www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Painted Lady – 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

A couple of shots sprang out at me whilst perusing this years crop. The first is from my first painted Lady of the year in April. A well behaved (or more likely utterly knackered from reaching our shores) individual who allowed me to get up close whilst lying on my belly. The second a home-bred animal who caught my eye at Bookham one morning, with noticeably increased orange markings

This obliging Painted Lady was in no hurry to get away on an early morning visit to the woods.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

My photos were taken in the front and and back of my garden on the 22nd August and the 2nd Sept, it was a really good time for Butterflies after a seemingly slow start in the Spring. Goldie

Another species from the collection I made during one memorable afternoon at Bucknell Wood in Northants.
Mike

Two pics from 2017 , one taken on an early morning plant hunt at the Devils Kneading trough at Wye Kent ,and the other (on
Ivy ) taken on a sunny but blustery late Autumn afternoon at Winchelsea ,East Sussex,just the one amongst up to a dozen Red Admirals. Regards Allan.W.

Here is my contribution from the South of France from 24th August. Buddleia is always guaranteed bait.
Chris

Probably saw a couple of dozen Painted Ladies in the UK in 2017.

This one stood out if only for its bolder than normal blue hindwing spots (taken at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales on 27th August):

Without exception all of my Painted Ladies this year were seen in Cornwall, either when we were down on The Lizard for a few days at the end of May and the beginning of June, or later in August when we returned to The Lizard for a family holiday.

One from the first trip when we saw plenty seemingly flying in off the sea although many of these were worn and faded.
One from later in August when there were many fresher examples about, probably the descendants of the earlier arrivals.
My favourite was probably this one which briefly landed on one of the white plastic chairs on the decking of our caravan at Kennack Sands.
Cheers,

Neil.

Yorkshire again proved a fruitful location for this species, which I otherwise saw only as singletons in various places. Two were flying together up on the Wolds Way near Huggate on 5th August, of which this is one.On 5th October, in among the numerous Red Admirals, I found the last one of the year on my local patch avidly nectaring on the ivy (no doubt on its southerly migration). Dave

Painted Lady

I arrived at Bentley Wood earlier than expected and earlier than Philzoid who I’d arranged to meet so that we could go looking for Small Pearls. So I set off towards the Eastern Clearing in the hope of finding a Small Pearl to hand to Philzoid on a plate as it were when he arrived. As it was I was halted as I first entered the Clearing by the arrival of this Painted Lady. She (larger abdomen so female?) was slightly faded compared to the individuals that arrive later in the summer but for all that her age added to her beauty – some electric blue on the wing margins, a collar of Turquoise leading to a gillet of Verdigris and metallic scaling around the body reminiscent of a QoS…beautiful.
Have a goodun

Wurzel