www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Orange-tip - Favourite Photo of 2022

Week 12

Happy New Year everyone! What a way to start the New Year with a trio of fabulous looking butterflies to make your favourite selection for! Here’s hoping that everyone has a tremendous 2023, may it be a butterfly bonanza!

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

Wurzel

Visited my usual haunt in clackmannanshire at the end of April to see this wonderful spring butterfly. Best photos attached.

I was still living at my Daughters house in May when I saw the Orange Tip arrive frequently , but never really settle long enough to get a decent shot.

Then on the 17th of May one landed on some Boules Mauve plants I'd bought but hadn't yet planted, it was a rush inside to get my camera , the Butterfly like previous visits wasn't there very long, but at least i got a quick shot Goldie

After the good numbers of the previous couple of years, Orange-tips were definitly not as numerous locally in 2022.
My first ones were actually seen during a visit down to see our daughter in Emsworth in mid April when we stayed in a B&B in Bosham for a few days and the local lanes produced quite a few, including a mating pair.
Back home, my favourite shot was probaby this female seen at my local spot at Wagon Lane
Cheers,

Neil.

These are mostly photos of reared adults, immediately after emergence. Larvae spring 2021, emergence mid-April 2022. They flew off and hopefully had happy adult lives.

Such a photogenic species, and a true harbinger of springtime. It's always difficult not to photograph an Orange-tip when the opportunity arises. I didn't photograph many in 2022 but my fave was this female.

My favourite images last year come from some I reared through from 2021. Admittedly the pictures were staged with the help of some fare weather cloud but the results were worth the effort.

As everyone knows, the true harbinger of spring. I always see my first one in the garden and this year was no exception.
Unfortunately it wasn't a particularly good year on my patch so any sightings were gratefully received and any photo opportunities happily taken.

With the first one seen on 22nd March, it was a relatively early start on my local patch for this species. However, no more were seen until April, and the last one was seen on 22nd May - making for a briefer than usual season. Numbers were definitely down overall as well - the peak of 28 individuals occurred on 20th April but no other day managed more than half this number. Nevertheless, there were some memorable moments.

I started my attempts at in flight shots with that first one on 22nd March.After that, most were more standard poses. Dave

Orange-tip

Five Rivers, the little path through the Glades in particular, produced the goods when it came to Orange-tips again this year so finally after plenty of years of searching it looks like I’ve found my ‘go to’ spot…fingers crossed. This was my favourite shot from 2022 as I love the pose of the butterfly, the three quarters open revealing both the cryptic under side and glorious topside. I’m counting down the days until my next encounter!
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Matsukaze wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 7:36 pmThese are mostly photos of reared adults, immediately after emergence. Larvae spring 2021, emergence mid-April 2022. They flew off and hopefully had happy adult lives.

That last one is almost like a Gruner's Orange Tip, Chris, with the smudgy line on the costa extending into the orange patch.

Didn't have much opportunity with this species domestically in 2022. My favourite was probably this individual from NE Greece in early April:

Lots to choose from as the Orange Tip is one of those species that demands I take a picture of it whenever I come across it. These two are my favourites from 2022 though. A male at rest on its foodplant garlic mustard showing a habitat shot of the pond area of our butterfly garden. Male Orange Tip feeding on honesty in our butterfly garden. Note the proboscis unfolding like a watch spring.

The photogenic Orange Tip is a welcome sight in Spring. I saw my first on 14 April and for a few weeks they were abundant. I saw my last on 7 July, but this was in the mountains where it was still Spring. I have selected my favourite as it shows the beautiful underside along with the hallmark orange tipped wing, it was also the last one I photographed in 2022.