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Last week I took a Photograph of what I thought was a PB Frit, I think two were PB but having been up to Gait Barrow today I'm not sure, I took more shots of the PB and looking at one shot I took last week I now think may be SmallPB, can any one help Goldie

Hi Goldie.

You have one of each there. The top image is Pearl Bordered and the bottom Small Pearl-Bordered.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

Thanks Mark, I thought so but it's two years since I took shots of them so I wasn't sure, that's great. Goldie

Mark Colvin wrote:Hi Goldie.

You have one of each there. The top image is Pearl Bordered and the bottom Small Pearl-Bordered.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

I agree - take a look at the "Similar Species" sections of the relevant species

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks Pete, since I posted I checked with my book as well and found I'd taken some shots yesterday and called the Butterfly PB , how ever I'd taken shot's of the under wing and according to the book they seem to be Small PB ( I think ) you'd think I'd know by now Any way I've put two shots up taken yesterday for ID again to make sure. I'm going on the fact the Borders are different. Goldie

Hi Goldie. Most people (and the books) say it's easy to separate PB and SPB, if you see the undersides. Well, I'm one of those people who's rather poor at ID - I also have difficulty recognising people! Apparently, there's a special part of the brain that helps recognition of faces and I don't think mine works very well.

The problem here is that your first photo is a rather old and faded specimen of a PB, so what should be stronger yellow and orange areas look rather like the extra, pale 'pearls' of an SPB. It is just the overall lack of contrast that leads me to say PB for this one. The second pic has much stronger contrast, with almost brown areas around the 'pearls', which leaves me in no doubt that this is an SPB.

I'll not be too surprised if someone says I'm wrong - it happens frequently

Mike

Thanks Mike, I thought I was right but like you say it's hard to tell
My book said the veins on the SPB are black in comparison to the PB so that's what I looked for, the darker Margins on the underside.
That PB was rather worn, it was the only shot I got though of the Underside of the Pearl they were still pretty active and some like in my photo still looked good but didn't show any under wing.
Thanks again Mike Goldie

I think that these shots are both Pearl-bordered Frits, myself, given that there are 2 distinct "pearls" in both cases
Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Goldie.

I agree with Pete on this for the reason given - the two distinct pearls. I can see where Mike is coming from regarding his comment "has much stronger contrast, with almost brown areas around the 'pearls'" but I think this is just a trick of the light.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

Well, I did say I wouldn't be surprised if someone says I'm wrong ... and it's the one I was reasonably sure of, too

I take Mark's point about the lighting. It is a reminder that photographs can be very deceptive. I know some expert birders, who refuse to attempt ID from photographs. At least I think I have demonstrated that separation of these species is not quite as easy as some books suggest.

Mike