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Peacock - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 12

Hopefully everyone is stuffed and not just with good cheer from Christmas 2024? This will be the last Favourites post of 2024…but don’t worry we’ll still be continuing into 2025 as we’ve only just reached the ‘P’s’.

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

No shortage of Peacock butterfly this year.

I saw the Peacock Butterfly this year quite a lot but my Favourite shot was taken in Castle Gardens Whitstable on the 20th of March it was a warm sunny day and quite a lot of Peacocks were flying Goldie

Bertl wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2024 10:43 pmNo shortage of Peacock butterfly this year.

Yes, Bertl. They seem to have had an amazing summer in the more northern regions of Scotland. You look to have had more than we did in Wales, for sure.

Some garden Peacocks in Perthshire, engrossed enough in feeding to be photographed with 15mm wide-angle macro lens.

Very good numbers on the field margin behind our cottage from late July. So many photos taken but was just great to stand and watch them all.
This taken on July 27th, late afternoon. Julian

Butterfly_Julian wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2024 7:50 pm Very good numbers on the field margin behind our cottage...

Love your photograph Julian - very arty

There were numerous over-wintering Peacocks locally that came out to nectar on the Spring blossom - another Spring photograph to keep to the theme of my 3 favourites this week. This was also the first image I captured of the species during 2024. I think I am eager for the Spring of 2025 to emerge.

Had an interesting afternoon in late July at my regular patch in Orlestone forest Kent .On this particular circuit taking in my two regular forest sections ,i counted 190 Peacock ,and i,m fairly certain that if the weather hadn,t deteriorated i,d have been looking at well over 200 ! .Curiosly about three days later ,and doing an identical circuit ,I counted 25 !........most odd.

Peacock numbers have been dwindling over the past few years around my patch here in Solihull with this trend continuing in 2024. Numbers coming out of hibernation in the spring were slightly down but summer numbers were very disappointing. It is possible that with the poor summer weather I simply missed many that went into hibernation early, something that this coming spring will make more apparent, we'll have to wait and see.
Cheers,

Neil.

Peacocks did okay in springtime round my way last year.

This one is from 1st April, seen locally:

Peacock

Normally the first week of May signals the first Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. But this year not so…Philzoid and I spent a frustrating couple of hours taking in all the usual hotspots in the Eastern Clearing as well as checking the western side of the wood where they have been more prevalent in recent seasons but all to no avail. Eventually we moved on to Martin Down where the butterfly dearth continued. Still we found enough other stuff and chewed enough fat to make it both worthwhile and entertaining. When looking back at the photos late I realised that I’d found my favourite Peacock shot. There in full frame glory was the aforementioned butterfly feasting upside down in a bat-esque pose on the butterflies’ flower of choice, a Bluebell. There is something about this plant and butterflies that forms a fantastic synergy. In the case of the blues it’s the complimentary colour scheme whilst for all other species it’s the contrast. Whichever was round it was it certainly helped hoist the shot up to the Favourite category.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

I spent a fair bit of time following this mating pair around a woodland clearing at Lancing Ring. Apart from anything else I was taken by the females eye-catching hindwing ocelli. The male was a determined fellow, encouraged by the females obvious flirtatious behaviour. Unfortunately at the crucial moment when they fluttered into a small bramble thicket to do the deed, some random person chose the moment to come over and talk about a big bird of prey he'd just seen.

Egg laying females are something I come across quite regularly

Until I got this photo of a Peacock and Gatekeeper together, I didn't realise how much smaller the Gatekeeper actually is. It is slighly behind the Peacock which probably gives a slight ilusion that it appears slightly smaller than it actually is. Still it does look very small in comparison.

Allan.W. wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2025 8:17 pmHad an interesting afternoon in late July at my regular patch in Orlestone forest Kent .On this particular circuit taking in my two regular forest sections ,i counted 190 Peacock ,and i,m fairly certain that if the weather hadn,t deteriorated i,d have been looking at well over 200 ! .Curiosly about three days later ,and doing an identical circuit ,I counted 25 !........most odd.

That's a phenomenal number for this species, Allan. Like Brimstones, they seem to have a short period where they feast furiously to fatten up for winter....then just disappear!