www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

High Brown Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2015

Week 8

So continues sequence of posts giving one and all the opportunity to showcase their favourite shots of 2015!

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

With me spending 10 days in France slap bang in the middle of the main High Brown flight period, I didn't do justice to this species in 2015.

There were a handful flying around on 21st June at the south Wales site, including this quite heavily marked individual:
To compensate, I saw many dozens of HBFs in the south of France in late June/early July, including this one sharing a thistle head with a Marbled White (not at all uncommon in these parts - in fact, with patience, I'm sure you could photograph them in a similar pose with DGF, Niobe and Knapweed Frits):

I saw my High Brown Frit at Gait Barrow on the 15th July, it didn't settle long on any plant so when it did I'd to take quick shots It turned out to be my one and only fritillary of the year Goldie

My visit to Old Castle Down in South Wales was a little disrupted by inaccurate weather forecasts and road works but, eventually, I reached the Down in reasonable weather As in previous years, I was faced with the problems of trying to identify and then photograph 'High Speed Fritillaries' - both Dark Green and High Brown behaving similarly!

My wife chose a spot to make a 'base camp' and, while I was away chasing the 'HSF' with my camera, a High Brown chose to nectar quietly on a thistle alongside her, for several minutes. Of course, it refused to repeat this behaviour when I returned, although I did manage some slightly more distant photos on other thistles.

While I did take a few underwing shots, to confirm identity, I prefer the following one, as a photo, and it does show the indented shape of the forewing edge quite clearly:
Mike

I need to move about 50 km inland from Marseilles in the South of France to find this species.
They can be found at an altitude of 650 meters.
These 2 photos are of the same male individual from the 28th of June. Chris

I saw High Brown Fritillaries this year on a couple of occasions, the first being during a few days in late June down in the Heddon Valley where they seemed to be doing well with good numbers seen.
A month later I was up in the Arnside area for a few days and saw a few up around the Knott although these were mostly showing wear and damage by this time.
Cheers,

Neil

High Brown Fritillary

At last I can post a HBF in the Fave Shots thread my only regret is that it comes from foreign climes. It was taken on the first proper day of my Czech holiday and after seeing my first that morning I was lucky enough later on the find a pair in cop. One was quite lightly marked, almost a blank underside with the faintest spotting. Have a goodun

Wurzel