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Marsh Fritillary - Favourite Photo 2019

Week 10

Last week was a nightmare, nothing political but pet related so I’m really looking forward to leaving it all behind and moving onto week! So bring on your Faves – I need cheering up!

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 favourite two Marsh Fritillary photographs of the year were taken during the massive population explosion in central Lincolnshire. Two aberrant forms, shown below. Unfortunately one had lost its right antenna.

I'm sure I said it at the time, Pete, but those are both extraordinary examples of Marsh Fritillary abs, especially the second one, which is one of the best I've seen.

Thanks David. They were as dramatically different in flight as they were when at rest, particularly the second one which was incredibly white when on the wing! It will be interesting to see if next year produces anything similar at this site...

This species is extremely variable, and consequently singling out particular individuals is a tricky exercise. I encountered them first at Martin Down, and then a bit later in the company of Wurzel on a Wiltshire hillside: there were good numbers to choose from! The first two are from the first location......the third from the second: a quite striking congenitally deformed aberration. Dave

I saw Marsh Fritillaries this year on just the one occasion, when I took a drive down to Strawberry Banks in Gloucestershire specifically to see them. A few years ago they underwent a population explosion here but then crashed the following year and appear to be struggling ever since. I saw no more than half a dozen or so but this was still early in their fight period and I saw slightly higher numbers reported a week or so later .

My favourite photo was of this nice individual which had a more yellowish appearance than most I have seen.
Cheers,

Neil.

This one was seen in the south of France on the 11th May in the west Var, and should correspond to sub-species E. aurinia provincialis: Chris

By way of contrast, here is one I saw in Lozère. Hard to believe it is the same species.
Roger

For this weeks choices I asked my travel buddy/chauffeur to pick some favs, here's her choices from my 2019 catalogue:

This was a good year for Marshies, both here at home and on the continent.

In late May, I got my by now annual fix of the striking beckeri form of this species:
Not far from my front door were plenty of the more commonplace form too. Here's a male:
....and this stunning female:

Marsh Fritillary

I really struggled making the selection for the Faves this year as I had plenty of encounters with this species from a nice range of sites – including a new one for me up on the Pewsey Downs. Somehow I managed to whittle it down to just under double figures but then it was really tricky…
Next stage of the process was to think about which were most significant, which were the most memorable rather than trying to select by merit of image. Luckily two stood out in particular and even more fortuitously one was an open wing and the other was a closed wing.

The first was actually THE FIRST which is why is stood out in my mind. It was taken at Martin Down and I’d half joked to myself on my meanderings round the site that I could get the first Marshie of 2019. Near the Hotspot half way along Bokerley a chequered butterfly went up and flew a short way before plumping down in the grass. I couldn’t believe my luck it was a Marsh Fritillary! As soon as I got home I put my record up on the Hampshire site and UKB only to find that someone else had already claimed the first... I saw mine at 10ish so I suppose it comes down to the actual time they saw theirs.
The second comes from a Bentley Wood and was my joint choice for Fave of 2019 as it was so beautifully posed an offered me my clearest and most unobstructed side view/closed wing shot.
Have a goodun

Wurzel