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Glanville Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2015

Week 6

So continues sequence of posts giving one and all the opportunity to showcase their favourite shots of 2015!

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As like last year 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

Not a difficult choice, as I saw just the one butterfly this year, down at Hutchinson's Bank to the south of Croydon. A splendid site, worth seeing for everything else it offers, but the presence of Glanvilles is the icing on the cake. I did in fact have two separate sightings, but the photos showed them both to be the same butterfly. Dave

Several trips to Hutchinsons bank means I have quite a few pics of Glanvilles

A Swiss individual:



That was taken on 10th May.

Guy

Didn't see this species at all in Britain in 2015, and unless the colony at Sand Point in Somerset somehow gets artificially resurrected, I think it'll be a long time before I see it on these shores again.

However, trips to France can usually be expected to include sightings of cinxia, and I was delighted to see them on both my sorties earlier in the year. They were just emerging in lowland Var in mid-April, when two dozen or so were seen. A handful were also encountered during my 11 day trip to the French Alps. Here's an image of the freshest individual I saw:

Here are 2 individuals from the South of France.
This is a female from April 26th Here is an underside shot from April 14th The flight period for cinxia in the south of France is mid-April through to the beginning of October.
Here is their silk web at the base of plantain, with caterpillars in it - June 10th. Cheers, Chris

Being on Hutchinsons Bank most of the time, during the flight period, i have a few pictures from this year.
The first of the year 15th May.
Male and Female along the cutting 21st May.
One of the Last females seen on site, just emerged, disturbed on the nature trail track between the upper and lower slopes. 3rd June