Over the Moon .....

Bigger butterfly!

Having fed Tom this morning (after another much needed lie-in) I headed over to THAT bramble bush in the paddock to see what was about, as it was sunny (though slightly windy) and I was hoping for some butterflies - of course I'd taken my camera out with me . The bramble bush is addictive, and I suspect we're going to become well acquainted over the coming weeks! lol. It must cover an area about 8ft high with a spread of about 12ft . As with my previous two visits to it, there were masses of insects swarming about - at times whilst leaning close in I had hoverflies and even a bee land on my arm to check me out! Needless to say they left quickly when they realised I had no pollen to offer. And, yes, this morning there were a few more Ringlets around, plus a pair of Gatekeepers - much to my delight.
I managed to grab a side-on shot of the female Gatekeeper and thought that may be my blip. But suddenly a little later this Red Admiral appeared and settled on a bramble blossom right in front of me - and happily posed for me for a minute or so, folding and unfolding its wings as if to say 'Look, see how beautiful I am' - needless to say I was a very happy Red Squirrel. Not only is it the first Red Admiral I've seen this summer (if you can call it a summer so far ....) but I've managed to blip it - and it's the first butterfly I HAVE blipped! I'm over the moon about that .......

Perhaps this afternoon ...... NO, I mustn't! lol

I 'd also grabbed these shots:

A bee (ID uncertain)


Hoverfly Episyrphus balteus on thistle.

Fly Syrphus ribesii on the bramble.

Pollen coated Bumble bee getting stuck in on thistle.

Bee (ID uncertain) on bramble. This would have been my choice had there been no butterflies to blip.

Bee Anthrophora plumipes on thistle.

When I sit down with my books to ID the plants and insects etc that I love to photograph, I sometimes think how my dad would've loved doing this - if it hadn't been for evacuation during the war, and the resulting chaos to his education, he dearly wanted to be a botanist ... he was so knowledgeable, his input would have been such a big help to me :((