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Comma - Favourite Photo of 2020

Week 3

So we're into November - so only another 3-4 months until the next season kicks off

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.

Final quick suggestion that it might be a good idea to select your Overall Favourite Butterfly Photo of 2020 first so that you’ve got something to post when the series of threads culminates in 20 weeks time…


Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

An autumn surprise, even if the photo could have been bettered:
From early March, here is one nectaring on sallow at Berrow Dunes.

I only seen 2 commas this year.

During the summer lockdown, I limited my butterfly hunting to just two of my local woods. I enjoyed being able to soak up the beauty of everything around me in a relaxed way and I felt released from the need to dash about across the county to see as much as possible. This is my favourite Comma image, taken in July. I just can't resist getting my camera out for a butterfly basking on a bracken frond.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

Another good year with sightings from 7th April through to 20th Sept here in West Wiltshire. Surely one of the easiest butterflies to photograph.

I saw my Comma's in my front and side Garden on the 7th of August and 13th of September, I think this was a good year for the Comma's having seen more than usual. Goldie

Whilst my many visits to Bookham Commons this year were often memorable for a variety of other species, oddly enough a couple of Commas I saw on 21st July seem to have stuck in the memory. These two demonstrate just how different two individuals of the summer hutchinsoni form can be. The first is relatively lightly marked, almost to the point of resembling its close relative the Southern Comma found down in the Mediterranean.The other was strikingly bright and much more strongly marked. Dave

Virtually 7 months between these two images - this first Comma was, in fact, my first butterfly of 2020, on Monday 16th March:
This next one was from 14th October, on the Gower coast:

It seemed a bit of a strange year for Commas around my patch. Initial impressions were that there were not that many coming out of hibernation in spring but in retrospect I think that was more to do in comparison with the large numbers of Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks we had around here and numbers were actually fairly average. Either way, they gave some of the usual opportunities for nice shots on blossom.
During the summer there were plenty around, particularly hutchinsoni and unusually I sometimes saw both these and normal forms flying together on the same days.
Come the autumn and they seemed to be in short supply, something that I saw commented on a few times from various areas. Having said that, a couple showed up on one of the last days when I saw multiple butterflies around here in a season that came to an early end here.
Cheers,

Neil

Comma

This was taken during my first visit to Shipton Bellinger and along with a Hummingbird Hawkmoth was some consolation of the lack of Brostreaks. I chose it as I was stuck by the glorious range colour and the subtle markings – it was in such good nick that it seemed to glow out of the hedge.
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

After a superb spring and a decent hutchinsoni showing, these practically vanished of the face of the planet for the final third of their season. I chose this image because you can't beat a Nymphalid on Blackthorn blossom if you're looking to blow away the winter blue's, and they certainly helped keep me sane during the worst of the spring lockdown, when local jaunts were all that was allowed!

Not the first Commas of my season, but I don't think I have ever seen a courting pair before.
The next day, I found an egg-laying female in Winchester, along The Itchen Way.
Lastly, this summer brood individual was at Noar Hill, on the same day as the Clouded Yellow.