Many thanks for the kind comments and also for the ID on that Copper, Neil. Until you pointed that out I'd thought the sexes were indistinguishable!
The weather forecast for tomorrow is pretty grim so it looked like I'd better make the most of today if I was going to see any butterflies at all this holiday weekend.
I've yet to see any Silver-spotted Skippers this year so I naturally thought of a visit to Lydden but yet again I felt Dungeness calling to me with the prospect of seeing Small Coppers in good numbers, so that's where I went!
I was met by a lovely Humming-bird Hawk Moth
And very soon after I came across my first Small Copper of the day
Last week I counted 23
And this week I counted 23 !
My favourite of the day was this chap with his bold black markings
Very handsome indeed
There were several Small Tortoiseshells and Red Admirals about and many worn Common Blues
Along the beach I counted 7 Clouded Yellows
Here's one flying past
I was also delighted to find a Painted Lady
Those eye-spots on the forewings give it a particularly Owl-like stare
(It put me in mind of Alan Garner's "The Owl Service"!)
It was good to see Clouded Yellows
I saw lots of Small Coppers in their last generation of the year
And I tried to make the most of them
I'm not looking forward to all that rain tomorrow!