I mentioned in my last post about the area where I found the Painted Lady Butterfly and at the same time I had found quite a collection of species for the time of year.
The image above is the area in question, which is heathland and forms part of the overall Woodland Nature Reserve
The species below are the best of the rest, although that is a bit disingenuous especially when it relates to the first species shown below.
The Red Admiral.
The Large White
The Small Tortoiseshell
The Brimstone
The Comma
The Small White
The Peacock
The Green-veined White
A treasure chest of butterflies!
ReplyDeleteFantastic photos... nature is wonderful :o)
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie, it certainly is.
DeleteGreat Roy, you photographed so many butterflies this year, maybe you can make your own catalogue with photo's or a calendar (just an idea). I think Britain had a great butterflie year and you were a very lucky guy!
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Marianne
Thanks Marianne, yes thats an idea.
DeleteI did do a calendar of countryside/nature scenes for my Sister a couple of years ago.
Great photos Roy, great to see so many about....
ReplyDeleteAmanda xx
Thanks Amanda.
DeleteRoy .. I'd call that 'flutter' fantastic. A super selection for this time of year.
ReplyDeleteThanks Frank.{:))
DeleteWow, these are excellent photos Roy! They're all beautiful butterflies, but I particularly like the Comma, the small Tortoiseshell and the Peacock.
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan. Yes they do have some lovely patterns.
DeleteGorgeous photos! I usually poo-poo the Whites because there are so many of them in my garden (after my brassicas!) but I should really be grateful that I have ANY butterflies at all, as it's a really bad late summer for butterflies in general :-( So I've decided I'd better start shooting them before they all disappear!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mandy, we have had a mixed year really with some good numbers of some species, but not so good with others. With the warm autumn things have looked up in respect of the variety you would expect to find now.
DeleteYes, you need to hang on to your 'brassicas'.{:))
Great captures, Roy, and interesting variety. I found out this year that there haven't been many butterflies in our garden and I try to figure out how to invite them... Buddleia would attract them for sure but I'm afraid it would freeze again if winter was tough.
ReplyDeleteThanks Petra. Yes its difficult to attract a wide variety as well as they all have different food plants. Its probably best to plant a variety of Annuals and this should get some.
DeleteBeautiful photos Roy, the ones of the large white are gorgeous - I used to see them in my parents garden in our old home a lot and yes of course you're right there is a UV filter, I'm careful when the sun's out and about :D Thank you for the lovely comment on my last post! - Tasha xxx
ReplyDeleteHey Roy... I am working on a butterfly garden with a mix of annuals and perennial, but I will never be able to outdo your
ReplyDeleteluck when it comes to finding them !
Wonderful post with great shot's of all these beauties!!
Grace
Red Admirals and Commas are noticeably absent from my portfolio this year. I'm glad to see yours today.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve.
DeleteYou hit the butterfly jackpot! What a great variety.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary, certainly did.
DeleteGreat set of pictures. I enjoyed catching up with some of these species when I was back in the UK in the summer - although none of my pictures are as good as these.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Thanks Stewart. Hope you had a good visit.
DeleteWOW Roy, you have some very beautiful picture here!
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't visit you sooner, but we had our aussie son here for a few days!
Many butterflies species were very low in numbers where I live, it worries me a lot for next year....
Thanks Noushka.
DeleteYes there were some reduced numbers in some species here this year from what I observed.
I do love your butterfly days Roy. Gorgeous specimens and great photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise.
DeleteYour butterflies are lovely. The only unfarmed fields are controlled by our power plats and they recently sprayed herbicide to kill the saplings. Everything is dead so I haven't found any fields to capture butterflies this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura.
DeleteFortunately the location I shot these, is a nature conservation area so no agriculture.
Oh Laura, that is so sad! We are currently experiencing a decline in the monarch butterfly here in Maine for similar reasons! this is just heart-breaking!
Delete
DeleteRoy, after reading your blogpost and then Laura's comment I wrote this poem for you both:
A Fragile Thing with Wings
So, where will we be when all the butterflies have gone?
When we have harvested, and sprayed and obliterated
Every meadow and unplowed field?
What if there is no fluttering in summer, no metamorphoses happening?
What if there is no renewal and transformation? Will all hope then die?
Will we, as a human race, forget serendipity and joy and the ephemeral pleasure
Of a fragile thing with wings?
~Kathie Adams Brown (September 19, 2014)
Poignant and beautifully composed Kathie.
DeleteThanks! I just posted it on my Poet Tree blog this week as well with a link to your blog post.
DeleteA great set of flutters Roy.
ReplyDeleteThe Red Admiral seems to be a strange one for digital cameras to record true colours as we see them. I have had the same results as your photos - the butterfly shows red stripes but the camera sometimes records orange. Maybe something to do with the way the scales absorb different wavelengths at different angles and the way the camera IR filter sees things.
Thanks John.
DeleteYes its a difficult one, the change in light conditions from one minute to the next sometimes does not help.
Roy, do these butterflies give you as much joy when you photograph them as we get get from looking at the photos? You know I am a bird and horse person, but these photos are exquisite! I love your current header photo as well. Very artfully done with the letters in red as a fine compliment to the colors of the butterfly!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathie, yes its great to be able to record these beauties when I can.
DeleteUn journée papillon, j'adore ce titre !
ReplyDeleteTu as vu tout ça en une seule journée ? génial !
Bravo Roy
Bises
Merci Nathalie.
DeleteHi Roy All fantastic shots of these beautiful butterflies. I have now safely arrived back from 6 weeks away so have LOTS of editing to do!! Thanks for looking in on my posts while I was away and commenting. I appreciate that very much.
ReplyDeleteHello Roy,
ReplyDeleteFirst I must apologize for being so irregular with blogging.
Thanks for your patience :)
Most of your photos are stunning, like the Tortoiseshell that seems to float!
The number of species you recently saw is amazing, considering the bad weather I think you got.
The Red admiral is fabulous, that's one of our most beautiful european butterflies!
Congratulation on this series!
Keep well, cheers!
Thanks Noushka.{:))
Delete