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

Small Heath
I couldn’t decide which of two shots my favourite were. The first was taken at Five Rivers in early June. I chose it because it reminds me of my evening visits (of which I made quite a few) while waiting for summer to actually appear. I was walking through the longer grassed area having not seen much when it caught my eye working its way up the stalk like a reverse pencil-top woodpecker. The other was taken on Salisbury Plain on one of my ‘way home’ stop-offs a month later. I thought of it as my favourite as it is an open wing shot. The butterfly refused to fly off of the path and kept fluttering just in front of me and landing a few footsteps further away. In the end I switched to Sports mode and waited for it to take off again. When it did I clicked away and of the 20 shots I took this was the only decent one. I’ll try again next year and hopefully get a bit closer next time. Have a goodun

Wurzel

Good effort, Wurzel. If only it hadn't been so bright.

I must make use of my own 'sports mode' this year.

Martin down and from memory only the 2nd time ive knowingly seen a small heath nectaring. the first was on eyebright, by no means a perfect specimen or even a good photo but it was the last Small heath pictures of the season.

I have three favourite Small Heath images from last year, all taken at different locations.The first was taken at Mill Hill whilst searching for Adonis Blues on May 16th. The second was taken in Spain on June 18th. The Broom bushes were full of Hairstreaks (Spanish Purple, Ilex, and False Ilex) aswell as thousands of aphids! The third and final image was taken at Aston Rowant on July 27th.

Kithurst Hill, 24 May 2012

Early evening ...

After a very long hot day ...
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5432&start=420#p60023

Excellent shot, Mark.

One from near home, from earlier in the year when they were (at least round here) much more abundant than later on. Very sparsely marked, this one. 6th June.

Dave

Here's one of my favourites, taken at Friston Gallops during the spectacular Chalkhill Blue population explosion in early August.
Neil

This is my favourite Small Heath of 2012 mainly because of the additional two ocelli on the front wing.
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Colin

I like this for the detail of its zebra-striped eye. Perhaps this pattern helps it to detect movement? They are always difficult to approach!
Mike

My photo of the Small Heath was taken at Lulworth Cove Dorset on the 22nd of May. I'd not had too much luck taking shots of this Butterfly so I was happy to get this one even if it's not yet has good has it should be Goldie

Small Heath seen at Noar Hill in May whilst looking for Dukes.

As already mentioned this is not an easy species to get close to despite it being pretty numerous. This shot was from Rowland Wood.

I did not see anywhere near as many Small Heath in 2012 as I did in 2011, the odd one or two showed up at most places I went to but it seemed to me that numbers were down quite a bit.

The first ones I saw were in Norfolk in late May where I took the photo below at Horsey Dunes. Seconds after I took the shot it closed its forwings down and almost disappeared against the ground.
The next two photos were taken at Prees Heath and are probably my best shots taken of this species.