Wall - Favourite Photo of 2023

[Wurzel]

Wall - Favourite Photo of 2023

Week 19

Well as winters go that one passed quite quickly. I say ‘passed’ purely in the sense of The Favourites almost coming to an end as this is the penultimate week. Fingers crossed things will transition smoothly into Spring and we don’t get a Beast from the East...

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

[Wurzel]

Wall

This is actually a bit of a cheat but only very slightly. I did see and photograph plenty of Walls during the 2023 season but my choice from my Faves didn’t come from the UK but instead from Corfu. I chose it because it reminds me of the start of the holiday when things turned from dire to great. It had been grey and raining for the first proper day and I’d even reverted to Birding in my desperation to channel my inner Durrell. The second day started pretty much like the first but once back from the shopping trip things drastically improved and I was away up the mountain with my camera. Things really kicked off and within the space of 10 minutes or so I’d found three lifers – Eastern Orange-tip, Cleopatra and Southern Small White but in amongst them was this stunning Wall. She was absolutely huge and getting shots of her proved quite easy as she struggled to lift her mass against gravity! Whenever I see this shot I’m instantly transported back to that sun drenched terrace clinging to the side of the mountain with all of its butterfly goodies.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

My favourite of 2023 came from my visit to Cotley Hill in May aimed at seeing the Marsh Fritillaries. I was disturbed in my endeavours by the sight of a butterfly apparently twice their size - which turned out to be a very fresh female Wall. The shot belies my precarious pose uphill of the butterfly with eager brambles waiting for me to slip into their grasp.

Dave

[Goldie M]

It was the 10th and 16th of May last year when I decided to go to Reculver, I'd gone sooner in the year but found nothing ,besides which, the weather had been awful so I was pleased when I saw them flying Goldie

[overthepass]

As usual, I didn't catch up with Wall until very much the tail end of the season. This year it was at Lancing Ring in early October, where as well as the Long-tailed Blue show there were also decent numbers of Wall still on the wing. They were by this time somewhat past their best, but good to see nonetheless. All the ones I got a good look at seemed to be males, including the two below - at least a bit easier to photograph than when freshly emerged.

[bugboy]

Not a species I made any real effort to see last year but they did pop up at various sites on my travels. The most memorable encounter was this male who behaved in a very un-Wall way by allowing me to creep around him through long grass whilst he just sat there.

Several were very active at Battlesbury Fort at the end of July when I was chasing Marsh Frits. It was rather hot so only undersides were available but it is an attractive underside

[Wolfson]

I usually see plenty of Wall on the Norfolk or Cornwall coasts, but I had a pleasant surprise in 2023 when my first encounter of the year was at an inland site in Cambridgeshire. I have been visiting the site for many years and never encountered Wall there before. Although it’s not the best of photographs, the new site makes it my favourite. I also rather like the more typical photograph of a Cornish male taken later in the year.

[David M]

Missed out on the spring brood domestically and had to wait until 25th July, when I saw over two dozen at Rhossili on the Gower on a perfect summer's day: