2019 will be marked as the year in which I (knowingly) saw my first Marbled Whites. I am not aware of having seen these striking butterflies before, but this last summer we saw a few at Stowe Landscape Gardens and then the one above on the edge of the golf course that leads to St Enodoc church in Cornwall.
In my previous post, I added a photo of a moth with vibrant orange underwings; and here, by contrast, is a stylish specimen that lacks the array of pigments we often associate with butterflies. It just goes to show that moths can be bright and colourful and butterflies can be... well, frankly, black and white!
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I feel sure the tapestry hassock above from the church at St Enodoc displays a Purple Emperor, classed by many as 'His (or Her) Imperial Majesty' among our British butterflies. I have only ever seen a female... to date.
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| Sir John Betjeman's Cornish Slate grave at St Enodoc |
If you want to see literally hundreds of them come to Red Hill nature reserve on the Lincolnshire wolds anytime in July. They are chalkland Butterflies and many parts of the wolds are underpinned with red and white chalk. Best wishes Mark. www.poemblog18.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThe butterflies are gorgeous - have seen them on Isle of Wight and Dorset and, although they occur in Warwickshire, have only ever seen one. I love the Purple Emperor kneeler :) I didn't go looking for them this year as the peak period coincided with our Anglesey holiday and then my daughter and husband were away and I couldn't persuade my son to go.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a marbled white, such handsome butterflies
ReplyDeleteAll wonderful!
ReplyDeleteLove the photograph of the marbled white :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan