Painted Lady

Just wandering around near home today, I caught up with this painted lady butterfly in the nature reserve.  It was sitting very still and looking quite pale, which I believe means it's a very young one.  If it had been sitting on a thistle I might have thought it was just out of its chrysalis, but it wasn't.  And something has nibbled the base of its right back wing.  Whatever, it's such a pretty creature.

I read something about these butterflies the other day, that I thought I'd share with you: that theirs is the greatest butterfly migration on earth - a round trip that, in its best years, can stretch 15,000 kilometres from the arid expanses of Africa to the Arctic Circle, almost twice the distance of the famous Monarch butterfly migrations in North America  (Isabella Tree, 'Wilding').  That last surprised me.

I also walked down the track and saw red admirals, peacocks, a comma, gatekeepers, meadow browns, banded demoiselles and a couple of dragonflies.  And I saw the swan family today behind some reeds in a different place from where I've seen them before.  I can report the two cygnets are still around, looking longer and more adolescent, bless them.

Plus I've done some sweaty gardening - and CUT THE GRASS!

Have a fab evening  xx