Favourite Shots of the Year No1 ~ Butterflies

I ended up deleting a lot of posts because I left Flickr and closed my account. So after neglecting my blog for a while……
I am also sorting through my own favourite photo’s of the year to put in my journal. So here are some of my personal favourites starting with butterflies:
Brown Argus taken in Shropshire

Common Blue taken in Shropshire

White Admiral taken in Shropshire

Clouded Yellow taken in Greece

Small Tortoiseshell taken in my garden. It was lovely to see these in good numbers this year

I am not sure how many categories I will end up with……………;)

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A Day Without Rain

Well it is raining now…but, at least we had a lovely day earlier for a change. The day started when I looked out and saw a bird on the telephone wire that I didn’t recognise. In fact I still don’t know what it was, it looked a lot like a spotted flycatcher but had red tail feathers! However, this was my cue to grab my camera and get out whilst I could 🙂
The first butterfly I saw was one that I thought I saw a week or so ago but, it was in flight. Otherwise this was a first for me and not a familiar sight in Shropshire:

Marbled White

Meanwhile, I was treated to an amazing display by the local Kestral who normally disapears quite quickly when folks are about. But, I walked slowly and it was quiet up there today.

Despite the recent weather, the field is full of Brown butterflies right now and here is Small Skipper, Meadow Brown, and Ringlet respectively:

And, to add just a little more colour, there were a few burnet moths flying:

Finally, as I arrived this thrush was out catching worms so I stood a while

What a great day!

Moving into May

Although, it doesn’t really feel too much warmer. However, there are plenty of new arrivals. Last week I saw the first swallows and this week the first swifts. The recent weather has meant that for much of this week, we have had flood alerts here in Shropshire. The River Severn is very high right now so after a winter where it was below normal levels, in the image it is well above. Normally you can walk under this bit of the bridge.

The butterflies that I would expect to see by now are still absent and the Orange Tips are the only one that I have seen in any number. This one very kindly posed for me in the garden.

But, an old friend did materialise on a trip out over the weekend. This is the first damsel that I have spotted for the year, newly emerged, a week later than the first spotted last year.

On the same trip, we also saw two Mistle Thrushes hunting for worms.

The bluebells are now in full flower:

Whereas, these Ramsons flowered only this week:

Have a great week!

More Macro

It is that time of year and I cannot resist trying to capture some of the insects for a closer look ~ whilst I can.

A Brimstone butterfly…

and closer…..

A humble fly….

I expect more will follow ~ I have the bug!!!

Wood White Butterfly

We took a visit to the Wyre Forest over the last weekend and took in a butterfly that has become increasingly rare in the UK:

Butterfly Collage

Butterflies
Frail Travellers, deftly flickering over the flowers;
O living flowers against the heedless blue
Of summer days, what sends them dancing through
This fiery-blossom’d revel of the hours?

Theirs are the musing silences between
The enraptured crying of shrill birds that make
Heaven in the wood while summer dawns awake;
And theirs the faintest winds that hush the green.

And they are as my soul that wings its way
Out of the starlit dimness into morn:
And they are as my tremulous being—born
To know but this, the phantom glare of day.

Siegfried Sassoon

Spring Butterflies