Can't make my mind up over these two - both female with lovely markings, and both taken in our Lincolnshire butterfly garden. The natural variety of the female Common Blue is stunning.

I am torn for choice again because the Comma is such a photogenic butterfly! I have opted for these two, firstly one sharing bramble with a Large Skipper. The colours of the two butterflies so compliment each other. DSC04485 (2).JPG Secondly, I rather like this other sharing shot, this time with a b...

I have a lot of Clouded Yellow photos to choose from this year in view of the major emergence that took place "on our doorstep" (see my article under my personal diary: Home For Butterflies > Major Clouded Yellow phenomenon in the neighbourhood). I think though that this one has to be my f...

Indeed I am. It was quite a windy day otherwise the picture would have been sharper, but I don't mind, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time.

MAJOR CLOUDED YELLOW PHENOMENON IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD As far as I am aware, the phenomenon described below has only been matched by two other similar situations this year. Ours was in rural Lincolnshire, and I read reports of similar happenings in Northamptonshire and Dorset. A neighbouring field, ju...

I have been involved with monitoring the reintroduction of the Chequered Skipper to Fineshade Wood on and off since 2019, and have yet to choose a day when they are in any numbers! This year I went along on the 2nd June and it was a case of spot the butterfly in general, not just the Skippers. But t...

I always associate the unusual Carline thistle with Chalkhill and Adonis Blues, and the Silver-spotted Skipper, so I chose this composite shot of a fine male Chalkhill on said thistle.

These two photos are part of a sequence that I took of a very obliging female Brown Hairstreak. She settled right next to me at the edge of the path in Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire - a famous haunt for the species. After basking open-winged for a while she hopped onto the main stem of the blackt...

I particularly like this photo of a Brown Argus taken in our butterfly garden, due to the unusual iridescence picked out.

Clouded Yellow year indeed! This has been posted elsewhere but I ought to mention it here, for as far as I am aware, the phenomenon described below has only been matched by two other similar situations this year. Ours was in rural Lincolnshire, and I read reports of similar happenings in Northampton...

So many Brimstone shots this year, I could have chosen six, including egg-laying and mating shots, but in the end I went for this female feeding on primroses in our Lincolnshire butterfly garden, because of the camouflage.

DSC03528 (2).JPG DSC03545 (4).JPG Glapthorn Cow Pastures is a Northamptonshire stronghold for the species, not too far from our Lincolnshire locality. On this year's visit I managed to capture them whilst still fresh. I was particularly excited to get a sneak shot of the hindwing upperside markings...

I left it too late to travel down south following the excessive heatwave. Lardon Chase in Berkshire was barren on the 29th August but we did see 13 hangers on, only 3 of them male. This one was in the best condition, its iridescence nicely picked up by the chalk backdrop. There was very little flowe...

I was absolutely thrilled to see in our butterfly garden this Small Heath doing, for whatever reason, what they normally never do - open their wings fully when settled. One of those moments you either capture or is lost for ever.

Many, many thanks to you all for adding to this thought provoking subject. I really don't care if we never truly solve these type of questions. I just love being fascinated by butterflies whether i can understand their behaviour or not! Keep up the debate please. Cheers.

It always amazes me that year after year in our one acre butterfly garden, a male Red Admiral will take up his territory in exactly the same area of our woodland garden, around a bramble thicket. I had accepted this simply as a coincidence but on the 16th May 2022 I thought differently. I was standi...

Hi PhilB Last summer's Brimstone brood was one of the best we have had in the garden, with at least 14 seen in our one acre plot surrounded by arable farmland apart from the dyke bank network. Yet this spring so far we have only seen 5, 2 of which females. They normally over-winter in far better pro...

Yesterday was a special day for me in my butterfly garden, it being the first time during a lifetime interest in butterflies, that I had witnessed a pair of Brimstones mating. It was instantaneous - she was flying along minding her own business when he plummeted out of nowhere, forced her to the gro...

I totally agree with your response, David, but what of the Green Hairstreak? It is highly unlikely that there is the remnants of an ancient colony anywhere near our garden, and they are of course not a mobile species. Same with the Purples to an extent.

Thanks David.
The really fascinating thing is though..... where do they come from?!