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Meadow Brown - Favourite Photo of 2020

Week 11

I hope one and all had a very enjoyable Christmas (single) Day? If you did great, if you didn’t don’t worry the Favourites Thread is here again to raise your spirits. Just think this time next week 2020 will finally have passed and we’ll all be looking ahead to 2021!

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.

Just a reminder - it might be a good idea to select your Overall Favourite Butterfly Photo of 2020 now 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

Managed to see a few meadow browns last season. Mostly on 2 sites, Fallin Bing nr Stirling and Bridge of Don in Aberdeen.

I didn't get too many shots of the Meadow Brown this year, it seems they were hiding in the tall grass most of the time I did manage one for the 13th and one on the 20th of June taken at HLB my local CP .Goldie

Three pictures taken at the Old Somerset and Dorset railway Line, Shapwick Heath NNR.Somerset.

https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/

Excellent year for this species at my local patch, Bewley Common, Wiltshire. My earliest sighting too with one found on 22nd May

A glorious wood meadow in the middle of Lower Woods Glos on 26th June. Good memories...

I took quite an interest in these this year, partly due to movement restrictions meaning I was limited to searching out regional rarities. I discovered aberrations were actually quite plentiful (shouldn't really be surprising for a very common and widespread species). My favourite I think was this 'blind' specimen I found on my local patch in July . It really did look like someone had just blacked out the ocelli.

One of the most prolific butterflies in my garden this year, numerically second only to the Gatekeeper, but with a much longer flight season. Until I went to find a photograph to post, I hadn't realized how many photographs I had taken of Meadow Brown and also that it is not quite as drab as I had previously perceived and at times, rather attractive.

Over the past few years I have been noticing more and more female Meadow Browns with extra orange markings and this year continued that trend.

One from the patch of rough ground by my local park.
and one from Snitterfield Bushes near Stratford-upon-Avon.
A more normal female but with double pupils from an earlier visit to Snitterfield,
An almost 'blind' female from Blythe Valley Park near Solihull,
A male from Snitterfield Bushes,
And a nice male that could almost pass for a female, seen on Enys Head on the Lizard during our week down there at the beginning of August.
Cheers,

Neil.

Neil Freeman wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:56 amOver the past few years I have been noticing more and more female Meadow Browns with extra orange markings and this year continued that trend.

I see a few down here in south Wales too, Neil, though they remain the exception rather than the norm, unlike the very 'blue' female Common Blues that seem to have permanently usurped the brown-coloured ones.

These markings are very reminiscent of those I see in southern France and Spain. Maybe it has something to do with climate change?

It's always frustrating how difficult it is to get open-wing images of this species early in their flight period. They seem to become more co-operative as the season wears on - his female was fairly obliging on 20 August on the Gower coast, although her colours had understandably started to fade a little:

Meadow Brown

This was taken at Garston Wood and was my choice as my Favourite as it reminded me of a cracking Lockdown Exercise walk but also because it was such a fresh male. Normally the first Meadow Browns are exceedingly flighty and difficult to capture on film and then only once they’ve become worn and tired looking, a little frayed around the edges or ripped and torn, only then do they start behaving and sitting nicely. Yet this one was so fresh that he still had the slightly metallic sheen suggesting that he was only just out of the box as it were.
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

As has been mentioned, it seems that this species opens up more readily as the season progresses, and the females seem to get brighter with more orange as well. However, here are a contrasting pair.

The first is from Aston Rowant on 28th July, and is unusually orange to the extent that in flight it resembled an oversized Gatekeeper.The second was seen at Kiplingcotes in Yorkshire, and by contrast sported buff rather than orange markings.More typical were these two, also spotted at Aston Rowant, on 2nd September. The second one of the two appears to have retained part of the pupal shell around its abdomen. Dave

My first Meadow Brown of the year was ridiculously early on 25th May at Magdalen Hill Down. I usually find them pretty skittish, which makes photos difficult!

So it was a delight to find this female sitting just right, hanging out over a ride, practically begging to be photographed. So I did. From both sides.
As Neil mentioned above, I also find more orange females, but later in the season. There seems to be a surge of late females in the autumn and I saw my last on 30th October - a staggering six month flight season.

That's a striking individual, Lee. I've seen a few with orange suffusion on the hindwings but yours has a grey 'dusting', which is quite unusual.

She certainly posed beautifully, that's for sure.

Thanks, David. It was one of those can't believe my luck moments!

Best wishes,
Lee

Twin spots seem to becoming the norm for this species - it would be interesting to look back at photo records over recent years to see how this trend has developed.

Mine was a 'lucky spot' during a walk at my local reserve of Dry Sandford Pit. It was on a steep slope, down the side of the path, and I though it was going to be impossible to approach the pair without disturbing them. Fortunately the were fully engrossed with one another and my clumsy scrambles on the bank went unnoticed! Mike

All three of my Meadow Browns were taken on my local lockdown patch (mid-Kent ) ,the very pale individual ,unfortunately well past its sell by date ,was one of three i saw this year ,including a very fresh individual which just would not settle ,and when i returned for another "Go" ,early evening it had departed . the other two ,a standard female and one slightly different!
Regards Allan.W.

So many good shots this year of Meadow Brown. This one reminds me of a fine day out at Brookwood Cemetery photographing many insects over a small patch of creeping thistle . As well as the many Meadow Brown there were Nowickia ferox tachnids, various Hoverflies and thick-headed flies.
Phil