Tuesday 19 April 2016

First Spring Butterfly Shots!

Today was the first day I've been out where it really felt warm enough in the sun to be classed as springlike - i.e you could stand in a T-Shirt without immediately getting hypothermia. Nature responded to it as well, brimstones were in flight everywhere I went, beautiful sherbert lemon flutterers flying strong and fast over the gardens.

Peacocks and small tortoiseshells mated in spirals, and outside of a Hawton village where the roadside lungwort and red valerian has just erupted, a pair of male chaffinch fought a fierce aerial battle.

No yellow wagtail were seen at Cotham Flash paddocks, however, and it looks as though some of that pleasant little birding site is going to be built upon.

The main objective of the day was Farndon village, where I wanted to see if Willow Holt was sporting its carpet of wild garlic yet. No joy, but the churchyard was a sea of forget-me-not, and as it was feeding off one of these flowers, I snapped my first butterfly of the year.

Of all the things, it was a female orange tip, a species I've never managed a decent shot of ever before. God bless my new camera.






This is about the earliest species to emerge fresh from a pupa in the spring, and so it is easy to compare a "fresh out of the packet" specimen like this one, with this peacock that has spent the whole winter as an adult imago and is thus looking rather worn.



Hopefully we have another lovely day in prospect tomorrow, but even if I don't, I have lots more photographs for you. The world remembered what colour was today.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 19.04.16


9 comments:

  1. All it takes is a bit of warm sunshine and the colourful flutters appear.

    Nice shots Simon. I'm still waiting to see my first Orange Tips.

    ReplyDelete
  2. very nice Orange tip photos,none seen here yet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not seen a butterfly up here yet Si. Lovely photos, although the peacock looks a bit worse for wear doesn't it? Lovely day here today although there was a very heavy frost.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful photos, lovely to see the Butterflies back, got to see my first ones yesterday.
    Amanda xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gorgeous photos - OH saw an Orange Tip on Sunday flying across the road when driving. Holly Blue in the garden yesterday. Its certainly gone warmer!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely post, Si. Great job on that gorgeous Orange-tip. They really are tricky butterflies to photograph at the best of times.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you all, again they aren't the sharpest pics, but I was a long way off. Orange tips are very spooky, and don't settle much. In fact this female was as still as I've ever seen one. More were about today, but only females!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderful photo's, so nice to see the butterflies.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete