Columbine

The spaniel and I had a whole day trek on the South Downs. My target was the Duke of Burgundy so we headed for its stronghold in West Sussex. Although I saw three individuals I failed to photograph any, they were much to flighty today. Plenty of other butterflies were also seen: Orange Tip, Large White, Brimstone, Green Hairstreak, Green-veined White, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Common Blue and Small Heath. Twelve species for the day isn't bad for mid-May. In the meadows high above Graffham there are big swathes of wild columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), mostly violet-blue in colour but with the occasional white one.  A common enough garden flower but perhaps seen less frequently in the wild.