Duke of Burgundy Butterfly

At last after the third day of searching this year, I have been able to photograph the Duke of Burgundy Butterfly again.

The weather had warmed and the cool wind was absent from the foothills of the Cerne Abbas Giant.

Duke of Burgundy (Male)

I was searching in the usual areas where I would expect to find the species and arrived at a point where there was a Gentleman who had just observed his very first Duke of Burgundy that he had ever seen.

He reported that one butterfly would turn up every time the sun shone through the cloudy conditions. 

I waited and sure enough a male subsequently arrived and pitch on the low vegetation.

Later a mating pair was then found and photographed.

 

A Mating Pair

Butterfly Enthusiasts are a good bunch of people normally and will help each other by drawing attention to a subject of advising where they have observed a species. I try to always adhere to this and rarely have experienced anything to the contrary.

Still in mating pose below, but a good view of the female.