Before going anywhere yesterday, I went for a morning walk around my local park. The countryside is full of colour at the moment, and the hawthorn, or May blossom , is absolutely glorious this year!
Then I was off to Bison Hill, on Whipsnade Downs, to see if the Duke of Burgundy have emerged. They had, I’m pleased to say, in good numbers, and I soon began to spot the males. They were holding territory, intercepting any insect that passed.
This one was using cowslip, the caterpillar food plant, as a launch pad.
New adults were emerging throughout the day, and I eventually found a few females, mint fresh.
Soon after emergence, they were found by males, and mating was almost immediate.
Here are another pair, found in an area sheltered from the wind.
To be continued...
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)