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Overall Favourite Butterfly Photo of 2021

Week 20

The final week, we made it! Spring should be just round the corner now so it looks like we’re finishing just in time. Now is the time for the culmination of many weeks of selection, time to show-off your overall favourite butterfly shot from 2021. Thank you for taking part in the series and see you next October, happy butterflying!

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

Overall Favourite

So the culmination of 20 weeks of selection…I got it down to two, which doesn’t exactly meet the brief of ‘Overall Fave’ but is still pretty good going from the thousands of images I had to pick from. The first I had to choose because it was a first – my first ever mating Duke and Duchess of Burgundy – I was tempted to try and sell the image to certain red top papers as they love a bit of Royal Scandal. Not only was it the first time but it was also accompanied by a brilliant story of daring do, reckless ascent and displays of herculean exertion on the parts of both myself and Philzoid and so will long live on in my mind. The second was from the week before over at Martin Down. I was still in the habit of believing the weather reports/apps (oh what a gullible fool I was) and so ended up sat in the car park will the rain came down with such force I was sure it would rip through the roof. When it eventually cleared I took to meandering morosely and muttering miserably my wishes for just the slightest break in the cloud…and then it was there a Marsh Fritillary, ridiculously fresh and perched on a Cowslip. It must have only recently emerges as it was immaculate and sat perfectly allowing me to get in really close and position myself so I was face on – brilliant! Have a goodun

Wurzel

My overall favourite photograph is of this male White Admiral as he undergoes final checks before taking his maiden flight.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

This would never win a photo comp - but seeing Large Tortoiseshell larvae on Portland was gobsmakingly awesome
Cheers,

- Pete

I didn't take lots of shots last year but I did like this one of a Holly Blue taken in my Daughters Garden, I hope to see more this year Goldie

A difficult decision to make one choice from the plethora of photos taken in 2021. Although this is not my best photo of last year, I'm including it for a couple of reasons. Firstly it's a couple of Large Blues getting up close and personal at the new site of Rodborough Common, Stroud. And secondly it was the sheer joyous reaction of the young man observing this event with me. A memory I'm sure he cherished for a long time afterwards. Hopefully the results of this union will be observed in the coming season.

Understandable cause for celebration, Stevie. Rodborough Common is a delightful spot and with the arrival of Large Blues it is even more worth paying a visit, which I hope to do at some point fairly soon.

My overall fave goes to this Peacock which was seen at at Gatwick on the first day of the 2021 transect season following the covid-related disruption of the 2020 survey season.
It's actually a re-cropped version of the image that I included as my favourite Peacock.

Vince

I took many photos of butterflies in perfect poses , but it’s often the behavioural shot of the common species that please me the most

I'm not a good photographer, but every now and again, purely by chance, things come right. This male Holly Blue was posing in such a way that he caught the light perfectly:
A similar thing happened with this gorgeous, female Brown Hairstreak later in the year:
But my favourite UK butterfly image of 2021 was an easy decision - this immaculate, female Northern Brown Argus, taken at St Abbs Head in mid-June. I'd waited a long time to see this form and got immensely lucky when this divine creature flew by and settled in front of me:

Outside of the UK, my favourite images were this male Dusky Large Blue posing with wings open:
Female Gavarnie Blue:
Two Tailed Pasha:
Female Desert Orange Tip:
And the #1 would have to be this burst of brightness provided by a pair of in-cop Iberian Sooty Coppers:

I couldn,t chose between these two shots ,the Grizzled Skipper was a very fresh individual and stayed in this position for nearly
five minutes ,so allowed me time to take a few pictures ,as i was taking my shots ,i became aware that i also was being watched ,from a distance ,and i recognised her as an actress from a popular 80's sitcom (who lives locally )............"excuse me ,what are you looking at " and i said a Grizzled Skipper .........................a butterfly ,to which she replied "oh lovely ............jolly good " she didn,t seem to keen to wade through the brambles and long grass for a look though ! I also like the red tipped leaves of the bramble that it landed on . The second ,is from our yearly trip "over the border " to Sussex ,and an early morning visit to the wonderful Fairmile Bottom ,mainly for the orchids and the possibility of a roosting Dark Green Fritillary ,which i was lucky enough to find ,i also found this Marbled White . Regards Allan.W.

Allan.W. wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:18 pmI couldn,t chose between these two shots ,the Grizzled Skipper was a very fresh individual and stayed in this position for nearly five minutes ,so allowed me time to take a few pictures...

Worthy winner, Allan. That is one supremely desirable butterfly.

David M wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 4:40 pm Outside of the UK, my favourite images were this male Dusky Large Blue posing with wings open:

Female Gavarnie Blue:

Two Tailed Pasha:

Female Desert Orange Tip:

And the #1 would have to be this burst of brightness provided by a pair of in-cop Iberian Sooty Coppers:

A great selection there David - the "Spanish Selection Box"! I am particularly envious of your open-winged Dusky Large Blue, something I didn't manage to get during my time out there. And that mating pair of bleusei, a bit special...

As you have posted your favourite non-UK pics from 2021, I shall do likewise, although mine are Greek/Cypriot in origin:
Southern Swallowtail from Corfu My first ever, magical encounter with Krueper's Small White, also on Corfu Balkan Marbled White Grass Jewel, another lifer, from Cyprus in September

Some great species there, Pete. That Krueper's Small White is worth three of these:

Mine has to be this one:

Hello Soloman. You must be the young man I referred to in my entry above. Your photo must be the same pair of Large Blues as mine.

Some ridiculously good photos there folks. Congratulations. If I can ever take a photo that is half as good as any of those, I will be a happy man.

Stevie Blunder wrote: ↑Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 am Hello Soloman. You must be the young man I referred to in my entry above. Your photo must be the same pair of Large Blues as mine.

It certainly is me what a pleasure to see you on here!! And what a funny similarity and coincidence!! Well you're certainly bang on the money - a joyous and treasured experience these photos were to take. REALLY incredible and a true honour to see.

Thank you for your kind words. Maybe our paths will cross again during the coming months. That spot at Rodborough Common is one of my favourites, a great site for photographing many different species throughout the season.