I think this is an ES, photographed at Alners Gorse Dorset today. Be grateful for confirmation.

Congratulations Guy. A worthy recipient indeed. Keep up the good work, and taking those unique pics. Thanks to your input i am gradually being turned on to the Leps of Europe, although constipation does set in if i leave my beloved Dorset.

Bentley Wood, Purple Em report. Several photos of a mating pair, by a digiscoper was the highlight of a sweaty afternoon..... Boy ,,,, where they high? Some sightings of PEs high in the trees. From a Togs point of view,,,,,, terrible,,,,, but a first view for me was good... It seems its not a specta...

Today at Martin Down. The DGF (fems) were lying low in the sward (pic). Does this indicate ovipositing or just evasive behaviour from nearby males. I can't think that many violets grow on these coarse grasslands. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zcsF7fCLEC4/ThtS_ciMmVI/AAAAAAAAKKk/FYA0DULlRSU/s640...

Cheers Wurzel.
This is my first Gatekeeper of the 2011 season.

A butterfly man,,,, and a stud. A rare man indeed. LOL. Many congrats.

Well the way I see it, not everyone is going to like every part of a show like this, they tune in to see what they want to see and pay less attention to the rest. With everyone being in a rush these days for one thing or another, we really don't have time to appreciate everything, so sound bites an...

Each to his own!

Secretive or what?

A shaft of sunlight picks out a beauty at Alners.

PURPLE HAIRSTREAKS
Loads at Alners Gorse, Dorset.
I find these a touch easier to photograph than WLH, they seem to decend more readily.

A great week at Alners Gorse, Dorset,,,,,, provided me with some butterfly gems.

Its all buzzing at Alners Gorse now. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4QRVadvjo6c/Tg4LY3pFNxI/AAAAAAAAKEw/K7NMuTk0JPQ/s640/White-letter%252520Hairstreak%252520001.jpg https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CDq4TTST8tA/Tg4LSOGA1nI/AAAAAAAAKEs/xbtCg1m9jMg/s640/Marbled%252520White%252520%252528pair%25252...

This is the very end of June, and so far its been a great butterfly season in Dorset. This morning i photographed a Purple Hairstreak, and White-letter Hairstreak at Alners Gorse. Alners gorse is coming alive now, with all the early summer species in good numbers. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...

Thanks Chris.

Its just emerged from his ear, no wonder he was deaf all winter.

Quite a productive day at Alners Gorse, but alas the White-letter HSs are still avoiding my lens, despite being on the site in good numbers. During a brief respite from our WLH vigil me and two others (Zebediah, and DJL Dorset) came across this freshly emerged moth. My thoughts after an internet sea...

Cheers for that, is it a pretty looking moth?

Taken on Buddleia in my back garden.

Thanks Guy.