Silver and Gold.

For the past couple of weeks I've been walking the local woods with the main quarry being a smaller 'Purple' quarry. More of that in a future post. Whilst this hunt has been on though I've had some great sightings of the Silver-washed Fritillary and a few other woodland gems. These glorious butterflies get their name from the hint of silver on the under-wing, although the golden orange colour is what stands out as they fly at breakneck speed through the woodland glades and canopies.  Most of the males are now starting to show a little wear and tear, but some of the females are still looking fresh.

Female Silver-washed Fritillary.

Male Silver-washed Fritillary.

Male Silver-washed Fritillary on Thistle.

Male Silver-washed Fritillary on Bramble.

Mating Silver-washed Fritillaries.

Female Silver-washed Fritillary.

I was also in for a rare treat when I saw my first ever Valezina form of this species. This is a form that isn't often seen this far East and is only ever the female butterfly.  As soon as I saw it fly past it was pretty obvious what it was. Although it flew deep into the woods, not long after the first sighting it re-appeared and sat still for some shots.

My first ever view of the Silver-washed Fritillary Valezina form.

Silver-washed Fritillary, Valezina form.

Gatekeepers are now building up in numbers and Ringlet are extremely numerous in the woods with some taking off with nearly every step of the way.

Mating Ringlet.