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Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Favourite Photo 2018

Week 17

“Even though it's cold outside and even though it's dark stupidly early it still feels like spring is starting - Daff, Snowdrops, Aconites are all blooming Not long to go now!”…This is what I wrote last week. Opps! Ha teach me to count my chickens!!

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 had to wait nearly an hour for this one to close its wings on a lovely warm May evening:
Rowland Wood, May 22 2018, 7.21pm

Cheers
John W

Here is a picture of mine from the Park Corner Heath, Sussex site

We were at Latter Barrow on 7th June, a very hot day when all the Butterflies were hiding from the heat and I'd nearly given up when I spotted the SPBF pop out of the Ferns quickly take some nectar and just as quickly disappear again It was shortly after this that I saw the Northern Brown so the day was good after all
That was the only time I saw the SPBF and I got only two quick shots. Goldie

John W wrote:I had to wait nearly an hour for this one to close its wings on a lovely warm May evening..

Been there myself, John, although never for quite as long as an hour!

David M wrote:

John W wrote:I had to wait nearly an hour for this one to close its wings on a lovely warm May evening..

Been there myself, John, although never for quite as long as an hour!

I just checked the time on my photos - I first spotted it basking at 6.29pm, but it didn't close up fully till 7.20pm.
I did disturb it once while it was basking though, it flew a couple of yards and then settled again, still open-winged. I guess it might have closed up a bit sooner if I hadn't disturbed it.

Still a very pleasant way to spend a summer's evening, with some lovely shots at the end of it!

Cheers
John

Here's mine, taken up at Glen Loy in Scotland

Didn't get too much time with these in 2018. The one opportunity to do justice to them availed itself on 2nd June on Fairwood Common which, very accommodatingly, is right beside where I live:

I was lucky enough to see SPBF in three corners of the country this year - Devon, North Yorks and Cumbria. My favourite picture came from the latter, on a visit to Finglandrigg Wood on 10th June in search of Marshies.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

I’m sure I’ve mentioned elsewhere before that I have several (photo) collections; there’s ‘in the hand’, ‘in cop’, ‘on poo’ and ‘stained glass’…One of my newest though is ‘Butterflies on Orchids’. Up until this year it was a very small collection with only two species in it but in 2018 I more than doubled the size of the collection. The crowning glory was this individual for not only does it show a much sought after underside view of the Small pearl but because of the way the light fell it almost becomes ‘stained glass’ too!
I appreciated it even more as, unless the Small Pearls can do a Marshie at Bentley Wood, this could be one of the last ones I see here…I need to start scouting out the New Forest.

Have a goodun

Wurzel