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Week 11 - Christmas Week!

So continues sequence of posts giving one and all the opportunity to showcase their favourite shots of 2014 (or the last time you saw one)!

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As like last year 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

The easy part is selecting the day, probably overall the best day of the year for me at Wurzel's recommended Wiltshire site on 16th May. There were high numbers of Marsh Fritillaries, and loads of other species to add variety and colour to the mix. Not that the Marsh Frits weren't colourful enough by themselves... It is very hard to select between all those I saw, but these two stand out for being so different from each other. Dave

Your first MF looks very like those that you encounter on the continent, Dave.

Glad to hear this species still has SOME southern and eastern sites where it can be found in numbers.

This photo is from a very memorable day at the Strawberry Banks reserve of Gloucestershire WT. The sheltered site was bathed in sunshine and, apart from the Marsh Fritillaries, there were also many interesting plants to be seen.

It was very hard to choose a single 'favourite' for this thread, since I had many shots of both male and female singletons, all posing nicely, and a whole collection of a 'threesome' deep in the grass. Eventually, the pair managed to evict the third intruder, so that I could take this shot of the happy couple!
Mike

Marsh Fritillary - Favourite Photo

Marsh Fritillaries are a real favourite of mine so it was with interest that I ventured out to a spot near my home where some had been released by an unknown individual a couple of years ago, they're doing very well now (I saw around 50) but on the other hand this kind of thing is frowned upon - the old debate! Anyway, I was delighted to see them and took lots of photos, hopefully I'll find the time to look for larvae this spring!

I'm lucky in the sense that at the right time of year, this species is possibly the most ubiquitous of all near to my home.

I saw them in numbers at Welshmoor (approx 4 miles from my house) and then many more on several sorties into Fairwood Common which is literally a ten minute walk away.

Females are always more difficult to find so I was delighted when I stumbled upon this one:
I also managed to get a male underwing shot:

That last underside is rather unusual - the pale cream has almost taken over. There really is huge variety in this species. Nice example.

Dave

Marsh Fritillary

My Marshie Site proved to be even more fruitful this year with a number of aberrants (Marshie, Six-spot Burnet and Greenstreaks), some great encounters with Wall Browns and Marsh Frits all over the place! This was taken on my second of three visits when I was accompanied by Philzoid. I was slightly worried that they’d peaked as most of the Marsh Frits that we found were starting to look a little greasy. But then we stumbled on this little beauty who was fresh out of the pupal case and was finishing drying out her wings. So beautifully marked she had to be my favourite Marsh Frit of 2014. Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks to Wurzel for pointing me in the right direction, I saw marsh fritillaries for the first time this year. It was a great experience and the butterflies were plentiful despite the less than ideal weather

Wurzel wrote:So beautifully marked she had to be my favourite Marsh Frit of 2014.

Have to agree with you Wurzel:- lovely contrast of the markings makes it a winner for me too. On the other side of the spectrum, two greasies from Cotley a fortnight later