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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Butterflies Page 11
Image Taken on 20 Aug 2010
at 12:35 Image of day on 27 Sep 2010
The main image is a lucky (if spending an hour trying is 'luck')
single frame of a male Common blue butterfly spotting a female
and coming over to try his luck! The bottom 2 show her turning
round, and then him trying to couple with her.
They flew off in a blur without coupling (but may have elsewhere).
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20100927_db1_20100820_1235_269+272+280 common blue butterfly male flies to female on blackberry flower & attempts to mate 01+04+12 of 17 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 31 May 2011
at 12:28 Image of day on 01 Jul 2011
A couple of portraits of an immaculate male Common Blue butterfly as it
flew around our 'meadow'.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20110701_df1_20110531_1228_075 common blue butterfly male on buttercup (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 16 May 2011
at 16:23 Image of day on 11 Jun 2011
Following an unusually good showing of Holly Blue butterflies in April,
we now have the Common Blue butterfly - here the male which actually does
have a blue top to the wings (unlike the females brown).
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20110611_df1_20110516_1623_015 common blue butterfly male on buttercup (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 31 May 2011
at 12:32 Image of day on 01 Jul 2011
By now the Common Blue butterfly had moved on to a patch of clover.
.jpg)
Ref: 20110701_df1_20110531_1232_127 common blue butterfly male on clover flower(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Aug 2015
at 16:00 Image of day on 16 Oct 2015
A Common Blue butterfly giving us a look at the top and bottom surfaces
of all 4 wings.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20151016_df3_20150816_1600_227 common blue butterfly male on teasel (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Aug 2015
at 16:01 Image of day on 16 Oct 2015
The markings on the bottom of the wings of the Common Blue
butterfly are very intricate, and vary somewhat between the sexes.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20151016_df3_20150816_1601_234 common blue butterfly male on teasel (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Aug 2010
at 16:47 Image of day on 17 Sep 2010
Common Blue butterflies are, for the moment, almost 'common' - a
nice change from previous years. Here one is on a thistle flower
with a chance water drop on the grass stem magnifying stem
detail.
.jpg)
Ref: 20100917_df1_20100814_1647_004 common blue butterfly male on thistle flower with grass stem magnified by water drop(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Aug 2013
at 15:15 Image of day on 16 Oct 2013
This Common Blue butterfly was perched on a grass stem amongst an
impressive 'crop' of thistles. The colour shone out among the
whites & Browns.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20131016_a77_20130825_1515_497 common blue butterfly on grass stem in front of thistle seed head (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Aug 2009
at 10:48 Image of day on 17 Sep 2009
A closer and more sedate view of the beautiful patterned wing.
.jpg)
Ref: 20090917_da1_20090806_1048_026_ft1 common blue butterfly on thistle flower(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Jul 2011
at 11:07 Image of day on 04 Sep 2011
When its warm enough with some sunshine, we get to see several species
of butterfly mating, often first spotted in awkward flight while
coupled. Here a pair of Common Blue butterflies on some thistle
seed heads.
 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20110904_db1_20110728_1107_046 common blue butterfly pair mating in thistle seed head (female at top) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Aug 2010
at 08:46 Image of day on 06 Sep 2010
The view of the grass stems through the wing is real - the wings are
semi-transparent.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20100906_df1_20100806_0846_082 common blue butterfly top view on grass stem (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Jul 2014
at 15:19 Image of day on 23 Sep 2014
This Gatekeeper butterfly pair are mating.
They are also known as the Hedge Brown, but we prefer Gatekeeper -
a name given them by a tendency to gather around gate posts.
They landed here in coupled position after several false landings
on other foliage.
.jpg)
Ref: 20140923_df2_20140715_1519_011 gatekeeper butterflies mating(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Jul 2022
at 15:59 Image of day on 26 Aug 2022
Our first sighting of a Gatekeeper butterfly this year is of this pair mating.
The double white dots in the black oval is a characteristic of the species.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20220826_d72_20220710_1559_083 gatekeeper butterflies mating (1st sighting of 2022)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 11 Jul 2025
at 11:03 Image of day on 05 Sep 2025
A mating pair of Gatekeeper Butterflies completely ignored us while getting on
with the vital activity.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20250905_d72_20250711_1103_054 2 gatekeeper butterflies mating 4 of 5 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Jul 2011
at 13:40 Image of day on 05 Sep 2011
Here are a pair of Gatekeeper butterflies mating on un-dispersed
thistle down - looks lovely and comfy!
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20110905_df1_20110727_1340_097 gatekeeper butterflies mating on thistle down (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Jul 2011
at 13:40 Image of day on 05 Sep 2011
This pair didn't have it all their own way - another individual
(probably a male) fluttered around them but they ignored him.
.jpg)
Ref: 20110905_df1_20110727_1340_106 gatekeeper butterflies mating on thistle down with another fluttering round the pair(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image of day on 01 Aug 2005
Image from this date last year - a couple of 'Gatekeeper'
(AKA Hedge Brown) Butterflies feeding from Blackberry Nectar.
.jpg)
Ref: 20050801_c740_048010043 gatekeeper butterflies on blackberry flowers 2004aug01_12-23-54(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Aug 2024
at 12:48 Image of day on 05 Oct 2024
The two white dots inside the black spot say 'Gatekeeper Butterfly'.
.jpg)
Ref: 20241005_d72_20240816_1248_036 gatekeeper butterfly(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Jul 2024
at 15:25 Image of day on 31 Aug 2024
The Meadow area is quietly aflutter with a few species of butterfly.
Here is a Gatekeeper Butterfly.
.jpg)
Ref: 20240831_r70_20240721_1525_039 gatekeeper butterfly(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Jul 2021
at 09:47 Image of day on 28 Aug 2021
Out first sighting this year of a 'Gatekeeper' Butterfly.
The 2 white specks in the black circle are a quick ID assist.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20210828_df3_20210717_0947_003 gatekeeper butterfly (1st of 2021)(r+mb id@576).jpg
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