Silver washed Fritillary

[JohnR]

I have only been taking photographs of butterflies for a month as an aid to identification. Today I was watching Ringlets, maybe a hundred or more, when what I take to be a Silver washed Fritillary, still carrying its chrysalis case flew past me. About five minutes later I managed to get this photograph.
Where do I go from here, its a perfect butterfly in a perfect position, it will never happen again to me, I've used up my beginners luck, it's Meadow Browns and the Whites for me from now on.

IMG_0429.JPG (73.28 KiB) Viewed 210 times

and then an underview

IMG_0432.JPG (17.09 KiB) Viewed 210 times

[David M]

I'm a beginner too but with a bit of patience it's surprising how good your photos can be even with a bog standard digital with a zoom. Of course, it's useless for airborne hairstreaks but if you DO get lucky and encounter one of these nearer ground level, they're pretty user friendly from a photography point of view. Hairstreaks are amongst the most docile of butterflies whereas others such as Dark Green Fritillaries or Brimstones can be frustratingly difficult to approach.

I shall be seeking out Purple/White Letter Hairstreaks this weekend to test precisely that hypothesis.

[Butterfly Gardener]

I've had hours of frustration chasing Fritillaries with my camera. They are some of the most unhelpful butterflies i have come across But if you persevere for long enough you will usually be rewarded. On the Great Orme in llandudno earlier this year i encountered some Dark Green Fritillaries and tried to get a decent picture. Eventually i gave up trying as they were just too active and would not settle. As the clouds started to come over in the evening i found one on the floor and it allowed me to get very close and take lots of photos (crawling on my hands and knees i got some very funny looks from the tourists)