The place was alive with them, I walked the hedgerow and was gobsmacked by the sheer numbers and species I saw, this is what our countryside must have been like 100 years ago. A field margin full of colourful wildflowers and hundreds of colourful butterflies, ive never experienced anything like it before! I wont go on anymore, i'll just leave you with the photo's I took, but if all our hedgerows were put back they way they were, and all the sheep removed, our countryside would be a paradise, as seen below.
Above: a patch of Mayweed - this amount is a scarce sighting in itself!
Above a Meadow Brown and below 4 photo's of a Common Blue
Below is a Holly Blue
Even this Purple Hairsreak wa seen - normally a woodland species.
Below; a couple of Brown Argus photo's
Next a Small Copper
below is a Peacock
Then a couple of Small Skipper photo's. ( or are they Essex Skipper ? as suggested by Jason, if so this would be a lifer butterfly for me! )Edit: They were indeed Essex Skippers, a new addition to my patch butterfly list, and a lifer! Thanks Jason, Derek and Greenie for you help.
Next up a Speckled Wood
next a Gatekeeper
Then a Green Viened White
Next a Small White
Lastly not a Butterfly, a Burnet Moth, it looks just as good :-)
10 comments:
Warren,
Wow, you said and pictured it all. I particually liked the Brown Argus pictures, I've never seen one.
Fantastic photos Warren, I particularly like the common Blue in flight.
Did you know that your photos are of Essex Skipper not Small Skipper. you can tell by the black tips on the antennae. Hope thats an additional species for your patch
Jase
jase,
If you are correct on the Essex Skipper, it would not only be a patch tick, but a lifer for me!!
lets see what others say :-)
Thanks for pointing it out though :-)
Warren,
The Skipper would indeed appear to be an Essex, the colour of the antennae tips (black in Essex) being the best way of telling them apart from Smalls.
That sounds lovely would have loved to be there, great photos.
Nice selection there Warren. I`m still waiting for Holly Blue, Brown Argus & Small Copper.
Warren ,
I would agree with Jason's ID of Essex Skipper and his appreciation of the Common Blue in flight .
I too had several Brown Argus yesterday , mine mostly female , with the orange spots not fading as they reach the leading edge of the forewing . The spots on yours do , and with the bluing on the abdomen identify it as a male .
Yes , yesterday was a really good butterfly day .
It's amazing what a seed bank is lying dormant in the soil, waiting for the dominant species to be cleared.
And how insects then take advantage of the new variety of food.
Interesting report!
Stunning collection Warren
I'm just catching up on my blog reading after being sans internet for most of a week. Looks like the butterfly sightings have been great even if the monthly patch ticks have been a little slim. I can't believe all these great photos! Do you keep track of which butterfly species you see on your patch as well? Getting a photo of one in flight is quite a feat!
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