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Small Tortoiseshell- 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

My photos of the Small Tortoiseshell were all taken in my Garden on the 31st of August, the weather had gone a lot cooler so I managed to get some wing shots for a change Goldie

This started as just a rather distant 'grab shot' during walk in Bucknell Wood but, when I was looking through my photos for this thread, I rather liked the 'King of the Castle' appearance:
Mike

On a mostly gloomy, cloudy mid April day I visited a new site with a friend. The camera was taken mostly out of hope rather than expectation but in the end several Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell were on the wing during slightly brighter periods and I also saw my first Green-veined Whites of the season.

Can't really go further than my first butterfly of the year - this darkly coloured Tortie taken behind my workplace on 13th March:

Whilst not exactly abundant, a reasonable number of Small Tortoiseshells were seen to come out of hibernation around my local patch last spring, this being despite very few seen during the summer of the previous year.

On one memorable day in early April I saw more than a dozen on a patch of rough ground alongside a local park, including a number of courting pairs.
If anything, the following summer brood were even fewer in number than in 2017 and I only saw a handful, just half a dozen or so all summer.
I have heard it said that maybe they went into hibernation early due to the hot weather and I have certainly seen quite a few photos posted on social media of examples hibernating in various outhouses, sheds, tunnels etc. It remains to be seen how many come out of hibernation this spring but going on what I saw last April, I live in hope.

Cheers,

Neil.

There were a few Small Tortoiseshells amongst the species enjoying a glut of Ragwort at North Cave Wetlands, East Yorks on 14th July.

This was taken on a boiling hot day in Fermyn Wood, with wings firmly shut due to the heat!
Fermyn Wood, June 30 2018, 12.06pm

Cheers
John W

Small Tortoiseshell

My Fave Small Tortoiseshell came from back in the dim and dark past which was Spring 2018, which didn’t really arrive until the end of April-beginning of May. It was taken at work on one of my many lunch trip trips to the small path at the back of the school. I chose it because of the lucky composition which made it look like it should have been a poster for the Zep. So it combined both my love of Rock/Metal and butterflies in one shot! Rockin!
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Another very poor season for this species in my area, so I was very lucky to get a shot while helping out at a bio-blitz survey at a site adjacent to Gatwick Airport.
Vince