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Orange-tip - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 12

Happy New Year Everyone! Here’s hoping that 2022 will be more butterfly and less Co-vid filled!

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

Flicking through my pictures I found myself reminiscing about a few hours in the company of three or four Orange-tips in a sunny glade in Epping Forest. Also I've been after a shot of one on Red Campion for a while so I was very happy when one of the females took a break from egg laying and male avoidance to settle briefly on a lone flower

I was in Clackmannanshire for a few days end of April/beginning of May and took a stroll between old harbour at Alloa to Cambus along the edge of the river forth. Managed a few snaps of one of my favourite butterflies along the way.

I took my shots on the 30th of May at Brockholes CP Preston, I was so pleased to find them in the woods there, I've also included a shot of the female hiding from the Male, he never did find her Goldie

My favourite Orange-tip photograph is of this female that I found roosting on an overcast day in an East Sussex wood.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

2021 was a very average year for Orange-tips around my patch. Those that I saw whilst out and about were usually males on patrol so most of my best photo opportunities were in my garden when they would occasionally stop to rest or refuel.
Cheers,

Neil.

My favourite Photo of 2021 taken in the Eden Valley.

Don,t you just love an Orange Tip ! ..........................and Bowles Mauve ! Regards Allan.W.

Orange-tip

Last year was a great year for me for Orange-tips as my local sites all came into their own. I found them at The Devenish, Five Rivers and Middle Street and the weather at the time – a mix of warm and sunny changing intermittently to cloudy and cool made photography of them really easy. My favourite came from Five Rivers. Earlier on the day it was taken I’d visited The Devenish where I’d been able to get a range of shots but despite it still being early days in their flight that one was a little worn. When I moved over to Five Rivers most that I found there were immaculate and that’s why I chose this shot – I love that I can see all of the hairs and the little tufts along the wing margins. Here’s hoping that 2022 is as good for Orange-tips as last year.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Decent numbers of these last spring, although the atrocious May weather didn't do them any favours.

Saw my first on 31 March and my last on 8 June, so they had a pretty long flight season round my way.

On 2nd April, temperatures were about 12 degrees, which was just about perfect for taking the edge of their usual hyperactivity and getting up close:
Always a bonus to get one posing on the blackthorn blossom:

My season almost exactly matched yours, David - 30th March to 7th June. The unusually sunny (but distinctly cold) April meant that there were good numbers around, and I found that the best time to get close to them was towards the end of the afternoon. I took rather a lot of shots of this iconic spring butterfly (they are hard to resist) so the choice here is a tricky one. First off is a male and a female together......and secondly comes a couple of males which had selected the same sprig of cow parsley on which to spend the night.It turned out to be big enough for the both of them. Dave

I always enjoy seeing that flash of orange when I visit my local Dry Sandford Pit reserve in the Spring. They are always very active, constantly patrolling the cliff face that forms a boundary to the reserve, so photographs always involve a lot of watching and waiting for the brief moments when they pause to re-fuel.
Mike

In spring 2020 I collected Orange-tip eggs and larvae from roadside verges that I thought would be strimmed, and reared them. In April 2021 the adults emerged. It took a while for them to work out what being an adult Orange-tip was all about, and for a while they were a bit clueless and therefore quite approachable, so I photographed them whilst standing guard over them to make sure they were safe from the local birds.