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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Butterflies Page 1
Image Taken on 05 Aug 2006
at 12:42 Image of day on 16 Aug 2006
Here you can see both upper and lower wings. See also 7 Aug 2006 entry.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20060816_d10_20060805_1242_065 adonis blue butterfly (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Jul 2006
at 11:03 Image of day on 07 Aug 2006
The Adonis Blue Butterfly is in the news today (7 Aug) as having
returned to an old site in the Cotswolds after a 50 year break.
We have seen this butterfly here occasionally for a number of
years but this year we see are currently seeing it every day.
This is the beautiful underwing - the top wing (which shows when
the wings are spread) is predominantly sky-blue.
 (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20060807_d10_20060728_1103_007 adonis blue butterfly (underwing) (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Apr 2020
at 15:26 Image of day on 08 May 2020
This decades old Apple tree is notable because EVERYTHING is red - flowers, the
wood and sap, the skin of the apple as well as the flesh. It makes a good
cooking apple even if whatever you make comes out pink!
Only when we worked on this photo did we spot the Comma Butterfly at the
top, and a fly just to the Butterfly's left. That crenelated wing edge is
marvellous camouflage.
.jpg)
Ref: 20200508_d73_20200419_1526_019 blossom of red apple tree with comma butterfly and fly(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 05 Apr 2018
at 13:18 Image of day on 17 May 2018
We first saw a Brimstone Butterfly on 26 March, but this is our first pic of one
(a male) feasting on one of many Primroses adorning the front garden.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20180517_df3_20180405_1318_097 brimstone butterfly (1st image of 2018)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image of day on 31 Jul 2005
The same Brimstone butterfly flew to a young Beech tree and
'vanished'. A search revealed him under a leaf and this montage
shows how the marks of the butterfly match typical beech insect
damage marks.
.jpg)
Ref: 20050731_p20_1020760&1020765 brimstone butterfly camouflaged under beech leaf montage 2005jul23_15-25-12(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Jul 2020
at 12:04 Image of day on 26 Aug 2020
3 Days later around the same time of day another visit from a Brimstone Butterfly.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20200826_d73_20200719_1204_051 brimstone butterfly feeding on crocosmia flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Jul 2024
at 12:56 Image of day on 09 Sep 2024
A few days later, with a more suitable camera, we have a better look at the
eyes, antennae and the probing proboscis.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20240909_r70_20240730_1256_006 brimstone butterfly feeding on teasel flowers (crop 3)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Jul 2023
at 15:46 Image of day on 17 Sep 2023
This years brood of Brimstone Butterflies has emerged, this female is feeding on a thistle flower.
With luck she will spend the summer building up her strength, hibernate for the winter
and emerge next Spring to mate and lay her eggs. They do not have a second brood.
.jpg)
Ref: 20230917_df3_20230725_1546_079 brimstone butterfly female feeding of thistle flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Apr 2021
at 12:39 Image of day on 22 May 2021
'Bluebells' are starting to flower in the less shaded spots, and this female
Brimstone Butterfly is enjoying a nectar from this one.
This is not a genuine 'English' Bluebell - decades ago when we
bought the bulbs it was not well known that many commercial
'Bluebells' are actually more robust foreign species. The insects
don't care, so we are not purists enough to disturb what we have.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20210522_df3_20210423_1239_003 brimstone butterfly female feeding on bluebell (orig)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Feb 2019
at 12:48 Image of day on 21 Mar 2019
The female Brimstone butterfly was also enjoying the Viburnum flowers.
In flight she did not show the vivid yellow on the top of the wings that the male sports.
When we reported this sighting to 'Natures
Calendar' for 21 Feb it was said to be 'earlier than expected'.
We looked through our 20 years of photos and indeed have only a single record for
mid-March and otherwise all April or May. Ask for more details if you would find
them useful.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20190321_df3_20190221_1248_011 brimstone butterfly female feeding on viburnum flower (1st of 2019)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 May 2009
at 14:23 Image of day on 27 Jun 2009
The female hung about the garden for hours giving us the chance
to get this unusual sequence of her feeding from a late bluebell,
and then backing off from it. Note her rolling up her proboscis as she goes.
Sequence starts top left and goes clockwise.
 05+07+08+09+11 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20090627_cf1_20090528_1423_062+64+65+66+69 brimstone butterfly female flying off from bluebell (20fps) 05+07+08+09+11 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Jun 2021
at 13:20 Image of day on 01 Jul 2021
3 separate flights here of the female Brimstone butterfly,
since montaged to make some sort of fun layout, before we took her back
to her bramble patch.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20210701_da1_20210601_1320_186+1315_162+1317_171_ft1 brimstone butterfly female in 3 flights (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 23 May 2009
at 15:27 Image of day on 15 Jun 2009
The Female Brimstone butterfly does not sport the vivid yellows of
the male (click to view top)
the male (click to view top) and (click to view bottom)
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090615_d01_20090523_1527_075+1315_137 ft1 brimstone butterfly female in flight bottom view with red campion (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Apr 2019
at 10:46 Image of day on 15 May 2019
This female Brimstone Butterfly doesn't have the bright yellow top of wings
of the male, but still has the orange spot at the wing centre.
These two moments of flight are about a third of a second part.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20190515_df5_20190418_1046_004+006 brimstone butterfly female in flight on ivy 1+2 of 2 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Mar 2024
at 10:53 Image of day on 27 Apr 2024
Our initial sighting of Brimstone Butterflies was weeks ago, and we have not
noticed any since. This lighter individual is a female, here feeding on Laurel flowers
and probably a different female on straggly grass (the insert)
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20240427_df3_20240326_1053_047+1046_038 brimstone butterfly female on laurel flower (montaged insert at 1046 on grass)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Jul 2023
at 14:30 Image of day on 08 Sep 2023
Both male and female Brimstone Butterflies are on the wing.
This female is on a newly flowering Teasel head.
The first Teasel flowers appear as a ring near the 'equator'. Then the ring splits
into 2 rings that 'move' upwards and downwards to reach the 'poles'.
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Ref: 20230908_df3_20230719_1430_175 brimstone butterfly female on newly flowering teasel(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Jun 2021
at 13:20 Image of day on 01 Jul 2021
This female Brimstone Butterfly perched nicely for a photo before being
rudely netted to strut her stuff for a few minutes at the insect flight kit.
.jpg)
Ref: 20210701_d73_20210601_1320_130 brimstone butterfly female perched on blackberry leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Aug 2009
at 13:48 Image of day on 12 Sep 2009
The new emergence of Brimstone butterflies has started so we have
some pristine examples to photograph. Here we were lucky enough
to catch a moment with the top and bottom of the wings both
visible.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090912_da1_20090806_1348_272+1156_150_ft1 brimstone butterfly in flight showing top and bottom of wings with thistle (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Aug 2021
at 10:11 Image of day on 14 Sep 2021
The fresh emergence of Brimstone Butterflies is upon us. This one has chosen a
thistle flower for a tank-up.
 feeding on thistle flower (crop 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20210914_df3_20210804_1011_039 brimstone butterfly male (1st of 2nd emergence) feeding on thistle flower (crop 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Aug 2014
at 12:36 Image of day on 13 Nov 2014
A pristine male Brimstone butterfly at this time of year means the first of the
autumn emergence. It will spend the winter in some protected spot
(shed, loft, woodpile) and emerge next year to find a girl to mate with
to make another generation of yellow shimmering.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20141113_df2_20140828_1236_004 brimstone butterfly male (1st of new emergence)(r+mb id@576).jpg
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