M wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 8:51 pm

Butterfly_Julian wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 8:16 pm...We were amazed by the numbers on the wing, for such a scarce butterfly they seamed to have had a truly great year.

Lovely shots, Julian. Like High Browns, this species has few strongholds in the UK but where it does occur it can do so in impressive numbers.

Thanks David, High Brown is on my hit list, some research on place to see them and best time of the ywar is needed .

A similar image to Julian’s. These were in the Picos though in the North of Spain in July

I found Heath Fritillaries in Pound Wood in Essex, somewhere that I now make a regular stop-off after seeing White-letter Hairstreaks down the road in Hadleigh Country Park. The population here seems to be stable as the woodland is subject to a rigorous coppicing cycle that allows the foodplant (cow-wheat) to spread into newly cleared areas with the butterfly following.I like this site - there never seems to be anyone else there, and when the sun comes out from behind a cloud and the fritillaries all take to the air together in their characteristic gentle wafting flight, the place takes on an ethereal quality.

Dave

I was in East Blean woods on the 20th Of June looking for the Heath Fritillary and was surprised at the numbers there, after being disappointed at the lack of Butterflies up to then they seemed to be every where they certainly had a good season Goldie

Butterfly_Julian wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 9:02 pmThanks David, High Brown is on my hit list, some research on place to see them and best time of the ywar is needed

They are fairly common at Old Castle Down/Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny from mid-June to late July in south Wales.

David M wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 11:45 am

Butterfly_Julian wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 9:02 pmThanks David, High Brown is on my hit list, some research on place to see them and best time of the ywar is needed

They are fairly common at Old Castle Down/Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny from mid-June to late July in south Wales.

Thanks David, now just need a very nice country hotel to keep the wife happy

https://www.bestwestern.co.uk/hotels/be ... otel_&_Spa

This one's just a mile down the road from the site.

I'm not sure if my Swiss heath fritillaries count, as most people now agree they are a different species, Melitaea nevadensis. At least, they are nevadensis in the south of the country, with athalia in the north and a large band of coexistence across the middle. The three below were photographed on 17th July in the Jura, probably just inside the nevadensis-only zone. I normally post only one picture, but the first is effectively the same event: an opportunistic male heath frit trying to get in on the action!





He kept pushing his luck and was still there when I left. There were plenty more females around, so he probably got his way with one of them later!

Guy

David M wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 1:03 pm https://www.bestwestern.co.uk/hotels/be ... otel_&_Spa

This one's just a mile down the road from the site.

Thank you

One of the target butterfly species here in Essex, they had a really healthy year at both Pound Wood and Hockley Woods, but numbers continued to decrease at Hadleigh Great Wood and there were none at Dodds Grove. So many photographs, mostly record shots, it was hard for me to pick a favourite so I have included examples from all three sites:
between 150-200 at their peak at Pound Wood:
and 300+ at Hockley Woods:

David Lazarus wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2024 8:53 am One of the target butterfly species here in Essex, they had a really healthy year at both Pound Wood and Hockley Woods, but numbers continued to decrease at Hadleigh Great Woods and there were none at Dodds Grove.

It's lovely that numbers were good at certain sites David. I was very grateful to see the astonishing numbers at Hockley, and hope that next year will be the same if not better.

However I do wonder whether the careful management that this species needs - and a lack of volunteers to manage and improve potential neighbouring sites - will mean that it will not spread further.

Zayed

essexbutterflyer wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2024 7:29 pm I do wonder whether the careful management that this species needs - and a lack of volunteers to manage and improve potential neighbouring sites - will mean that it will not spread further.

I think it is fair to say, Zayed, that they will not be spreading further afield anytime soon. If anything, we will be left with the restricted access conservation areas at Pound Wood and the wide southern rides at Hockley Woods in the next few years. I’m only going by observation of the habitats I found this year and the health of the colonies. I’m not involved with their management, so they may be more confident than I am. Perhaps greater abundance in Essex but within a smaller distribution area of a couple of isolated sites with a continued threat of local extinction.


edit: DM sent to Zayed in answer to the following question

David Lazarus wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2024 8:52 pm

essexbutterflyer wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2024 7:29 pm I do wonder whether the careful management that this species needs - and a lack of volunteers to manage and improve potential neighbouring sites - will mean that it will not spread further.

I think it is fair to say, Zayed, that they will not be spreading further afield anytime soon. If anything, we will be left with the restricted access conservation areas at Pound Wood and the wide southern rides at Hockley Woods in the next few years. I’m only going by observation of the habitats I found this year and the health of the colonies. I’m not involved with their management, so they may be more confident than I am. Perhaps greater abundance in Essex but within a smaller distribution of a couple of isolated sites with a continued threat of local extinction.

Very interesting David, thanks. I’d love to learn more about their management… do you know anyone I can contact/anywhere I can get more info from?

Zayed

Hi Zayed,
This may be of interest to you

https://butterfly-conservation.org/even ... d-feb-2025

Butterfly_Julian wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2024 4:50 pm Hi Zayed,
This may be of interest to you

https://butterfly-conservation.org/even ... d-feb-2025

Thanks very much Julian.

Zayed

Silly common on the continent, so I generally don't pay too much attention to them.

This one is from the French Alps in late June:

An impossible task to try and single out one picture from what was a very memorable day at Hockley Wood at the start of June:

I had abs. Countless attempted matings and several successful including two pairings close together which must have produced clouds of pheromones, attracting males from far and wide. Small Squadrons chilling between sunny spells perfectly posed undersides and clouds of activity whenever the sun reappeared