This is the first butterfly I have had to net and even then I haven't a clue. Old, tired and battered he was enjoying the last of the afternoon's sunshine. My beginner's guess would be a White Letter, the only distinguishing features were the ginger tips to the antennae.

I have never seen a Large White striking such a pose. I presume he is a LW?

Check again Dave, Larix decidua (European Larch) is deciduous (the clue is in the name...!) It could be that you don't have a lot of this species near you. You're pretty observant Dave (really, I think you are) so I am sure you would have noticed if you had deciduous conifers in your neck of the wo...

I have been using a Canon SX20 IS for the last couple of months, and though it is good, I wish that I had gone for a DSLR. I find it difficult to find the butterfly through the viewfinder and the focusing might be better if I could control it. One can but by the time I have fiddled around with manua...

It may be that the best thing I did for my meadow was to plant a hedge along one boundary. In three years the hedge, which consists of thorn and berried hedging, has this year become shelter for butterflies and the numbers in both the fields divided by the hedge have been amazing. I am going to repe...

[Sorry I meant to post this in Identification] I am now really confused between Small Skippers and their Essex friends. I reckon that this is a good untainted Small Skipper? Small Skipper.jpg And this is a Small Copper, it's only the second one that I have seen Small Copper2.jpg Green Veined White? ...

I saw my first ever Hairstreak this afternoon. I first noticed the white stripes, a general uniform brown background, a noticeable tail and three PINK spots by the tail. In desperation I used my phone to take the picture, the result of which is about as good as my ability to identify butterflies. Co...

Does dwarfism occur in butterflies? This one was certainly smaller than the other Small Skippers in my field.

I only briefly saw this but it gave me the impression of being a half-size Small Skipper. Any suggestions?

The first Small Copper in my field resting on a bramble. Is it a female?
I said
Hey, you, get off of my cloud
Hey, you, get off of my cloud
Hey, you, get off of my cloud
Don't hang around 'cause two's a crowd on my cloud, baby

The great thing about starting to watch butterflies is that every one is a new one!
Is this little fellow a Holly Blue?

Wandered across my neighbour's land to help with something and on a tangle of brambles I spotted a Peacock, 2 Silver Washed Fritillaries, a Small Skipper, a Comma and what must have been a very inexperienced Humming Bird Hawk Moth briefly checking the blackberry flowers, a Large White, several tatty...

Thank you for the identification and also for the link.
Lesson 1. A moth doesn't have to be small to be a micro moth
Lesson 2. My guide to the moths of GB doesn't include micro moths

The pictures are horrible because the focus couldn't tell the difference between white and white. It was about 55mm across but the wings were only about 5mm broad. It looks moth-like to me but I can't find it in the book.

Please tell me that this is a White Admiral. It rested briefly on a vine leaf and this was the only shot that I could get. It is also probably the first one that I have ever seen in 60 years

I can't identify this one taken mid afternoon

Thank you; I know the Comma, which I have seen in the garden most years, so I'll have to settle for a f. SWF, which means another day wasted in the woods with my zoom lens tomorrow

I got my neighbouring gamekeeper to plant Phacelia tanacetifolia a couple of years ago as part of some game cover (he has sown more this year). We used to sit and watch the bees on it and try an count the number different coloured bums. It's brilliant for bees.

Another daft question from a beginner. I was in fairly shady deciduous woodland (lately bluebells and garlic) in Surrey by a stream trying to ignore the Silver-washed fritillaries that were flying around until one landed near me and I can only describe it as a spotted fritillary, a chap with me call...

I have only been taking photographs of butterflies for a month as an aid to identification. Today I was watching Ringlets, maybe a hundred or more, when what I take to be a Silver washed Fritillary, still carrying its chrysalis case flew past me. About five minutes later I managed to get this photog...