Silver Washed Fritillary

[Dave McCormick]

Hopefully tomorrow I am going on hunt for Silver Washed Fritillary. Where I am going (Newcastle, Co Down) some were seen recently so hopefully will get to see one as I have never seen one before, I know its a bit late in their flight period, but any chance is good. Anyone know what I should look out for? I was told to check the woodland fringes for them around the bottom of the mountains (I am going up the mountains too, to see what else is up there).

Is it easy to get a photo of them? I am not privileged enough to have a 150mm, only Sigma 105mm Macro so if anyone can give me tips before I go (was going to post this yesterday but had no internet) I would appreciate it

Also going to look for graylings as I have not seen any since 2006, maybe wall brown too if am able to find any.

[Michaeljf]

Dave,
I can't give you any tips on the Newcastle Co Down site but the Silver-Washed Fritillaries were still fairly common last Sunday at Bernwood Forest, Oxfordshire. I only have a 100 mm macro (though I do use an EF12 Extension Tube) and haven't had any problem photographing them, as long as they are either basking in the sun (normally on the Ferns/Bracken) or nectaring. This time of the year they will be nectaring (probably) on Hemp Agrinomy, though if there are any bramble flowers left they will nectar on those too. Your biggest problem may come in the form of the weather..tomorrow the forecast is cloudy here, Monday is expected to be good.
Good luck! Michael

[Padfield]

Very much the same advice as Michael. Look for woodland edges or rides with dense, sheltered nectar sources in the sun. Hemp agrimony is particularly good but if that is not present they have plenty of other favourites, including angelica, various umbellifers and, as Michael says, bramble, if it is still in flower.

Good luck!

Guy

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks Michael and Guy, I'll see if I can go Monday instead, looking at cloudy weather for tomorrow and rain in morning, not a good start. There is plenty of knapweed in flower around here (got a report of hundreds of silver Y feeding on the knapweed there).

I have had problems photographing Marsh and Dark Green Fritillary in past. (Marsh fritllary probably due to lack of flowering plants in the area I saw it and it just kept flying about) and I haven't been able to easily approach Dark Greens, so hopefully I should fare better if any Silver Washed are about. I'll post on my diary if I do go and how I get on.

[David M]

SWFs are reasonably approachable when feasting on bramble. The question is, have you any left in flower?

[Dave McCormick]

Well I didn't get to see any this year, there isn't any SWFs in miles of where I live so I can't easily go out and look. I don't really know the areas that well, that they are found in NI, but one was spotted last weekend on bramble, so there is still some bramble in flower, mostly, bramble have stopped flowering now, but there is still blackberries around and have seen speckled woods on those, so would SWF feed on those too? (Have to find places next year to see them).