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Overall Favourite Photo 2019

Week 20

So we have finally reached the end of the Favourites threads for another year! This is the thread for the grand finale and your chance to show case your overall Favourite Photo from 2019.

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

Overall Favourite Photo 2019

I couldn’t really decide which one single shot was my overall Fave of 2019. Luckily having already chosen the UK species Faves it was slightly easier as I was limited in my selection from my family holiday to Portugal. However even then what could I choose; Tree Grayling, Southern Gatekeeper, Striped Garyling? I had a torrid time so in the end I gave in and chose two.

The first was a Southern Scarce Swallowtail because it looked gorgeous.
The second was a Cardinal which brightened a trip to collect some loo roll considerably.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

For my overall favourite photographs of 2019, I have chosen a non-butterfly subject. Lets face it, we all produce very similar butterfly images to each other and I have already posted my favourite butterfly images over the course of the winter. I live just a 20 minute drive away from Pevensey Levels in East Sussex and I spend a great deal of time there looking for butterflies and dragonflies but Pevensey Levels is also the home of Britains best populations of the rare Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius). Over the last 5 years or so I have got to know this species fairly well and have developed a great fondness for this impressive creature. I spend many pleasurable hours scanning the ditches for plantarius activity. Not bad for someone who has never been very keen on spiders but there is no better way to cure yourself of such a dislike than to get close to them. The first image is of a male and the second image is of a female with her egg sac.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

I took so many images during the Painted Lady influx that my overall favourite was bound to come from one of them. In the end I went for this of an emerging adult.
The pupa in this case was very translucent in comparison with others that I have encountered, so the detail of the wing inside the casing was unusually clear.

Vince

Extremely difficult to choose an overall favourite from last year. Lots of candidates, but I have gone for this Marius Hairstreak, Rekoa marius, photographed in NW Costa Rica last November. I find it hard to resist a freshly emerged hairstreak!

Two stand out - the first just because after investing so much time it was nice to finally find good numbers of Zapater's Ringlets in Spain:
....and the other simply for it being probably a once in a lifetime event; mating Alpine Blues (thanks to my co-guide, Jon Dunn, who rang my mobile 2,000m up Col des Champs to tip me off):

I didn't see a great amount of Butterflies species this year, the exception being the Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tort, these were in good numbers, in spite of this and the dozens of shots I took of them I couldn't choose one

Instead I've chosen the Humming Bird Hawk Moth I saw for the first time in my back Garden, every time I think of the Summer it's this unusual moth I think of and I can't wait for Summer hoping to see it again.Goldie

....and the other simply for it being probably a once in a lifetime event; mating Alpine Blues (thanks to my co-guide, Jon Dunn, who rang my mobile 2,000m up Col des Champs to tip me off):

Male Alpine Blues are rather infrequent, females much less so, and mating pairs probably a once-in-a-lifetime event

Great find!

Roger

Like some of the previous favourite pictures ,I also have plumped for non-butterfly because at one time or another ,I,ve already posted my favourite butterfly shots ,so 3 insect shots …………...couldn,t whittle it down to one …………….Sorry !
The emergent Dragonfly ,I found on an early morning trip to the Long-pits at Dungeness ,mainly looking for a Damselfly species that I,d not seen before ….. the Variable Damselfly ,and after looking through probably a hundred plus Azure Damsels ,I was pleased to find six Variables ,later at
Grove Ferry, I found them quite common ! anyway the emergent Dragonfly ,I believe is a Migrant Hawker (happy to be corrected !).
The female Damselfly is the previously mentioned Variable Damsel ,from Grove Ferry ,and its sharing (quite amicably !) its leaf with a Harlequin
Ladybird Larvae.
The last picture ,of a Bee ……….Tawny mining bee ,I believe was taken at Kennardington ,along the canal bank.
Regards Allan.W.

Roger Gibbons wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:56 am

....and the other simply for it being probably a once in a lifetime event; mating Alpine Blues (thanks to my co-guide, Jon Dunn, who rang my mobile 2,000m up Col des Champs to tip me off):

Male Alpine Blues are rather infrequent, females much less so, and mating pairs probably a once-in-a-lifetime event

Great find!

Quite, Roger. I was excited enough when a female was found in 2018. I never thought I'd see a mating pair. I was so shocked I initially dismissed them as Glandon Blues but on closer inspection it was obvious my co-guide had found the Holy Grail!

I can't pick one from these three. A trio of butterflies that have been on my bucket list since I got my first book on butterflies of Europe many, many years ago, hard to believe it was almost a year ago now

I seem to have 'shot my bolt' regarding butterfly photos during the species-specific topics, so hope I am not breaking too many rules by posting a non-butterfly photo in this section.

One of my current interests in photography lies in photographing miniature orchids from my wife's collection. These flowers share many of the features that make butterflies such attractive subjects: bright colours, complex patterns, and interesting structures.

Photographing flowers, however, requires many different techniques from those used when photographing butterflies in the field. The subject is static, so there can be no excuses for 'missing the moment' or not finding the best 'angle' for the shot. All these things are under direct control and are the responsibility of the photographer.

One major difficulty, when photographing very small and very 'three dimensional' subjects, is achieving sufficient depth of field, to show all the details in sharp focus. My Olympus camera provides the facility to 'stack' a series of photos automatically, changing the focus distance slightly between each shot. This technique extends the depth of field across the whole distance through which the lens moves.

Another important factor in obtaining a good photo is the adjustment of the lighting. I use LED lamps that have the advantage of not getting hot, like conventional lamps, and can easily be directed to achieve optimum illuminations of all the key aspects of the subject. Careful adjustments of the positions of both the subject and of the lamps are helped by monitoring the 'live view' on the screen of my camera.

I find that overcoming all these photographic challenges makes for a very satisfactory experience, which can also be enjoyed throughout the winter months, when butterfly subjects are not generally available. Mike

bugboy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:48 pmI can't pick one from these three..

Difficult isn't it, Paul?

Your trip (and Guy's) to Spain sharpened my resolve so I'll be visiting Andalucia myself in a few weeks. Hopefully this trio will be on the menu, amongst others.

I notice I was not alone in having to turn to a non-butterfly subject for this thread. Perhaps it needs a better focus for next year.

May I suggest photos of favourite butterfly habitats/sites, for example?

Mike

I hear what you're saying Mike however the main idea was that it was the chance to show your overriding favourite butterfly photo. Generally I have my overall favourite in mind when selecting the rest and should that be a British species I don't mind as then I get to choose two for that species . Perhaps next year I'll put into the 'blurb' that the series of threads culminates in the favourite overall so people can bear that in mind when making their selections? I'll also change the name back to 'Overall Favourite Butterfly Photo' to avoid confusion.

Have a goodun

Wurzel