Duke of Burgundy - Favourite Photo of 2021

[Wurzel]

Duke of Burgundy - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 5

Another week gone and we’re already a quarter of the way through the Favourites thread! Fingers crossed when I’m posting this in a fortnights time the Social will have taken place…

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 and stay safe

Wurzel

[downland boy]

Having missed out on our annual outing to Kent last year, Badger Bob and I were keen to visit the Duke this year. Always optimistic, when we set off, that the sun would come out at some stage, the weather remained stubbornly dull and cool all day. If there were no butterflies to be seen then there would always be orchids to look for. The only Duke that we saw was this recently emerged male still drying its wings.



http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

[Allan.W.]

Was a bit late visiting the small local Duke sites in mid-Kent this season ,but still managed to to find around 15 on the wing among them was this male ,which i think is AB; Albomaculata (with whitish hindwing spots )

Allan.W.

[millerd]

The cold April this year made the start of the Duke season difficult to judge, but I managed to see my first examples at Noar Hill on 23rd of that month. These included a rather sluggish (no doubt newly-emerged) female that needed a little assistance to make it up into the sunshine.

The bonus was that she turned out to be the attractive caramel-coloured variant known as ab. gracilens.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wolfson]

I went to a few sites in the Chilterns and found a pair in the same hawthorn tree that I found a pair in two years ago.

[bugboy]

I was very glad to reacquaint myself with this little character after lockdown caused me to miss them last year.

[DaveO'B]

I think this is probably my favourite Duke of 2021, seen in N. Yorkshire.

[Wurzel]

Duke of Burgundy

I had a good year with this species this year. I only saw them in two sites but the two sites that I found them at held them in good numbers, with three different individuals at my ‘Duke Site’. I should add in ‘eventually’ as they seemed to take a little longer to get going this year so my first visit to Fovant was almost a bust with only the one but a subsequent visit really produced the goods. This shot was taken on that visit. After spotting a Duke early in the visit Philzoid and I had then struggled. In fact we were going to give up and move onto Martin Down but luckily chose to have a quick check out of the old quarry on the other side of the road. It turned out to be a champion move as the bowl of the old workings was alive with Dukes – at least 6 buzzing about and barging into each other. I chose this from the many shots that I took as I love the way that the butterfly is posed in the Buttercup allowing an accurate estimate of the size of the butterfly; it should probably be titled ‘Butterfly not a Buttercup’

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Mark Tutton]

Every year, I visit a very small colony of Duke of Burgundy in a remote coombe just over the Hampshire border on the Sussex Downs. I never see more than a dozen or so and they are restricted to two very small areas high on a very precipitous north facing slope.
Bizarrely, I always have a chat and wish them well as I think I am probably the only human being to clap eyes on them!
The photo is taken on my phone and in my opinion of no particular technical merit but hopefully it sums up the joy of sitting high on a slope of the South Downs looking at a fabulous view with an iconic butterfly in joyous isolation.
Kind Regards
Mark

[David M]

...The photo is taken on my phone and in my opinion of no particular technical merit but hopefully it sums up the joy of sitting high on a slope of the South Downs looking at a fabulous view with an iconic butterfly in joyous isolation.

Very much so, Mark. These are my favourite images of all.

[overthepass]

The restrictions in 2020 meant that I didn't get to see DoBs last year, so was pleased to see a good showing at Butser Hill this year. These two photos were taken on 1 June, which shows how late things were this spring - they seemed to be just about at their peak, instead of being almost over as I'd normally expect by then.

[Roger Gibbons]

Not being in France in May afforded the opportunity to visit some of our old favourite spots around Ivinghoe Beacon, a very good area for Dukes generally.

This was a fresh male, upperside and underside.

[David M]

With the season running late, I had to wait till 29 May before I saw DoBs, at Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire: