www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Week 8.

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2013 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter, eventually covering all 59 species which are regularly found in the British Isles. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

This species doesn't have the same cachet on the Continent as it does in the UK. I didn't take many pictures of it in 2013, but I think this is my favourite, photographed in August:



Guy

I didn't see this species in the UK in 2013, though it is so common on the near continent that it's hard to believe how precious it is over here.

I saw this species at Pound Wood in Essex this year - a new site for me though not far from Hockley Woods where I have been before. It was very warm and sunny and exactly halfway through the year (30th June). There were not all that many around here under the pylons, but unbeknownst to me less than a mile away at Little Haven there were hundreds. This butterfly moves somewhat unpredictably around its haunts, and pops up in quantity unexpectedly like this - I'd just opted for the least populous spot. I love the undersides of this butterfly - they almost look painted in oils. Dave

I was lucky enough to see Heath Fritillaries on several occasions this year,but perhaps my favorite image was from early June when i joined Lee Slaughter and members of Cornwall Butterfly Comservation,for the field trip to Greenscombe Woods,Lucket. This was a balmy summers day,after the rotten spring we have had,and i had to wait until about 5.30 for the many Fritillaries to start to settle. A truely fab day!

essexbuzzard wrote:I was lucky enough to see Heath Fritillaries on several occasions this year,but perhaps my favorite image was from early June when i joined Lee Slaughter and members of Cornwall Butterfly Comservation,for the field trip to Greenscombe Woods,Lucket. This was a balmy summers day,after the rotten spring we have had,and i had to wait until about 5.30 for the many Fritillaries to start to settle. A truely fab day!

Hi Essex,

So glad you enjoyed that day in early June 2013 at Greenscoombe Woods, Luckett on our fieldtrip when luckily the Heath Fritillaries had just started to hatch that week as the weather had improved so much. Balmy is a bit of an underestimation as my 9 year old son Robert will conform as he was in tears due to the really hot sunshine & we were sweating profusely to say the least as we ascended through the woods & up the track & across the meadows and then climbing over walls & hedges to get onto the top where the Heath Fritillaries resided! At the top of the ancient hill fort area they were putting on a brilliant show but wouldn't settle until after we'd left but it was another species seen in our quest to see 50 different species of British Butterflies in England in 2013 which we just reached the magical figure on 29th September in Kent when a fortunate encounter with the Long-tailed Blue.
Cheers mate,
Lee & Robert (now 10) Slaughter (Cornwall).
PS- Robert reached 53 different species in Britain now!

My favourite, what I believe to be, Heath Fritillary of the year from the Alpes-Maritimes.
--
Colin

Heath Fritillaries were a first for me this year, seen during a brief stop off at Haddon Hill on my way to a few days at Heddons Mouth in early July. Many thanks to Rogerdodge for sending me some very useful information on where to look.
I spent just over an hour there and saw and photographed about half or dozen or so fairly active males as they flitted about but my favourite photos were of a female that I spent a bit of time with. Photos below are all of this one individual as she just took short flights from one spot to another.
Cheers,

Neil.

Here is a Heath Fritillary from the Alpes de Haute Provence. I don't see these in Marseilles.
Chris

I didn't get to see them in the UK this year, but I had a great week in the French alps at the beginning of June. This one was with a little friend, hunkered in the grass ahead of a rain shower.


Heath Fritillary, Alpes de Haute Provence. Sony A77 /Tamron 180 macro

This year I nearly missed the Heath Frit, I go to Kent to my daughters every year, usually last week in June ist week in July and Usually there are loads in East Blean woods, this year it wasn't until the very last day of our visit when I finally caught sight of them , boy was I pleased so these have got to be my favourite's this year Goldie

Heath Fritillary, Blean Woods, seen on our second visit at the end of June. On our first visit in early June we drew a blank.