Tag Archives: butterfly

Orange Tip, and friend

Wednesday 24th May 2023, 1.10pm (day 4,290)

Orange tip and friend, 24/3/23

A walk to the Lakes today, and there were some nice landscape shots I could have chosen, partly because I was thinking I had done the ‘nature close-up’ theme yesterday, and partly because the Lake District is usually quite nice to look at. But those who want to see more of what it looked like around Loweswater yesterday can check out my walking blog (well, one of them anyway). In the end I chose this because the light came out just right and it was not until I looked at it a third time, at least, that I noticed the companion insect hovering just above the Orange Tip. Are butterflies insectivorous? Perhaps it should be worried.

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On the buddleia

Tuesday 13th September 2022, 3.40pm (day 4,037)

Butterfly and buddleia, 13/9/22

I’m not convinced about all the technicalities of this shot but it was done with an extremely long zoom (x80 at least) and in that respect it’s pleasing enough. We don’t really pick up any of the details on the wings of the Cabbage White but let’s not get too ambitious, eh — at least, not with my kit.

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Roadside butterfly

Monday 20th September 2021, 11.50am (day 3,679)

Butterfly on buddleia, 20/9/21

This beauty — I have given up trying to identify specific species, I always get it wrong (I thought it was a Red Admiral, but apparently not) — was perched not two feet from the traffic on the Keighley Road this morning. Obviously it wanted its close-ups doing.

Also, a curiosity — this is, almost certainly, the first picture of all the thousands on this blog that I have rotated through 180ยบ. Technically you are looking at this upside down.

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Keeping warm indoors

Monday 23rd November 2020, 1.10pm (day 3,378)

Indoor butterfly, 23/11/20

I didn’t leave the house all day today. There didn’t really seem a great deal of point. This tortoiseshell butterfly has also moved in, it seems. I guess a domestic house is like an old people’s home for butterflies; the winter isn’t biting yet but I doubt these will last long outside, regardless. It’s welcome to inhabit our living room. It gave me something to photograph today, at least.

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Monarch of the fern

Friday 10th July 2020, 5.25pm (day 3,242)

Peacock butterfly, 10/7/20

When the sun shines, we all deserve to perch on a fern somewhere and stretch out at 5.25pm on a Friday evening. Lockdown or no, it’s been a busy week. And butterflies have a lot still to do.

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Eyes of the peacock

Thursday 23rd April 2020, 3.40pm (day 3,164)

Peacock butterfly, 23/4/20

Peacock butterfly, that is. This specimen positively batted its eyes at me, clearly it wanted its close-ups doing; but then again, with a pair of eyes like that, who wouldn’t. It seems to be a good spring for butterflies, there are plenty of them about. Maybe it’s because we humans aren’t disturbing them so much this year, but more likely is just that it’s been warm and sunny.

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In flight

Wednesday 27th November 2019, 12.10pm (day 3,016)

Butterfly in flight, 27/11/19

Yes, I know, that makes two insects in a row. But despite visiting the temple of Borobudur today (impressive…) and an Indonesian football match (esoteric…) — I can’t avoid using this one. How often does one capture a butterfly not only in flight, but in focus. I’m rather proud of this picture.

Incidentally this is taken at least 5,000 feet (1,600m or so) above sea level, at the Ketep Pass, east of Borobudur.

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Buddleia butterfly

Friday 23rd August 2019, 2.55pm (day 2,920)

Buddleia butterly, 23/8/19

The last few days have seemed a bit drab colour-wise. But the blue skies returned today. This peacock butterfly (not a red admiral, as I originally identified it — apparently) was enjoying the local buddleia bounty.

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Butterfly on a paperbark tree

Monday 18th March 2013, 1.50pm (day 571)

Butterfly on paperbark tree, 18/3/13_low-res

I’m trying to resist the temptation to overdo the ‘Flora/Fauna’ theme but don’t seem able to kick the habit. This was taken in the Boondall wetlands, where I wandered, around lunchtime. I needed some headspace so took my laptop and finished off the paper I needed to write while mainly sitting in a birdwatchers’ hide at the mouth of the Nundah creek. Memo to self though – if visiting wetlands, take insect repellent.

Some great insects however, including more butterflies than I think I have ever seen anywhere. Have no idea what this species is specifically, but there were lots of them, and this one is definitely resting on a paperbark tree – called as such for obvious reasons.

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