Orange-tip - Favourite Photo 2019

[Wurzel]

Orange-tip - Favourite Photo 2019

Week 12

As Christmas is now over – I know this because I have already seen Cadbury’s Crème and Mini Eggs on the shelves at Waitrose (they were putting them out on Christmas Eve!) – the next seasonal greeting is to wish everyone at UKB a prosperous and butterfly rich New Year!

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

[Chris Jackson]

My sightings of Orange Tip this year ran from the end of March in the south of France, up to the beginning of June when I popped back to the UK.
This female is from the 31st of March in the south of France:

Chris

[David M]

This male on 7th April on the north Gower coast was probably my best effort of 2019:

[bugboy]

These didn't seem to have such a good year for me this year but I still managed plenty of images, a nice backlit one just as the sun poked out from behind a cloud

and a couple of lucky in flight shots get my vote this year

[Goldie M]

I found my Orange Tip in Brockholes CP on the 11th of April, it was a lovely day in Bolton Woods with the Birds singing, not a day to forget Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Orange-tips had a good year around my way in 2019 with my fist sightings at the end of March and then continuing through April and May with a few still hanging on at the beginning of June.

A couple of favourites from the end of March'

Orange-tip - Castle Hills Solihull 30.03.19

Orange-tip - Castle Hills Solihull 30.03.19

These two are reminders of one particularly enjoyable afternoon when I just stood by some clumps of cuckoo flowers and watched them coming and going.

Orange-tip - Castle Hills Solihull 20.04.19

Orange-tip - Castle Hills Solihull 20.04.19

Two shots of the same female in my garden which I like because of the combination of colours.

Orange-tip female - Coverdale 23.04.19

Orange-tip female - Coverdale 23.04.19

and a final male from my garden.

Orange-tip - Coverdale 04.05.19

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Orange-tip

I had an exceedingly good year with the OT’s this year and Middle Street came up trumps for this species which is great as it’s only a 15 minute walk away and is also good for the early emerging species such as Peacocks and (numerous) Small Torts. When it came to choosing my Fave it was a tough choice but in the end I went for the pristine female I found on the 11th April. She was a beaut I haven’t managed to get as decent a shot as this for a few years now.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

Round my way, Orange Tips only appeared in real numbers after the hot Easter weekend. Their season was again very short, but I managed to extend their season slightly with an outing to the quiet country lanes of Billingshurst, Sussex. Here cuckoo flowers abound, and Orange Tips start to emerge earlier here than in Essex.

[millerd]

Orange Tips are reliable sight on my local patch, and every spring I seem to take a great number of photos. One or two stick in the memory. I found one individual roosting on lady's smock (cuckoo flower) on a dull and chilly early April day, and with the weather continuing in similar vein I was able to check up on it for several days running. On one day, my visit to the spot coincided with the only burst of sunshine for a while, and the butterfly responded briefly.

The other sighting I remember was when I was following a pair, the male persistently bothering the female. When the sun went in, the activity stopped, but when the sun returned there was a brief period when both butterflies basked and warmed up before resuming their interaction.

A textbook example of sexual dimorphism!

Dave