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High Brown Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 8

So we enter into December and the start of Winter and the time of year when looking back becomes ever more enjoyable.

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

I'll kick off with this pic, not because it's a great shot but because it's one of my last piccies from my home in Huémoz, Switzerland. I took it in July.



The other orange blobs are high brown and silver-washed fritillaries.

Guy

My High Browns are are a bit of a brucie bonus. After getting Mountain Ringlet to finish the 'mission' I suggested a stop over at Arnside before heading back down south. Even this far north the heat was silly and the only chance of getting anything was to get up there as early as possible, this first male was just finishing breakfast not long after 9am. The following morning, before heading down to look for Large Blue, we went up again. Here's a male heat regulating at a similar time of day when normally it would be spread out soaking up the morning rays!

A very easy choice here, as I only saw the one: on a sweltering 2nd July up at Arnside. It showed a liking for the white sunhat a fellow enthusuast was wearing, but eventually settled on the brambles. Dave

My only High Browns this year were at Aish Tor, as part of my five-fritillary day on Dartmoor on 25th June. Despite arriving on site at 8am, they were already supercharged and this was the best [only!] photo I managed.

Living in Kent ,we have no High Browns ! last recorded I believe in the early to mid seventies ,so having done a bit of homework ,we plumped for a stop off at Aish tor ,Devon ,on our way down to the Lizard for our annual holiday ,our findings were very like Callumacs , getting out of the car we spotted a couple of large Frits immediately and over the next hour or so I reckon we saw around 20 ……..but were they High Browns ,I didn,t try too hard to get a picture ,just wanted to get one (or preferably lots !) settled for a good look ,but they were so very active that it was almost impossible ! but I struck lucky and one settled for all of five seconds and I took 3 shots on burst ……….2 dreadful pics and one reasonable.
But I could see the relevant pointers so was well pleased ! a first for me and my 54th in Britain.

My contribution is from the South of France at 650 m altitude.
This species is not widespread and it helps to know the colonies. Chris

I was grateful that the High Browns were out on my local S. Wales site early this year, because given the hot conditions they peaked and finished much earlier than usual and I would have possibly missed them due to my time spent in the French Alps in early to mid July.

The beginning of the flight period is probably the worst time to observe this butterfly, as the majority are males intent on nothing other than zooming about continually in search of virgin females.

On midsummer's day, I found myself in precisely this scenario. This was one of the few that came to rest:

High Brown Fritillary

Another one that’s a bit of a cheat, same as my Heath and Glanville as this one came from my family holiday to the Dordogne. It was a pretty easy job to select my Fave as I only had a couple to choose from. Saying that even if I’d had loads I’d probably have gone for this one anyway as I was really chuffed to get a decent closed wing/underside to add to my collection. After seeing so many in the Czech Republic I was quite surprised to (knowingly) only see one of these ginger beasties over the whole stay?
Have a goodun

Wurzel