www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Orange-tip - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 12

The days are getting longer, we’ll soon offically be in 2019 so here’s hoping that it’s even better than 2018 – Happy New Year to you all. However before we look ever forward there’s still another 9 weeks of looking back WINK

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

My photo was taken during a family walk along the River Evenlode near North Leigh Roman Villa. It was rather cool and drizzly, so this sighting provided an unexpected 'bright spot' on the day:
Mike

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) Loire- Atlantique, France. 24-04-2018,
Only one thing certain in an uncertain world, Spring will arrive and hopefully these cheerful little butterflies with it, wishing all a successful 2019.
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/

I saw my first Orange Tip in Bolton Woods which is entered from Brockholes CP , the woods were full of Bluebells and the OT"s were every where.
On my first trip on the 20th April I managed a full shot but on my second trip on the 30th of April I found this Bluebell with the OT enjoying the nectar Goldie

I reared some larvae in 2017 and one of the pupae hatched on 21st April 2018. This female was released the same day at a local site where I knew that males would be flying, and she soon attracted a suitor. However she was not receptive for some reason and rejected his advances.
Vince

As I seem to have missed out on Orange-tips this year, I'm going to cheat (am I the only one)? and substitute a shot taken last year.


That's the male on the left, female on the right, the males eyes are larger. These were reared, and showed no interest in each other, eventually going their own separate ways.

As with previous years, nearly every Orange-tip I came across in my travels that settled for longer than a nano-second had it's picture taken so finding a single fav shot was impossible, so here's 2 females and a male I like for various reasons.

Oh, the joy of knowing these splendid little insects are less than 15 weeks away from brightening up our lives again!

On 10th May, at Crymlyn Burrows in Swansea, I found this male roosting during a rain shower. Some 10 minutes later the clouds passed and I got about 40 seconds with it before it was off again in its quest for a mate:

The first picture (male) was one of those lucky moments. The butterfly was flitting over a patch of cuckoo flower and kept on settling, but only for a second or two. I was getting lots of blurry shots of it taking off but nothing else. Finally it settled just a little bit longer, maybe 3 or 4 seconds, and I got this shot, which I was very happy with:
Rowner Road, April 21 2018 3.13pm

Shortly afterwards I met up with fellow enthusiast Andrew555 who told me where he had found a roosting female:
Rowner Road, April 21 2018 3.24pm

We then joined forces and went off to Mill Hill to look for Grizzled Skippers, finding one that posed very nicely. All in all a memorable afternoon!

Cheers
John W

(the pictures look much better if you click to enlarge them)

From my back garden (Halling, April 14th)...

I love the colour combination of that one against the primroses Keith

Orange-tips seemed to do well enough around my patch although I didn't manage as many photos as usual with the weather swinging between dull and cloudy and very warm for a lot of their flight period this year.

I always like it when I catch one on the blue of forget-me-nots.
An underside caught just after a short sharp shower on the same day as the one above,
and I rather like this one taken at Snitterfield Bushes in early May
Cheers,

Neil

I found this Orange-tip nectaring on Blackthorn blossom on the Dryham Lane section of my patch, North Cave Wetlands, on 13th May. My struggles to get the 'perfect picture' here, with the butterfly framed in such an amazing setting, were what finally tipped me over the edge into buying my Sigma macro lens later the same week!

Goldie M wrote:I saw my first Orange Tip in Bolton Woods which is entered from Brockholes CP , the woods were full of Bluebells and the OT"s were every where.

A lovely combination of butterfly and bluebell, Goldie. British Spring beauty in a nutshell

CallumMac wrote:I found this Orange-tip nectaring on Blackthorn blossom on the Dryham Lane section of my patch, North Cave Wetlands, on 13th May. My struggles to get the 'perfect picture' here, with the butterfly framed in such an amazing setting, were what finally tipped me over the edge into buying my Sigma macro lens later the same week!

I agree - a lovely photo. Hope you are enjoying your macro lens!

My shots are from an early morning visit to an excellent Orange -tip site along the Royal Military canal on Romney Marsh ,
the other is a freshly emerged individual ,one of six ,that I reared from eggs I removed from a local building site ,and just in the nick of time.

Orange-tip

My favourite Orange-tip shot was taken during an afterschool stop-off at t’ Vera, a small Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserve featuring ‘Fen’. Normally the OT’s are distant, out of range well away from the Boardwalk which bisects the wetland. However this year I found a patch of Cuckoo Flower in the corner of the Bog which the OT’s loved; there being at least 5 males and a female in this one little patch. Of the many shots that I got here this one was my favourite as I tempted a male to crawl onto my finger when the temperature dropped as the sun nipped behind a cloud. A very nice addition to my ‘butterflies’ in the hand collection.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

The festive season is over and my mind is wandering to the first week or two of April, when I shall hopefully have my first sighting of the Orange Tip - the true herald of spring.

In 2018 I enjoyed observing the courtship routine and how the female is not shy about rejecting a male by raising her abdomen (usually if she has already mated). A virgin female will also show similar behaviours which means she is willing to mate. KInd Regards
Kev Ling

Selecting a favourite from the many shots I took back in April and May is a tricky undertaking. The season seemed a bit short: I saw the first on my local patch on 14th April and the last on 31st May, which is under seven weeks. Here is that first butterfly: By the end of May, the caterpillars were out and about too. Dave

kevling wrote:The festive season is over and my mind is wandering to the first week or two of April, when I shall hopefully have my first sighting of the Orange Tip - the true herald of spring.

In 2018 I enjoyed observing the courtship routine and how the female is not shy about rejecting a male by raising her abdomen (usually if she has already mated). A virgin female will also show similar behaviours which means she is willing to mate.

I love that image, Kev. It's rare to get such clarity when both insects are on the move.