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Gatekeeper - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 5

Another week gone and we’re already a quarter of the way through the Favourites thread! Fingers crossed when I’m posting this in a fortnights time the Social will have taken place…

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 and stay safe

Wurzel

My Gate keeper shots weren't up to much this year, I'd to wait until I got to my Daughter's in August before I saw one and then they were in and out of her garden pretty quickly and ended mostly into the shade, like me they were always in a hurry

Out of the four shots I did take I've posted two, not really favourites , just to prove I could post some thing Goldie

Gatekeepers did well locally this year ,particularly in The Orlestone ( Kent )Complex ,lots of variety amongst the males ,was lucky enough to find two pairs ,and a very late male in October !! certainly my latest by far.
Regards Allan.W.

Although Gatekeeper had an OK season in the “meadow” area of my garden, I didn’t take many photographs. An obliging fresh male basking in the afternoon sun provided my favourite.

I'd say these had an 'average' season this year and they did seem to vanish from the hedgerows rather abruptly. Here's a trio of snaps I couldn't choose between.

I saw lots of Gatekeepers around my local spots this year although, in common with other mid-summer species, they seemed to go over fairly quickly. Most of those that I saw were worn or faded resulting in not many photos of them being taken this year, my favourite probably being the female below, seen in my garden towards the end of June.
Cheers,

Neil.

Gatekeeper numbers in central Lincolnshire were well up on recent years during summer 2021. It was good to see them having a decent season.

No problems in choosing: this is the only Gatekeeper I photographed this year. A nice array of spots, though.
Mike

Hedge Brown/Gatekeeper

When it came to selecting my favourite for this species it was always going to be tricky – especially as this year I was able to visit my Outlaws and therefore The Lane this year. Over a few days I saw more variation in this species than I did during the rest of the season! There were some with extra spots on the fore wings, some with only one pupil in the fore wing eye, others had barely any orange on the hind wing and the number of spots on the underside ranged from 3 up to 7. However this one stood out as I’ve never seen one with four white spots on each hind wing before, a cracking little variant and so it had to be this one for My Favourite Hedge Brown 2021.
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

My favourite image from 2021 was a pretty ordinary one, but it was the first Hedge Brown I've ever seen in my garden, and I believe the first I've seen in September:

Don't have many Gatekeeper photos from this year - they were around in reasonable numbers, but didn't seem as co-operative as usual. Photos below are a female from late July, at a local nature reserve in Surrey, and male from early August, at a local nature reserve in SW London.