Mating Butterflies

The butterflies in the garden were very 'busy' today despite strong winds and very overcast conditions. I hope this means our local population will eventually increase!

We also had a fleeting visit from a White Plume moth. Perhaps it mistook the overcast conditions for evening. Sadly it came and went too quickly for my camera, but what a stunning sight! It could have been Tinkerbell from Peter Pan...

Nasturtiums at Last!

I plant very few seeds. This year I planted Nasturtiums and Californian Poppies. The latter have done surprisingly well, but I have hardly seen a Nasturtium in flower until now. 

I suspect this is the reason! My plants are being devoured at a rapid rate by hungry caterpillars.

It would be interesting to know whether the leaf veins are intended to draw the larvae towards the centre of the plant.

The good news is that while I doubt there will be (m)any Nasturtium flowers left, at least there should be a very healthy brood of Large White Butterflies! 

Butterflies and Moths: (Not So) Early Butterflies

A rather shabby Peacock, spotted at ...

Minsmere last weekend, taken as the light was fading.

A white butterfly (is it perhaps a male Large White?) also at Minsmere.

The pair of Common Blues in the garden were too quick for me, so here's one I saw last year ...

... and these Small Tortoiseshells were photographed some time ago.
The one I saw last weekend was very bedraggled and had probably emerged from hibernation.

There were plenty of Orange Tips at Minsmere in the sunshine last weekend.
(The one in the photo was in our garden last year)

... and finally, for now, I have seen a couple of (yellow) Brimstones flying about ...

I wonder which species will flutter past me next!

2013 List

1] Peacock
2] Small Tortoiseshell
3] ?Large White
4] Common Blue
5] Brimstone
6] Orange Tip