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A thread in which to post your favourite photo(s) taken in 2011 of Duke of Burgundy.

Details of places, dates, times and circumstances also appreciated. Feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, personal encounters, anecdotes, anything really... you know the score by now

Can I just say that up until this year the Duke was my 3rd least favourite butterfly! This is because when I first encountered him at Martin Down in 2010 he stopped and then disappeared before I managed to get a shot. I then spent almost every visit that I made to Bentley Wood (at the right time) reading that a Duke was about, searching for hours and then never finding him. Then I got into a bit of bother when asking for directions and finally I spent hours and hours searching for the Duke this year having again read about his continued presence
However when he finally deemed to meet me that all changed and all those hours became worth while as the Duke enchanted me with it's perky manner and fiesty demanour. Now I love the little critter
This is my one and only and was taken somewhere in Bentley Wood... Have a goodun

Wurzel

With happy memories of a Spring day with three generations of my family at Noar Hill, Hants, here are a couple of my favourites:


22-Apr-11, Noar Hill. Sony A700, Tamron 180/3.5 1/500 f/8 iso200


22-Apr-11, Noar Hill. Sony A700, Tamron 180/3.5 1/200 f/8 iso200

I was very pleased to get a photo of the rather more elusive 6-legged female during a visit to a private site on the Lambourn Downs near the Berks/Oxon border on 4th May 2011
Mike

I'm going to bend the rules again, not my best DoB nor even from this year, but my first DoB taken on a very memorable day at Noar Hill a couple of years back.

A couple of Dukes from what was my favourite butterfly trip of the year - Bison Hill, Whipsnade on the 25th of April. Not just Dukes but also grizzlies, dingys and green hairstreaks in profusion on a windy but largely cloudless Spring day.

I've posted the first before... but I just like the way the leaf wraps around the frame. The second was taken by my partner Tara with a tiny point-and-click Panasonic TZ6 - proving you don't need fancy equipment, macro lenses, and all that palaver to enjoy a great day out with Britain's beautiful butterflies, and still have a nice memento at the end of it.

I have to bend the rules on this one as well because I did not get an image of a Duke this year. Here is one from last year taken at Noar Hill.
Whilst it is not perfect, it remains one of my all-time favourite photos.
Next year I intend to devote some pixels to Sussex Dukes

Vince

This has to be mine because it's the first time I'd ever seen one. Photo taken at Gait Burrows on June 2nd Goldie M

Just like Goldie M a first sight of this lovely butterfly for me.
Sadly it seems to have disappeared from the Isle of Wight.Therefore a trip to Butser Hill on the 13th May.After a search we came across several at the foot if the Hill.
Hope eternal for this butterfly to be rediscovered on the Island.

This is my best of 2011, the solitary Duke of Kithurst Hill. I only ever saw the one Duke at the site. I hope s/he found a mate as otherwise there won't be any next year Kithurst Hill, 29th April