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Peacock - 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

Just a little something to whet our appetite for things to come, hopefully just weeks away

Only managed one early photo in a meadow on my local patch in Aberdeen. Didn’t see any others till the budllea appeared in my garden in mid August.

I saw my first Peacock Butterfly in March on the 25th in my back garden, on the 15th of April in Hall-Lee-Brook then two more shots were taken in August in my Garden, it was a good year for them although they did seem to disappear quickly towards the end of the season. Goldie

My favourite Peacock image is of this fresh specimen resting in the bracken on a dull day.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

Peacock did pretty well in my garden in 2021 with several larval webs yielding well into double figures of adults feeding on the creeping thistle flowers that thrive in my meadow area. However, for me, a March Peacock is always special.

Peacocks were quite plentiful in 2020 ,in my part of Kent ,that said ,i took very few shots ..........this is my favourite.
Allan.W.

bugboy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 7:11 pmJust a little something to whet our appetite for things to come, hopefully just weeks away.

Positively salivating at the thought, Paul!

Probably my favourite time of year when the blackthorn blossom is attracting these beauties.

I saw quite a few Peacocks coming out of hibernation around here, more than Commas but not as many as Small Tortoiseshells.

This one had very little blue in the hindwing eyespots making them appear almost 'blind'
The follow on summer brood also did quite well although they were a bit late appearing compared to the previous few years and most seemed to disappear into hibernation quite quickly.
This individual had additional small dark patches in the centre of the forewings, something that I have never seen before.
Cheers,

Neil.

Allan.W. wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:40 pmPeacocks were quite plentiful in 2020 ,in my part of Kent ,that said ,i took very few shots ..........this is my favourite.

Beautiful, Allan. Really vivid, electric blue on the hindwing eyespots.

Thanks David ! ..................It was very fresh.
Regards Allan.W.

this one was from April, near Buckden Cambridgeshire:
this is from August, Pegsdon Hills Bedfordshire: it looks like a paraglider

My favourite was this Spring-time shot taken on the first day of the 2021 transect season at Gatwick Airport.
Vince

I was confined to the house by a bout of COVID-19 in the second half of August, and one of the things that helped me keep sane was being able to watch the butterflies on our garden buddleia. This Peacock with distinctive wing damage was a regular visitor for some days and I hope we meet again in the spring.

Peacock

Picking your favourite from the more ‘common’ species can be tricky and so I thought it would be for this species from 2021 as I saw them in good numbers. Luckily for me one in particular stands out above all the rest as it I find the composition really pleasing. It was shot in a field near Chicksgrove about half way through a Wiltshire Walks App walk it was just the obvious choice for me.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

I didn't see too many of these in 2021. Spring was 'okay' but in summer I don't think I saw more than a couple of dozen, meaning that this mint fresh specimen was most welcome on 20 August on the north Gower coast:

Hello and Happy New Year to everyone. This is my first post, I hope I get it right!

I took this photo in my garden in Cumbria on 26th July 2021.

Sarah.

SarahM wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:10 pmHello and Happy New Year to everyone. This is my first post, I hope I get it right!

Happy New Year and welcome, SarahM.

You got it absolutely right! Can't ever have too many Peacocks.

David M wrote

Happy New Year and welcome, SarahM.

Thank you for the welcome David.

Sarah M

And welcome to UKB from me as well, Sarah. You have some enviable sites up in your neck of the woods (with accompanying glorious scenery), so I'm looking forward to what you find during the coming season.

Down here in my comparatively soft southern location Peacocks had a lengthy season, being seen each month from March to November - almost certainly as the result of a partial second brood late in the season. One of the first indivividuals I came across (on 29th March) was the most memorable, an aberrant which would have been even more striking if I'd encountered it before hibernation instead of afterwards.The last one of the year also sticks in the mind as I saw it on several days in mid-November. On 12th it was looking fresh, and avidly nectaring to fatten up for a distinctly delayed hibernation......but unfortunately when I saw it for the last time on 16th, it had suffered an encounter with a bird and was much more sluggish. Dave