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Comma - Favourite Photo of 2016

Week 3 - Apologies if this is earlier than expected, tomorrow I'm visiting family and so won't be able to post at the normal time...

The third week and the third opportunity to showcase your favourite shots of 2016! Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos - just to make it easier to organise and keep everything on track so that we can enjoy this throughout the winter months? 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

I think my Favourite shot of the Comma was taken in my back garden on the 20th of September, it was unexpected having seen so few before this date this year, as other years we've had much earlier visits. Goldie

I had 27 photos in my 'Comma collection' of this year from which to choose - so which one? I decided that this butterfly looked particularly alert - head up, antennae sensing what's about. Definitely not dozy, as someone once commented of a competition photo...
Mike

Nice photos, Goldie and Mike.

I was back in the UK in September this year to see my family, and I saw many Commas. September in the UK seems to be the month of blackberries + Commas + Red Admirals.
This species is lacking chez moi in Marseilles, so here are 2 images from Foxton Locks in Leicestershire from 23rd September.
Same individual : Apart from fish 'n chips, mushy peas, pukka pies, pork scratchings, English beer, English countryside, black pudding, English sausages, red phone booths, red letter boxes, squirrels running up trees, foxes in the garden, scoop-the-poop bags, and driving on the right side of the road, ...., this was my best souvenir from my trip back to the UK.
Chris

I took precious few images of Commas this year. That wasn't because I was ignoring them; instead, it was because they were so scarce. I reckon I saw fewer than two dozen all year which is a shocking and equally worrying statistic.

Here's an image of my second Comma of 2016, taken on 18th March near to my workplace in Swansea:

Unlike David M I saw these in reasonable numbers this year, not as good as 2015 but still common enough to have racked up a good few pictures to sift through

I particularly like this one, taken in North London in the spring, just because its a somewhat different angle from the norm and shows just how fluffy the body is. It was one of two or three I found in a sheltered sun trap that all allowed plenty of close photography

I also came across reasonable numbers throughout the season and photographed a few. However, my choice of favorite is simple since it was my first encounter with this particular aberration. Seen resting on bramble in sand dunes on North Norfolk coast in late July.

I have to say that Commas were a bit thin on the ground around my local patch this year, both in the spring and later in the summer. Consequently I did not take many photos, my favourite probably being this shot of one of the first that I saw in early April.
Cheers,

Neil.

Commas always put up a good showing in my part of the world, though they weren't as numerous this year as last. I love the appearance of the first hutchinsoni summer brood butterflies, which for me make up for the lack of fritillaries on my local patch. This is the first one I saw this year, on 22nd June. The appearance of the overwintering individuals, designed less for flamboyance and more for durability, is also welcome. A few of the latter emerged quite early on and probably disappeared into early hibernation along with the Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells, but there were quite a few more appearing throughout September, the offspring of the hutchinsoni brood. On the 5th of that month I watched a newly emerged individual stretch out on a bramble and expel a drop of meconium from its abdomen prior to taking wing for the first time. The droplet of liquid is visible below it on the leaf. Dave

Hello all,
A couple of Comma pics from 2016, I saw a good number this season on my travels ,these two were taken at opposite ends of the season,the top one is an overwinterer,from
mid-April ,and the second is a late summer individual,both were taken in Orlestone forest complex,(Kent).
Regards Allan.W.

Comma

This was taken on a trip to Bentley Wood whilst searching for Him and served as some compensation as my best chance of a grounded shot was ruined by a jogger that obliviously spooked it time and time again. Later in the morning round by Donkey Copse I found this H.Comma down on the deck taking salts and acting to all intents and purposes as His Nibbs should of done.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

The Comma were scarce this year and for my area thats not too unusual. I had hunted for days to find a decent spot that I could observe them in Spring away from the usual haunts. I ended up spending a late afternoon in a Garlic filled trench by the River Whiteadder at Edrington Castle in the Scottish Borders. Peacock, Tortoiseshell and Green-veined White jockeyed for position on this west facing slope of the ditch catching the last warm rays of Spring sunshine. There were at least two Comma here remaining elusive, and only ever appearing to tease the Peacocks away from there territory so that they could get a few moments in the Sun by themselves whilst the Peacocks chased shadows...and shadows are what best describe the Comma, fleeting and transient thin wafers of disguise. So this is perhaps not my best photo of the year, but it was very definitely one of my best few hours spent.

Iain.