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Small White – Favourite Photo of 2017

Week 18 – I was very hopeful last week that the end was in sight, well the Favourite Photo is getting there but the weather has reverted to winter so putting things back another week or two – still it will be worth the wait.

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 started as a 'grab shot', when my wife spotted a butterfly high in a Magnolia tree, during our walk at Nuneham Arboretum near Oxford. I wasn't even sure what it was but posted it in my diary, where it received several 'likes'. Looking at the photo again, I can see how it makes an attractive image, with the pure white of the butterfly set against the pink tinge of the Magnolia so, with the help from friends, I have promoted it to 'favourite':
Mike

My fav was taken at the tail end of the season on the 6th November. It was one of my final trips out looking for butterflies down at Shoreham Harbour, after primarily Clouded Yellows, so I was rather surprised when a fresh male Small white fluttered by, struggling in the rather chilly temperatures. He gladly clambered onto my finger, probably encouraged by the warmth from my hand (if memory serves it was below 10 degrees C) so I was able to plop him onto a sheltered flower where he posed and I got a few shots of him.

I tend not to take too many photos of Small Whites, but I have barely ever seen them in the month of March, so when one turned up in Castle Meadows, Abergavenny, on 26th March I pursued it with a rare zeal:

I have two Favourites, ( wouldn't you know it ) One shot was taken at Hall-Lee-Brook on the 3rd of May and the other one on the 9th of September in my Back Garden.
Last year was a good year around here for the Small White I was seeing them from March through to September, I think they did better than most Butterflies here.Goldie

Small Whites were very slow to get going on my local patch in 2017 and never became particularly numerous. One from 15th September stands out:Not many days later amongst the late season bounty on offer down at Mill Hill was another new individual, more lemon than white and with strong dark spotting on the forewing and a faint spot on the hindwing. Dave

There seemed to be a fair few Small Whites around my local patch early in the year but not so many of the later summer brood. The most that I saw were down in Dorset in early September were there were plenty flying around Lulworth Cove.

I quite like this nice fresh spring brood male from my garden in April,
and this summer brood female from Lulworth Cove in early September,
Cheers,

Neil

My Small Whites are from the south of France.
First, a pair from local public gardens on 24 August: A male on 10 October, feeding on Sticky Fleabane (Inula viscosa syn Dittrichia viscosa): Chris

Small Whites took ages to "get going" here in mid-Kent (at least for me !) and I noticed very few early in the season ,but things improved later on . My shot is a late autumn individual from Orlestone Forest. Regards Allan.W.

Small White

This was taken right at the very end of our family holiday to Devon, when I say right at the end I’m not over exaggerating as it was taken at Barrington Court when we stopped for lunch whilst making the return journey. It’s my favourite partly because of the memories that it conjures up from that day but also because of the crispness of the image and the fact that the black spot in the middle of the forewing looks like a traditional ‘heart’ if you look at it sideways, something I’ve not seen before.
Have a goodun

Wurzel