www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2012 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter until all 59 UK species have been covered. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas friends are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

Gatekeeper
This was my favourite shot of a Gatekeeper this year as it was one of many that I took on our family camping holiday back in my homeland of Dorset. It was taken in the hedge just behind our tent at Downshay Farm on the Isle of Purbeck during the last week of July. It was one of the first Gatekeeper shots that I took during our 5 night stay and has the fantastic name “u 3 sp elongate”. It was also a form that I “needed” for my Gatekeeper collection. Have a goodun

Wurzel

i was shocked and surprised that i had only taken pictures of 1 gatekeeper this year.

I really like these little fellows for they are the culprits that got me interested in butterflies and conservation.
One day I was walking along a four year old hedge line that I had planted, that bounded my field, when I noticed these little brown butterflies popping out in front of me every yard or so. I walked back and counted a couple of hundred and it was then that I had my road to Damascus conversion. I must have been doing something right to attract so many and this in turn led to turning the field into wildlife grassland.

I think my favourite photo was taken locally again, at nearly seven in the evening on 25th July. It was roosting amongst a wide orange-brown fraternity of Meadow Browns, Small Heaths and Small Skippers.

Dave

I feel I neglected the humble Gatekeeper this year with very few photos of them. This one was a fresh specimen in Rowland Wood, seen whilst I was Purple Hairstreak hunting. The light was poor with it being quite late in the day on the 20th July.

Neglecting Gatekeepers is, I suspect, an endemic default reaction given how common they are.

Shame, because this is a lovely butterfly and one of the few on the spread.

Gatekeepers seemed to be one of the species that actually did well this year around my patch albeit I did not see them in the huge numbers that I did last year at a couple of my local sites.

The first photo of the first one that I saw, on the Warwickshire BC open day at Ryton Wood & Meadows is probably my favourite this year.
As they are one of my favourite butterflies(arn't they all ), I tend to take shots of them whenever I see them when I am out and about, usually looking for other species.
Cheers,

Neil F.

In my photo the Gate Keeper seems suspended, thats why I like it Goldie

Goldie M wrote:In my photo the Gate Keeper seems suspended, thats why I like it Goldie

That's a rather odd Gatekeeper - some sort of aberrant! The male brand is rather indistinct and the normally double spot seems to be separated into two almost separate spots on the forewing.

Mike

My favourite Gatekeeper image was captured at Twywell whilst looking for Marbled Whites in July. I watched this female for a few minutes as she deposited several eggs.

MikeOxon wrote:

Goldie M wrote:In my photo the Gate Keeper seems suspended, thats why I like it Goldie

That's a rather odd Gatekeeper - some sort of aberrant! The male brand is rather indistinct and the normally double spot seems to be separated into two almost separate spots on the forewing.

Yes, Mike. Those spots are almost 'blind', aren't they.

As you say, most unusual.

A colourful location. This was just a grab shot and, unfortunately, needed a smaller aperture for more overall sharpness.
Mike

I know I am a bit late getting my picture on, but this is my favourite because of the pleasure I got whilst watching this butterfly in my garden.

Debbie