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Week 2 Brown Argus – Favourite Photo 2023

Well that week shot by and here we are ready to start round/week 2 of the Favourites thread!

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.

Here we go, again!

Have a goodun

Wurzel
P.S. Just another reminder that you might want to select your Favourite first so you can save it for the grand finale in 20 weeks time…

Brown Argus

This was taken during a late afternoon visit to Sidbury Hill as part of a recce for a future visit with Dave at the end of May. After the hard slog up and round the hill and rings I’d worked back down and was making my way across the small field from Duke corner back towards the main track. On the way there were numerous Common Blues and Brown Argus settling down in the wonderful golden light of the late afternoon early evening. The last ones that I encountered in this section were the two shown here. I chose it as I like the way that it shows a before and after; one is really fresh with beautifully intact fringes and the other is at the other end of the freshness scale!
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Easy choice here - a rather cracking aberrant from the central Lincolnshire Limewoods this summer - ab.glomerata + postico-obsoleta.

I had to post this just for contrast Pete. A cracking Southern Brown Argus from Spain earlier this year.

The first one of the year is always special. Here is mine for 2023 - 16th May on my local patch.Amazingly, they are still going strong, with this one seen yesterday.In between these two, I've counted well over 500 on my local walks: a definite success species here.

Dave

I didn't see too many of these this year, but this one roosting on a Provençal hillside in late April was the easiest to photograph.

My favourite Brown Argus photo this year was probably this one taken at Prestbury Hill near Cheltenham on May 24th. As the sun reappeared from behind a cloud it opened it's wings to reveal the 'oily' sheen that fresh examples sometimes show.
A close second was this one from my local spot by Wagon Lane as it represents the best season that I have ever seen them have there. Most years I am lucky if I see one or two at most at this site but this year I saw multiples of both broods with them appearing in parts of the site where I have never seen them before.
Cheers,

Neil.

I found far fewer Brown Argus locally (mid Kent ) this season .With only a handful at Orlestone and Dungeness .......never managed a single visit to my local hotspot either ,will hopefully have more time available in 24' ! anyway heres two of my favourites both from Wye Downs NNR (The "Kneading Trough". )
Allan.W.

In East Anglia Brown Argus seemed to have an excellent season and on several occasions at several sites they seemed to outnumber all other butterflies combined. Consequently, many photographs were taken and a single favourite difficult, but I have chosen one taken whilst out looking for Small Blue when Brown Argus were particularly numerous since it reminds me of the frenetic activity of the Brown Argus that day.

I was at Seasalter on the 24th of May when I found my first of the year Brown Argus, I was surprised at the amount of BA there , more than I'd seen before just a pity that the other Butterflies were not as plentiful later in the year for me.Goldie

I didn't take many photos this year, but got this one because Brown Argus had a great season here in Crawley. This was taken on one of the Gatwick transects.
Vince

Allan.W. wrote: ↑Tue Oct 24, 2023 4:48 pm...anyway heres two of my favourites both from Wye Downs NNR (The "Kneading Trough".

That female's beautifully marked, Allan. Reminds me of Southern Brown Argus in Spain.

A lovely mating pair taken in 'bear country' in the Rodopi mountains of northern Greece.

One from the spring generation on the North Downs
Courtship behaviour early in the second generation
And one resting in cloudy conditions on the North Downs in August

Cheating to have two goes at this perhaps, but I overlooked the fact that Aston Rowant was heaving with this species in July. Here's a couple from that Chiltern location seen on 19th of that month:The second one is ab. snelleni, with white around the forewing spots, and is very bright and boldly marked altogether.

Dave

millerd wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:35 pm...The second one is ab. snelleni, with white around the forewing spots, and is very bright and boldly marked altogether.

That really is a beauty, Dave.

I can't compete with Dave's stunner, but this one was probably the best image I got of this species in 2023. Seen at Rhossili Head on 25 July:

A beautiful fresh male Brown Argus contrasting with the background colours of the grasses at Newland Grove Nature Reserve, Chelmsford in Essex
A tatty female after a long season of egg-laying at Great Holland Pits near Frinton-on-Sea in Essex
and a late season coupling in Baddow Meads, Chelmsford. I love how the evening light catches the edge of the male’s wings.

I saw my first ones this year whilst enjoying the hundreds of Dukes at Kithurst, here's a fresh male who distracted me for a bit.