Small White - Favourite Photo of 2011

[Vince Massimo]

This is a thread in which to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2011..........................or the last time you saw one!

This is part of a series which will hopefully grow throughout the winter until all 58 British species have been covered. Three new threads will be introduced per week. Our overseas friends are welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to our rare migrants, but please try to observe the alphabetical listing

Details of places, dates, times and circumstances would be appreciated and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, personal encounters, anecdotes and other interesting points.

Vince

[marmari]

I always think it special when you see a butterfly of any species in the garden and this one was in my back garden at Freshwater,Isle of Wight on the 15th October.

[David M]

This is a tricky butterfly to get an open-winged shot of.

[ChrisC]

it's one of the few butterflies i have seen plenty of and having gone through my pictures it's one i have never photographed. i'm very surprised to find that.

Chris

[Wurzel]

This was my favourite shot as it reminds my of the family camping trip to Thistledown Farm; the lazy days just wandering amongst the grasses and woods around the campsite, just clicking away and enjoying being outside all day everyday. This shot does make me question the naming of some species - I know that you have to go with the obvious (most times - why Duke of Burgundy?) but I'd much prefer to call this a "lemony underwing" or "citrus white" or something else that would celebrate the summer colouration rather than just boring old white.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Agreed, Wurzel. The undersides of the Small White are appealingly lemon-ish and when seen settled with them on display there can be no doubt as to the identification.

[millerd]

A female from first thing on a sunny midsummer morning. This seems to be a good time of day to get that bit closer to them, presumably before they are properly warmed up and fully active. 30th June, taken local to me. I've tweaked this to take down the brightness a bit, but (on my screen at least) it seems to overdo the green rather.

Dave

[johnv]

Only seem to have 2 photos of Small White in 2011.
Always difficult to get in close, sure is a species not happy with Homo sapiens being near.

[Vince Massimo]

In 2010 Small Whites invaded my Brassicas so I reared some of the larvae, most of which hatched in 2011. What pleased me most about this series of images is that there was over 8 months between the first and the last and I somehow managed to keep them uniform

Small White Larva preparing to pupate 22-Aug-10

Small White Pupa 24-Aug-10

Small White Pupa (1 day before hatching) 5-May-11

Small White Pupa - Female (8 hours before hatching) 6-May-11

Small White Pupa - Female (2 hours before hatching) 6-May-11

See viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4681 for more photos.

Vince

[Neil Freeman]

I took very few photos of Small Whites, mostly through lack of opportunity. I simply did not see many settled in a position that I could get the shot.
I saw loads of Whites in flight and most of the time could recognise a GV white from its more 'fluttery' flight and occasionally a Small from a Large White by size but most of them were 'passing through' and so to me were another 'unidentified White'.

One shot that I did get and quite like is the one below taken at Oversley Wood.

Small White - Oversley Wood.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

I got this one mixed up for a female Orange Tip before so at i know for sure it's a Small White Saw this one at Hall Lee Brook on the 8th of May, I didn't take many photo's last year of the SW because i didn't see too many about. The weather was really bad in the North last May.Goldie M

[John W]

I only managed to get photos of one individual in 2011 too. They never seem to stop flying! I suppose though that if they were rarer, we'd stalk them more carefully.

Kithurst Hill, 23rd July 2011