Butterflies, Climate, Ecology

Butterfly Bonanza

So many and so varied; today the meadow was alive with fluttering. These are what we found in half an hour!

It’s a very good year for Painted Ladies, a migrant enjoying the hot weather and unusually the commonest Butterfly on our thistles today
We don’t usually see many blues but today, here’s a Holly Blue.

Amazing diversity of butterflies on 2nd August,2026, on a single, small patch of thistles that we have allowed to flower this year.

Meadow Brown

Also lots of small whites which never seem to photograph well.

Nearly forgot the small copper!

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Butterflies

“Beurre Volant?”

queried a French boyfriend in 1966 when I was trying to teach him some English — that is probably when I first realized what a peculiar language we do speak! These are the butterflies we have seen in Wales recently, they are called, in Welsh gloyn byw, living glove — not much more sensible!

Common Blue

It has been a warmer, sunnier spring and early summer this year and we seem to have seen more blues than usual. Here is another Common Blue

Lots of Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries:

Small Green Hairstreaks like this one:

A Wall Brown — actually sitting on a wall.

Large Skipper:

We have seen all these regulars (thank you Bill for the pictures). Clockwise from top left: Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Peacock

The Meadow Browns have only just appeared and are so frisky that they will not pose. We haven’t seen any Gate Keepers or Painted Ladies yet.

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