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Butterflies Page 24

Image Taken on 25 Jul 2013 at 12:13    Image of day on 13 Sep 2013

We have a lot of Ragwort in flower this year (and we will cut most of the heads before they seed to prevent it taking over!). Despite the plant being poisonous to some animals, the flowers obviously deliver thoroughly palatable nectar to this Peacock butterfly.


Ref: 20130913_a77_20130725_1213_038 peacock butterfly feeding on ragwort flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 29 Jul 2019 at 12:15    Image of day on 17 Sep 2019

A Teasel Flower-head attracts this Peacock Butterfly.


Ref: 20190917_df3_20190729_1215_033 peacock butterfly feeding on teasel flower(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 24 Jul 2024 at 08:28    Image of day on 28 Aug 2024

A well developed Teasel flower head (the rings now almost reached the 'poles') attracts one of the many pristine Peacock Butterflies currently decorating the patch.


Ref: 20240828_r70_20240724_0828_475 peacock butterfly feeding on teasel flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 11 Aug 2021 at 10:53    Image of day on 21 Sep 2021

A Peacock butterfly has his Elevenses on a teasel head. You can just see specks of pollen adhering to his double pipe proboscis.


Ref: 20210921_d73_20210811_1053_035 peacock butterfly feeding on teasel with pollen specks on proboscis(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Jul 2018 at 11:20    Image of day on 04 Sep 2018

Hover-fly, Peacock Butterfly, and a Soldier Beetle all caught by chance in the same frame.


Ref: 20180904_df3_20180714_1120_067 peacock butterfly feeding on thistle flower as hover-fly is about to land and solder beetle to right(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 02 Aug 2015 at 13:14    Image of day on 04 Oct 2015

We have always found Peacock butterflies really hard to photograph well - they always look brighter in real life than in a photo (film or digital). Certainly the bottom of the wing is very dark. Here is an in-flight impression, both images showing the colourful top side of the wings, and the almost black bottom


Ref: 20151004_da1_20150802_1314_390+1317_399_ft1 peacock butterfly in 2 flights (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image of day on 29 Mar 2005

Peacock butterflies hibernate, so this one is in remarkably good condition for a 6 month old insect.


Ref: 20050329_p20_1000154 peacock butterfly in blackthorn blossom 2005mar19_13-23-38(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Apr 2020 at 14:45    Image of day on 19 Apr 2020

This over-wintered Peacock Butterfly, in remarkably good condition, feeding of a cherry blossom flower.


Ref: 20200419_df3_20200407_1445_021 peacock butterfly in cherry blossom(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 09 Aug 2012 at 15:34    Image of day on 11 Sep 2012

Peacock butterflies have always (for us over 40 years) been a difficult subject for in-flight photographs because they are very dark despite the splashes of bright colour. This one was netted on Buddleia.


Ref: 20120911_da1_20120809_1534_186+1554_213_ft1 peacock butterfly in flight with buddleia (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 10 Aug 2012 at 13:23    Image of day on 11 Sep 2012

Peacock butterflies have always (for us over 40 years) been a difficult subject for in-flight photographs because they are very dark despite the splashes of bright colour. This one was netted on a teasel flower head - a fascinating plant to watch flower.


Ref: 20120911_da1_20120810_1323_041+1349_129_ft1 peacock butterfly in flight with teasel flower head (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Jul 2009 at 14:04    Image of day on 02 Sep 2009

The extremely dark underwing and dazzling top wing of this Peacock Butterfly make an incredible contrast.


Ref: 20090902_da1_20090725_1404_507+1318_278 ft1 peacock butterfly in flight with thistle flower covered in tiny black beetles (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Apr 2015 at 12:36    Image of day on 23 May 2015

A few warm days has woken the over-wintering butterflies. An almost perfect over-wintered peacock Butterfly is sunning itself on last autumns fallen leaves. This insect is about 6 months old so it must have 'hibernated' very soon after emergence, and found a really protected spot.


Ref: 20150523_df3_20150407_1236_350 peacock butterfly in good condition after overwintering warming itself on the ground(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 24 Mar 2025 at 12:52    Image of day on 02 May 2025

Attracted to the blossom for a feed, this Peacock Butterfly worked systematically around the clusters of flowers. For an over-wintered individual this one is in remarkably good physical state and colour.


Ref: 20250502_df3_20250324_1252_105+1253_110 peacock butterfly moving between blossom flowers (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image of day on 04 Aug 2005

A freshly emerged Peacock butterfly sunning itself on a blackberry leaf.


Ref: 20050804_p20_1020857 peacock butterfly on blackberry 2005jul30_10-22-22(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 05 Apr 2025 at 16:18    Image of day on 13 May 2025

An apparently unblemished over-wintered Peacock Butterfly.


Ref: 20250513_df3_20250405_1618_266 peacock butterfly on blackberry stem(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 13 Apr 2016 at 10:42    Image of day on 18 May 2016

We found this Peacock butterfly (left) feeding on some Blackthorn flowers. This is the only frame we got because movement for a 'better angle' scared it away. Turning round the mind said 'oh there it is' before realising that the newly found item was a leaf we think is remarkably like the butterfly. Although this butterfly's marking are primarily intended to startle predators, it is worth remembering that what humans may think of as poor camouflage may actually be quite effective.


Ref: 20160518_df3_20160413_1042_036+1044_037 peacock butterfly on blackthorn flower + matching red leaf on blackberry stem (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 08 Apr 2023 at 12:57    Image of day on 17 May 2023

The more usual place to find a Peacock Butterfly is feeding on Blossom. Unlike the bird-pecked individual above, this one is hardly damaged.


Ref: 20230517_df3_20230408_1257_195 peacock butterfly on blossom(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Mar 2019 at 09:08    Image of day on 01 May 2019

A Peacock Butterfly in quite good condition considering that it has spent 6 months holed up in a shed or something.


Ref: 20190501_df5_20190330_0908_028 peacock butterfly on blossom(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 01 Aug 2017 at 16:16    Image of day on 17 Sep 2017

A Peacock Butterfly on the Buddleia flowers that grow up through the tangled Blackberries each year.


Ref: 20170917_df3_20170801_1616_004 peacock butterfly on buddleia by side of garage(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 18 May 2022 at 12:37    Image of day on 30 Jun 2022

A Peacock Butterfly feeding on a Buttercup almost entirely hidden by the insect. On the adjacent Buttercup we see two female Thick-legged Flower Beetles. The females don't have the characteristic legs bulges that give the species their name.


Ref: 20220630_d72_20220518_1237_072+073 peacock butterfly on buttercup + 2 thick-legged flower beetle (oedemera nobilis) females on buttercup (accurate montage for focus)(r+mb id@768).jpg


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