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Meadow Brown - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 11

Sorry for the late posting I was at the Panto; "Oh no I wasn't, Oh yes I was!" There's only two days now until the obese male pensioner in the red suit commits reverse burglary so to one and all; Have a Happy Christmas!

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 was at Brockholes CP Preston when I saw this Meadow Brown with it's two spots on the 22nd June, again the weather was hot so yet another closed wing shot.Goldie

This pale example was very well camouflaged amongst the sun-burned, cut grass on Otmoor, Oxon.
(my ISO setting was high, because I had been combing the hedgerows for Brown Hairstreaks and literally stumbled on this pale Brown in the open meadow - success with the BH came later that day!)

Mike

Hi Mike,
I admire your photographic skills.

Here is my photo of Meadow Brown from this year, from the south of France. Chris

Meadow Browns have an irritating habit of keeping their wings shut early in their flight period when they are fresh.

This male very surprisingly decided to do otherwise at Whiteford Burrows on the north Gower coast on 24th June:

I try and pay attention to the 'drabber' members of our natives since they do have a subtle beauty all of their own. The sight of the first Meadow Browns also signal the start of summer. This year I had a few stand out individuals:
a couple of females displaying some very prominent ocelli a very eye catching 'bleached' male that MIllerd and I discovered at Mill Hill and finally a mating pair in the second half of October, also at Mill Hill

A backlit Meadow Brown, seen in a beautiful flower filled meadow in Normandy, at the end of July.

Taking on the Wildlife Trusts' #30DaysWild challenge in June (going out and looking for/photographing/engaging with nature every day of that month) had the interesting and unexpected consequence of forcing me to spend several late afternoons after work, looking locally at common things that I might normally glance over. I took this photo of a very freshly emerged Meadow Brown, late on 15th June and on Walmgate Stray, York, just outside my office.

Meadow Brown

This shot was my fave as it was the first from the first week of June and was taken during a family trip to Kingston Lacey. It was on the very edge of a field of Ox-Eye Daisies and was feeding happily so I managed to get a shot of it with its proboscis tucked deeply into the flower head. I chose it as my fave as it was a brilliant day just wandering about with my family exploring parts of the site that we’d not visited before.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

I did not photograph many Meadow Browns this year, but the one that stands out was this one, mainly because of the late date.
Vince

From Ranscombe Farm on June 23rd, var. anommata. There were at least three of these variants around and on the wing at the time, but all of them eluded my attempts to get an upper side shot...



I also liked this one, just for the sneaky way the brownie "photobombed" my snap of a SWF. I didn't see it on the leaf until it opened its wings just as I pressed the shutter (Bavins Shaw, August 11th)...

Bugboy has already posted a shot of perhaps the most unusual Meadow Brown seen in 2018, the bleached individual down at Mill Hill. The late part of the season was notable for this species in this location, with numbers persisting well into October and even November.These two shots are from September, with the pairing seen on 26th.
Dave