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Heath Fritillary - Favourite Photo of 2017


Week 7 - Over a tenth of the way through; everyone has started talking about Christmas so it'll soon be Spring

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

A short expedition to south Essex on a hot and sunny day in mid June provided my first ever views of Heath Fritillaries. I was very pleased to get a few photos and I particularly like this one.

Well done for breaking your duck, Ian.

My Heath Fritillary is from the South of France on June 5th. It could arguably be a Melitaea helvetica (Southern Heath Fritillary), but can anyone tell the difference?
Uppers and unders of the same insect. Chris

Hockley Wood provided by Heath Frit fix this year and I must say, they seem to be doing rather well there at the moment, I just hope the habitat management continues.
I find the constant 'sexual harassment' amusing with this species. The males just don't seem to get the message and the females just carry on nonchalantly as best they can and no encounter is complete without a nice underside shot

Lots of these seen in France in 2017, to the point where I scarcely pay them any attention.

This specimen in the Pyrenees was an aberrant though, although it may just have easily been a Meadow Fritillary, with which Heaths fly in this region at the back end of May:

A short stop off at Haddon Hill during our drive down to the Heddon Valley in later June produced a few Heath Fritillaries in what were decidedly borderline conditions. I spent just under an hour here and under a dull overcast and temperature of no more than 16 degrees found maybe half a dozen different individuals in varying condition from quite good to well worn and faded.
Cheers,

Neil.

Heath Fritillary

Hurrah I am again able to post “my Favourite Heath Fritillary”. This was taken at East Blean on a cracking day out with Philzoid. It’s my favourite just because of the many that we saw that day and there were many, it stands out as the best as it was so fresh and clean. It was also the most obliging butterfly of the day remaining in the same place long after both Philzoid and I had photographed it. If only other species were that happy to sit and pose…
Have a goodun
Wurzel