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Marsh Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2015

Week 10

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

Thanks Wurzel,

This was a new species for me in 2015, hence I have a limited choice of photos. I hope to make amends for that in 2016 .
This photo was taken in the south of France in the west Var.
Thanks to RG for pointing me in the right direction. Chris

I'm lucky to have this species on my doorstep, and although they didn't have a stand-out year, they were nevertheless around in decent numbers.

I always find the females more attractive (as well as easier to photograph):
This egg-laden specimen was in no mood to interact with male admirers, and when one came by and started harassing her, I offered her an escape by way of my finger and she readily accepted it.....trouble was, the male got onto the footbridge too before it was withdrawn:

It was a delight to be surrounded by lots of these delightful Fritillaries at Strawberry Banks in Gloucestershire. It was even more amazing to have the opportunity to photograph a pair on a Lesser Butterfly Orchid flower spike
Mike

Another one of my many lifers this year so nearly impossible to pic just the one but this one stuffing his face into a flower has always made me smile I like this one with the Brown Argus in the background and this one of a classic pose I could go on but I'll leave it at 3 to remind me of a day I won't be forgetting in a hurry

Some Scottish Marsh Frits -

winkled out of the sward in cool weather A sheltering female, worryingly easy to walk on

As mentioned previously I was invited to Porton Down this year to help with the DoB survey and whilst there we were lucky enough to see a few Marsh fritillaries just inside the Hampshire border. This species is found in very few sites in Hampshire most very close to the Wiltshire border - this was about 50m inside so VERY close.
I have also attached a view of the site as it's more reminiscent of the African plains rather than chalk downland!
Best Wishes
Mark

This year was only the second time that I have seen Marsh Fritillaries and I was pleased to find good numbers at a couple of spots on the Lizard when we stayed down there for a week in late May/early June.

First off a nice underside that I was pleased with.
I had read a lot of previous comments on how variable this species can be and was fascinated to see this variation with my own eyes. I took loads of photos of these and thought I would post a selection of favourites which show some of this variation.

First a few males...
...and a few females,
Cheers,

Neil

Some lovely images there, Neil, with a fair degree of variation.

There is no way I could match those images above, Neil - what a beautiful species this is. I did see some this year, down at Wurzel's Wiltshire Hill, but it was later in the season than last year and they were not so new. However, I did come across a mating pair, which was a first. The interest was enhanced by the female's markings being somewhat aberrant, with elongated buff patches - but this is a very variable species.

Dave

Marsh Fritillary

I was unlucky this year in that I was only able to make the one trip to my Marshie site. Also I didn’t see any at my Duke site or make one visit to my Hampshire site (shocked/embarrass)!
That being said I still didn’t do too badly as when I did visit there were Marshies everywhere. In fact it was difficult to know which one to approach/stalk for a photo! My fave was this one because of the lovely fresh markings which when viewing the abdomen as a nose gave the impression that this was an Ogres face and not a butterfly! Have a goodun

Wurzel