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Gatekeeper - Favourite Photo 2019
(This species should really be coming slightly later in the running order as it should be called a Hedge Brown IMHO )

Week 5

At this time of year it always feels like I’m counting down; 3 weeks until the Social (bit of a plug there) and Advent, 6 and a bit weeks until Christmas and far too many weeks it feels like until the 2020 season starts in earnest. Luckily the Favourites thread can keep us going and stave off any moments of SAD or even that even worse condition LOBD.

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

Perhaps it's not a very good butterfly photo but it reminds me of a splendid day in my Niece's wild garden, where the flowers always attract many species, including Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, and Ringlets.
Mike

That's notable due to the fact that it's an all-female line-up, Mike.

I rather overlook the Gatekeeper early in its flight period as I am usually on a mission to find Purple Hairstreaks at the same time.
I came across this lovely fresh male as I walked slowly through the bracken beds early one morning and paid it due attention.

(definitely Gatekeeper for me Wurzel )


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

I was in Maidstone in Kent on the 21st ofJuly when I spotted this very dark Gate Keeper, his colour was quite striking.

In my Back Garden when I got home on the 29th and 30th of July I saw these two GK's, I couldn't pick a favourite between the three so I've posted all of them Goldie

I really like this shot and how the sun lights up the fringe (Gatekeeper for me too Wurzel )

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) Drôme, France.
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/

Lately, I have missed out on the first wave of emergees of this species, but even so there are always plenty of this species between early July and late August (and even into early September).

Here's a male I photographed on 21 July in Abergavenny:

Wurzel wrote:...This species should really be coming slightly later in the running order as it should be called a Hedge Brown IMHO ...

Although I grew up with Hedge Brown, I must admit that having recently been reminded that Gatekeeper is actually the earlier name I am getting used to it now (although to me a Wall will Always be a Wall Brown ).

Anyway, after a relatively poor showing here in 2018, Gatekeeper numbers recovered dramatically around my local patch this year. Despite this I didn't actually take many photos of them after the first ones had appeared.

My pick is this fresh male from my local site of Castle Hills near Solihull which I like because it shows the golden yellow scales along the leading edge of the forewings particularly well.
Cheers,

Neil.

Gatekeeper/Hedge Brown

This was taken in Wales during one of my biannual trips to visit my Outlaws. Unusually this individual was photographed at Llanerchaeron and not up The Lane which never fails to produce something good Hedge Brown wise. I chose this one because it was the first of the holiday and also it was the strongest marked that I’d seen for a long while.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

This species had an extremely good year on my local patch, a vast improvement on 2018. In fact, I recorded the highest daily count for the year of any single species, with 91 seen on one extended walk on July 18th. However, the sighting that sticks in the mind was actually from Box Hill the day before, when I encountered this mating pair. I was struck by the contrast in the colouration of the two sexes - a fair comparison as both individuals appeared very fresh. Dave