Mating Pearls

Pearl-bordered Fritillary – Boloria euphrosyne

Bentley Wood, near Salisbury, England

Nikon D800E/200f4micro/SB600 (for balanced flash)
ISO 100 1/320 f/5.6
cropped for composition

An early start c. 5.15am, and the annual trip down to Salisbury to hunt for these little stars, one of England's more scarce and threatened species.
  
Habitat of open woodland clearings mean lots of brambles to trip over and lots of frustration hunting for some good clean shots among the tangled undergrowth.  After about 3 hours I finally found a mating pair, that would sit still for long enough to get a tripod into position.  This week probably marks peak emergence, and I estimated about a dozen on the wing.

Unlike their smaller cousins, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, which share the same habitat but fly a couple of weeks later, these guys do not seem to be in the habit of roosting in open perches, so I've found them a more challenging subject.

I used balanced flash here to underexpose the background and make the subject pop a little more.

Thanks for looking!
All best,
Dave