My butterfly summer

..has really come to an end.  Today was the last of Butterfly Conservation's local walks and I didn't even go - my back and my joints were too sore for scrambling up and down the precipitous sides of Old Winchester Hill, so instead I took a bus up the hill to the local butterfly reserve and just walked across the top.  It was beautiful and very hot.  Separately, I met two wonderfully chatty butterfly aficionados - one a lovely old man so stooped he could hardly walk, but who told me his total of species seen this summer was an impressive 33.  The other was equally knowledgeable and racing around with a notebook and pencil.  I thought I'd never get away from his rather saliva-infected chatter.

Anyway, this shot.  I can't promise these are the last butterflies you'll see from me this year, though species are now limited.  I saw no silver-studded skippers or clouded yellows (the catch of the moment) though I did come across small heaths, brimstones, holly blues, whites, quantities of meadow browns and these lovely chalkhill blues.  The brown is the female.  They're both feeding on marjoram, a lot of which is now going to seed.

I thought they looked good together like this, but I notice I have now made three collages in the last eight days.  Very unlike me.  Still, I hope you enjoy the pair of them.

Wishing you a good week ahead  xx