Small Copper Butterfly

I just missed the chance of trying to identify a blue damselfly in the garden on Saturday. David saw it on the Ceanothus and called me. Sadly it flew over the fence as I drew near. But it was an unusual first-damselfly-sighting of the year for me as my first garden ones have almost always been red.

I went back inside, and seconds later noticed a vibrant orange speck against the rusty colour of a dead dock plant. By the time I had my camera to hand, the 'speck' had moved. I caught up with it and was thrilled to find it was a Small Copper, and my earliest homepatch sighting of one of these little amber gems to date. I shall add it to my Butterfly Conservation Garden Survey list.

And please don't forget, it would be terrific if some of you would have a go at my (butterfly) Picture Challenge for a 5-line poem here on my lockdown blog, The Glow of Emerald Light. Challenge 1 closes later this coming week...