A Glorious Butterfly Run!

Many pretties were up today, and although the great profusion of skippers has already been noted, there were lots of other butterflies to be seen. Mainly the grassland species of meadow brown, ringlet and gatekeeper at the moment, with lots of white flitting past - the second flight small tortoiseshells don't seem to have done to well and peacocks are entirely absent.

Buddleias like the one in my garden, while teeming with life, have not got the red admiral visitors I would expect yet. Birds have gone on their post nesting season summer holiday; there are plenty out in the sticks but gardens are quiet. Already migration must be on many feathery minds.

The menacing presence of big southern hawkers is a welcome one however. These huge yellow-green dragonflies seemingly a great curiosity about human beings, so much so that if you are lucky one will literally fly up to your face and look you in the eye before sharply zagging off elsewhere.

They are supreme killers in the air, idly snapping up smaller insects on the wing before crushing them to shreds in their powerful mandibles. Nothing can escape them.

I think enough of them could easily gang up and carry off a human to devour, piece by piece!

Si

All images and text copyright CreamCrackeredNature 17.07.15

Bee hoverfly  - Bombylans type??? - with your real actual bee

The oily sweet buddleia smell brings in customers

6 spot burnet on the cycling path

Like a vulcan bomber

Tracks near Hawton

Cornfield

Small white hiding

Reflections on the Devon

Small skipper on knapweed

Good illustration in size difference between meadow brown and a skipper

Gatekeepers on ragwort