I was taking my usual lunchtime walk over our campus, on another very mild day, when my attention was taken by a small, bright shape on the ground.
I've been keeping an eye out for fungi on my walks recently, as well, there isn't really a whole lot else to see at this time of year, but this was no toadstool. As I walked over I could see that it was a beautiful male common blue butterfly perched on a blade of grass.
I thought the poor little chap was dead, but no, it was still just about alive although I don't fancy it had too much time left on this earth. It was in perfect condition, so wonder if it was perhaps a very late second flight imago that had grown up during the very mild autumn.
As everyone knows, it has been a dismal year for butterflies. Last year there were brown argus all over campus, and I've not seen any this year. Holly blue and common blues have been barely present and only the high summer species like meadow brown and ringlet seem to have been around in reasonable numbers.
To see this tired little butterfly, then, was both gratifying, and sad at the same time.
Si
All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 29.10.24
Lovely photos, it seems very late to see a Common Blue! We've also had a very poor year for butterflies, apart from for Holly Blues which I've seen in the most unexpected places (before last year we never saw Holly Blues in Edinburgh).
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