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Speckled Wood - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 18

Finally we’re leaving the Small’s behind! But that can only mean that we’re drawing closer to the grand finale! Make sure that you have your overall Faves ready to go!

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

Speckled Wood butterflies were in decent numbers throughout May at various sites I visited in NE Scotland.

A nice female postico-excessa ab. from Lancing Ring in the summer.

I had to resist the temptation of uploading a short list of 4 before settling on a courting couple. I like the image, they are both freshly emerged, and it was on a day that I saw a ridiculous amount of butterflies while discovering a new site for butterflying:

Fewer around locally in 24' heres a female from Orlestone Forest ,and another from the old "lockdown " route which is slowly but surely dissappearing under bricks and mortar .......all part of the local housing plan !

Speckled Woods this year seemed to have a reasonable 4th brood heading into October. There was a small emergence on my local patch of Seven speckled woods on the 8th of October. The highlight was two couples that wasted no time in quickly forming a partnership. This would be the last pairs of Speckled Woods for me in 2024.

This one, from Lavernock on 12th April, was my favourite, simply due to the unusual pose:

Due to this species staggered emergence and overlapping broods I saw loads of Speckled Woods around my local patch and in my garden as usual. For most of the year overall numbers were just average at best but there was a late increase in late August and into September which carried them through to early October when I saw the last couple of faded examples in my garden.
Cheers,

Neil

Specklies did okay but certainly not amazing here. My first sighting came abruptly, it seemed both me and the butterfly were in a rush, but we spent a few moments in each others company before going on with our day. My last sighting was much the same, but it ended quite dramatically with him flying off into rain.

Neil Freeman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 8:38 am
Coverdale 26.08.2024 028 resize.JPG

Neil, where on earth is the male's other wing? I'm so confused . Nice photo of some fascinating behaviour!

Edit: Referring to the photo of the female playing dead! Didn't realised it wouldn't show in the reply.

I had quite an early sighting in my garden in 2024.
Not troubling my earliest record seen on 24th February 2019 at Ferring on the Sussex coast.

Vince

essexbutterflyer wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 11:29 am

Neil Freeman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 8:38 am
Coverdale 26.08.2024 028 resize.JPG

Neil, where on earth is the male's other wing? I'm so confused . Nice photo of some fascinating behaviour!

Edit: Referring to the photo of the female playing dead! Didn't realised it wouldn't show in the reply.

Hi Essexbutterflyer. The other (Right hand) wing is pointing straight up towards the camera, the angle making it difficult to see.

Cheers,

Neil.

I saw the Speckled Wood in Castle Park Whitstable on the 10th of April , I didn't see too many last year at all Goldie

Speckled Wood

This was taken at Five Rivers around the Glades which is often where I spend the start and finish of the season. To my mind the markings of the spring brood seem more muted, chocolate ground colour with cream markings. I chose this image though because I liked the way that the butterfly is holding its wings. Its posture reveals that the wings are actually only attached two of the thoracic segments a fact masked by its usual posture which makes it look like the wings are attached all the way along the thorax and even the abdomen.
Have a goodun

Wurzel