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Large Tortoiseshell - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 9

A week of advent has passed us by already! I can just see the supermarkets setting up their Easter egg stands already . Why not take a break from wrapping pressies and prepping the sprouts to select this weeks Favourites. There are four this week…well it’s Christmas time after all…

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

Was a good year for Large Tortoiseshells, infact on my transect ended the year 2 all with Small Tortoisehell, but the 2nd St was week 26 so nearly had double the number of LTs.
The 4th year in a row we have had records, but the first time i managed to photograph them

I was gobsmacked to stumble upon a Large Tortoiseshell in Potton Wood in Bedfordshire on 13th April and although I got a photo on my mobile phone, I was annoyed I'd not taken my "proper" camera with me... So I went back the next day and after failing to re-find the insect in the morning, I returned later in the afternoon and was rewarded for my efforts with a second chance

Good to see some UK specimens here. Hopefully domestic sightings will continue to increase over the next few years.

There were many Large Tort sightings locally in Mid-Kent in 24' ,I was lucky enough to see two ,one in mid-March when I happened across our own Dave Brown and family peering up into the Sallows .....at a feeding Large Tort .....my first ! watched for a while until it flew off .Dave and co; moved off .As I continued further down the ride ,a large gingery butterfly flew over my shoulder and settled a few metres away and stayed put for nearly 5 minutes .....a mint Large Tort. At least 5 more records came from the same woodlands .A little later Large Torts were seen in East Blean Wood .....and fully grown larvae were photographed. Later in the year (mid-July) about 300 metres from my March sighting ,I came across another in "classic" Large Tort pose ,about 3 metres up a tall Aspen .....flat against the trunk ,it stayed around the Aspen for around 2 hours . A good friend had 3 sightings in his Brabourne Garden .......his last sighting flying around an upstairs bedroom !.

You were lucky Allan with your sightings, I went to East Blean Woods lots of times but never saw one, the only Butterflies I did photograph in EBW's were the HeathFritillary, Gate Keeper, no sign of the WA, PHS, or SWF. horrible year for me in there.Goldie

Hello Goldie ........Yes I was very fortunate to have 2 good sightings and another in flight view in another section of Orlestone ,firsts for me very pleased ! I only visited East Blean once (but not for Heath Frits or Lage Torts.......but a Shieldbug although Kept my eyes open obviously !) I know you don,t do Facebook (neither do I ) but there really is a lot of information available on the Kent butterflies section ......well worth a look and several UKBUTTERFLIES people are also on the facebook site............I,ve just jumped ship from Twitter ,to Bluesky but seriously considering finishing with them also............Have a good Christmas !........Good hunting in the New Year. Allan.W.

Saw a handful of these during my European travels. This individual in the French Alps was the only one I photographed: