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Orange-tip – Favourite Photo of 2017

Week 12 – Wishing one and all a Very Happy Christmas and a butterfly filled New Year!

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

This is a personal favourite of mine from this year - the serious photographers will slate this for its black background, but I like the way it captures a moment of "butterfly love" in the bottom of my Lincolnshire garden hedgerow this April...

It's a rare Orange-tip indeed that escapes me when I have my camera in hand, I get a little obsessed with them so I had a ball with them this year when they had a really good season. Picking out a single image invariably proves impossible though so here's a selection...

This dew covered gem was my first one of the season, one of only 3 butterflies I saw all day on a mostly dreary, grey day. The other two being a Peacock flyby and a Large Tortoiseshell... Their early appearance this year meant I had several encounters of them feeding on Blackthorn blossom, something usually long gone during their more normal flight period a few other shots on my springtime wanderings With so many about I came across several courting pairs (well the male thought it was courting, the females had other ideas) And I finally broke my duck and found mating pairs

The sun had just gone in and I came across this Orange-tip sitting on a bluebell, just waiting to be photographed.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

One of my favourite photos was also an Orange Tip on a Bluebell taken at Fleetwood on the 4th May, my other two photos were taken in April on the 18th/22nd one at HLB the other at Yarrow Valley Park Goldie

I like this one because he is displaying a bit of both sides of the wings.
I caught up with him while he rested from feeding in a wild patch of my north Essex garden.

Intruding on an intimate moment ...



Guy

This is the first of these 'weeks' when I am able to post photos of all three of the selected species. I must make a resolution to get out a bit more, next year.

My Orange Tip photo is selected from some I took at my local Dry Sandford Pit reserve, early in the season, when it was such a pleasure to see the Spring species on the wing
Mike

These two shots were taken along the Royal Military canal bank at Kenardington (Kent) a spot I visited numerous times during the season ,for the butterflies and the dragonflies ,a lovely site ! Regards Allan.W.

My favourite of the year was of a larva that had just moulted into its 5th instar.
The old head capsule is an interesting feature, as it is showing its inner surface.

Vince

Excellent photo, Vince. I take my hat off to you

My photo is from the South of France on 10th April - a female on our local host plant, Arabis sp. possibly Arabis turrita: April is just around the corner
Chris

Can you have too many Orange-tip photos?...a question that I saw asked a couple of times back in the spring.

Absolutely not.

So here is a selection from the many that I took this year during a few weeks in April when there seemed to be loads around my patch
Cheers,

Neil.

So many to choose from a lovely species that just isn't around for long enough. However, the undersides always provide good opportunities, and it can be magical to walk along a sheltered path at dusk in the springtime spotting roosting Orange Tips dotted around the garlic mustard and cow parsley flowers. There are always more than I think there will be! They were out at the end of March this year, and well established by the time this was taken on 6th April. Dave

Orange-tip

This was taken during one my trips to visit my Out-laws up at Aberaeron. The girls were playing in the park and so I took a stroll along the river hoping for a glimpse of a Dipper. It wasn’t to be but it got even better with a pair of OTs. The female was boldly marked and also very disinterested in the males advances. This shot was taken of the male after he’d finally gotten the message.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Pleased to say I had a good year with this species in 2017.

I saw my first locally on 6th April and then 2 days later, spent a wonderful hour or so at a recently managed clearing at Cwm Ivy where males spent considerable time feeding from the blackthorn blossom:

'Near the end of an April Spring Walk in Weybridge, Surrey. A popular River Thames towpath location for leisure activities such as boatinig, cycling, picnics and walking.
At approximately 3:45pm, shadows were getting longer, the temperature had dropped and we spotted these butterflies resting on Cuckoo Flower. The Green-veined White & Orange Tip, often interact with each other, sharing similar Spring flight times and habitat.
My Wife's photo shows a general location and Cuckoo Flower, often found near to the River Thames: "I thought that the vertical river bank before it slopped, helped to stop this area being 'over grazed' by 'over encouraged' Geese."