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Grayling - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 6

Is it Sunday already – where did that week go? A quick reminder that next week is the Social so hopefully Boris won’t come onto the TV and make any announcements about restrictions, Lockdowns etc.

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.

Another quick reminder that it might be a good idea to select your Overall Favourite Butterfly Photo of 2021 now if you haven’t done so already so that you’ve got something to post when the series of threads culminates in 14 weeks time…


Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

As well as seeing Graylings in their usual Surrey haunts at Dawney's Hill and Chobham Common, I also found them up at Arnside in Cumbria and down at Tout Quarry on the Isle of Portland (where there were more on 4th August than I've ever seen anywhere). On my Chobham visit on 26th August, I set out to get some open wing shots, always a challenge every year. Eventually a courting male persuaded a female down to engage with him, and she obligingly responded by opening her wings before tiring of the attention and flying off. Dave

That's a great shot Dave, you don't usually find them open winged Goldie

Chobham Common, as it usually does, gave me my Grayling fix this year. This picture was taken late in the day when they switched from territorial behaviour to feeding up for the night and as they usually do whilst feeding, it kept it's ocelli firmly on display to distract any potential predators.

This was one of several congregating in a small area of heather on Hankley Common, Surrey in late July.

I visited Winterton Dunes in August and Graying were the most numerous species battling against the seaside breeze. When reviewing the photographs later I noticed that one has what appears to be an egg attached to her abdomen and I have chosen these for their novelty value.

Grayling

Despite planning to make a couple of visits for this species I still only manged to get over to Godshill the once. They were in good numbers again this year and have moved slightly further away from the main track and up the hill – possibly something to do with the life stage of the Heather? There were all manner of hues and shades present on the day from almost black and white through increasingly lighter tones of grey and onto browns and honeyed tones but I didn’t chose my favourite because of its markings more because it was out in the open, exposed. Normally there are a few blades of grass or a twiglet of heather either cutting across the image or casting a shadow but in this shot there is only a single blade of grass threatening very weakly to obscure part of the body of the butterfly.

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

millerd wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 9:01 pmAs well as seeing Graylings in their usual Surrey haunts at Dawney's Hill and Chobham Common, I also found them up at Arnside in Cumbria and down at Tout Quarry on the Isle of Portland (where there were more on 4th August than I've ever seen anywhere). On my Chobham visit on 26th August, I set out to get some open wing shots, always a challenge every year. Eventually a courting male persuaded a female down to engage with him, and she obligingly responded by opening her wings before tiring of the attention and flying off.

That second image is possibly the best I've ever seen of this species with wings open.

Saw this species very early this year, on 27th June when I was out looking for Silver Studded Blues at St Govan's Head in Pembrokeshire: