11th September was another very warm and mostly sunny day, reaching 27 degrees locally. My usual walk revealed 13 different species and a respectable overall total of around 80 butterflies (though Small Whites accounted for 30 of these - there appeared to have been a sizeable emergence round here).
This is the time of year when the second broods of lycaenid species tend to fade out, but as third broods are a common feature in these parts, I'm never quite sure which are actually which. The worn...
...and not so worn.
More of today's variety:
In amongst all the Small Whites...
...were a few Green-veined...
..and unusually I squeezed one of each into a frame.
However, the latter species provided the more interesting shots, with a pairing involving a very lemony fresh female.
![GVW pair3 110923.JPG (2.36 MiB) Viewed 22875 times the female was left dangling, but they relocated...](./files/thumb_9839_f533dbc434da990c122b6589ef7c8def)
- the female was left dangling, but they relocated...
![GVW pair5 110923.JPG (4.58 MiB) Viewed 22875 times ...to a more mutually comfortable spot](./files/thumb_9839_93ec480804c45048cde26444b4c9b013)
- ...to a more mutually comfortable spot
I also couldn't ignore a particularly large and fresh Red Admiral. It seemed to have been the first to discover that the newly-opened ivy flowers provided better nectar than the last of the buddleia ones.
For some context, here is a habitat shot of an area where Small Coppers, Brown Argus and Common Blues are regularly found together. I'd say harmoniously, but in fact when all three are around they constantly squabble.
Though the trees here are beginning to show the first signs of autumn colours, a month later they didn't look a lot different - I think autumn was paused this year...
One last thing - this is what the Box Tree moth can do to a (neighbour's) carefully manicured hedge...
Dave