![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
In our garden we have two sheds and strangely when I've gone to lock up in the heat of the afternoon I've encountered Peacock both in the small cluttered shed and the larger roomier one. Not a a good place to be as there are tons of spiders webs to trap the unwary insect.
Why would the peacock be going on my shed in the middle of the summer in the, middle of the afternoon well before roosting
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
Following on from that I had this fellow turn up in my Moth Trap. He was totally unharmed and sat on my finger for his picture before flying off into the dawn. Text books don't say butterflies are attracted to light and the only other occasion I remember such a happening was when Seth Gibson (Gibster) reported Grayling found in the moth traps at Portland Bill Bird observatory some years ago ... where is Seth these days anyway
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Anyway I digress. Today I went with my daughters to Botany Bay (Chiddingfold) in the vain hope of seeing Purple Emperor. The weather was more overcast and cooler than anticipated from the forecast. Despite this I was soon treated to a dainty little Wood White as it gently fluttered by before landing and taking up its characteristic pose. Moving on my reverie was shattered when my eldest Francesca shouted out to warn me that I was about to step on a butterfly. On the hard track was a Small Skipper lying on its side. No sooner than we saw the skipper my youngest Isabella shouted out she had a butterfly on the ground too. Try as I might I could not see it until Izzy almost poked the Meadow Brown in its eye-spot to show me (only 2 metres separated it from the Skipper). The Skipper then sat up, the sun peeped through the clouds as it was off. I suspect that the butterfly was too cold and was lying on its side as hairstreaks do to absorb any residual heat from the gravel or perhaps the cloudy sky. The Meadow Brown caught out in the open by the cold simply relied on its cryptic colouration until warm enough to take to the wing.
The weather warmed up and the butterflies came out in good numbers
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
Phil