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Pearl-bordered Fritillary- Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 13

Well here we go, the first Favourite Post of 2019, a belated Happy New year

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

Taken on a memorable day in the company of Millerd and Trevor exploring various springtime hotspots in May

This one has a little more black on it than usual:
Abbots Wood, May 13 2018, 4.30pm

I was pleased with this next one as I specifically arrived on site in the early evening to look for roosting specimens. I stayed longer than even Neil Hulme and was rewarded by this image:
Rewell Wood, May 19 2018, 6.36pm

Cheers
John

One here from the same May day as Bugboy mentioned above and referred to in my ongoing review of 2018.I also encountered them at Bentley Wood on two trips, one in May, one in early June. The latter was notable for being a three-fritillary day. Dave

Saturday 12th May was the only opportunity I had to observe this species in the UK.

An early spring visit to Ewyas Harold Common in Herefordshire has become something of an annual pilgrimage over the last few years. There weren't huge numbers about, but I managed to locate a few:

I managed to catch up with PBFs on the North York Moors on 24th May. Once I got my eye in, there were fairly healthy numbers about - though it was difficult to keep track of them as they flew back and forth over the piles of dead bracken!

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

This was taken at Bentley Wood during a visit with Philzoid. They certainly seem to be making things hard there now with wire fencing cutting the clearing into various ‘fields’ which makes tracking and stalking butterflies much trickier. That’s one of the reasons why I chose this as my favourite; it was taken after watching the butterfly fly through the fence and then after the ensuing run all the fence, round the end and back down the other side. Surprisingly there isn’t any camera shake, that’s the wonder of VR! The other reason I chose it was that it shows the female at full stretch trying to lay, or at least ovi-posturing, and I like the way that she’s clinging to the surrounding twigs for support.
Have a goodun

Wurzel