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Duke of Burgundy - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 5

So we’re already in the ‘D’s’ and about a quarter of the way through!

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

This was a special butterflying day for me. As I described in my diary, my son and I first photographed this species at Bradenham Woods in 1990. In the intervening years, the species died out at the site but has now been re-introduced successfully, so we returned this year for another visit together.
Mike

The Bradenham Woods site Mike mentions in his post is just up the road from where we live, so I usually visit a few times whilst the Dukes are flying. This one was from 7th May this year.

Nigel

I visited Totternnhoe Knolls on 17 May, the Dukes were either fighting amongst themselves or with the Dingy Skippers who seemed especially belligerent. Most of the Dukes I saw were starting to look a little tatty, the photograph I have chosen was an exception.

Ivinghoe Beacon is my 'local' patch for these wonderful little guys, this fresh male perched for me on some Cowslips at the beginning of May and another one from the same day from a more unusual angle I just hope this years caterpillars made it to pupation before the drought impacted on the Cowslips too badly

For the first time in several years, I wasn't able to head out to Rodborough Common, near Stroud, to see this feisty little butterfly in 2018. Luckily, there were a few about in both the French Pyrenees AND Alps, with this one being seen in the former in late May:

I had two enchanting days out with these butterflies in 2018, having previously never seen one. This photo comes from the first day, a visit on 19th May to the Hawnby Hill population on the edge of the North York Moors. It's a really magical place. The sheer number of people there that day, packed into a single, small field and sharing their enjoyment of the butterflies, I have only seen in one other, rather more famous, site - Daneway Banks!

My particular favourite also comes from Totternhoe on 17th May... It was a freshly emerged female and was very approachable.I also like this male from Dunstable Downs seen earlier in the month on 6th May. Dave

I was quite fortunate with this species this year. The first photo is backlit on a lovely sunny afternoon, the other two were taken on a cool grey overcast morning. I enjoy the challenge of looking for butterflies sitting quietly in cloudy weather!
Kithurst Hill, May 6th 2018, 4.25pm
Kithurst Hill, May 12th 2018, 11.38am
Kithurst Hill, May 12th 2018, 11.58am

Cheers
John W

Having missed out on seeing Duke of Burgundy for a couple of years I was keen to try and catch up with this species this year. As it happened it was Spring Bank Holiday Monday before I managed to fit in a run down to Prestbury Hill near Cheltenham where they had been flying for some time, Also some heavy rainfall over the weekend also appeared to have taken a toll so that there were just half or dozen or so mostly worn and faded examples still flying. It was a classic case of 'you should have been here last weekend, they were all over the place' according to a couple of locals that I spoke to.

The example below was the best condition one that I saw,
Cheers,

Neil

Duke of Burgundy

This was taken on my first ever visit to Noar Hill and what a cracking site that was. Whilst it didn’t quite match up to my first visit to my Duke Site in terms of numbers and availability it surpassed all my subsequent visits to my Duke Site as the numbers of Dukes there have dwindled with this year none being seen on several visits.

This was my favourite Duke shot from the day as I love the underside of this butterfly and this shot also had the added bonus that it was sitting nicely on a Cowslip, the species it is most associated with.
Have a goodun

Wurzel