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Butterflies Page 30

Image Taken on 17 Apr 2022 at 15:12    Image of day on 17 May 2022

The first Speckled Wood Butterfly we have seen this year.


Ref: 20220517_df3_20220417_1512_065 speckled wood butterfly - first of 2022(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Apr 2019 at 11:07    Image of day on 31 May 2019

In a shaft of sunlight in the woodland, both a Speckled Wood Butterfly (in remarkably good condition after over-wintering) and a small Spider (unidentified) warm themselves on an otherwise chilly day.


Ref: 20190531_df5_20190430_1107_066+067 speckled wood butterfly and spider in leaf litter (acc montage for focus)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 03 Jun 2018 at 15:52    Image of day on 14 Jul 2018

We know the Speckled Wood butterfly so well, but only when perched with it's wings open. So this one actually puzzled us for a while in a patch of dappled sunlight.


Ref: 20180714_d72_20180603_1552_033 speckled wood butterfly female 1st brood (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 18 Jun 2017 at 15:40    Image of day on 10 Aug 2017

Speckled Wood butterflies like the edges of our woodland rather than the areas of full sun or shade.


Ref: 20170810_da1_20170618_1540_489+1543_507_ft1 speckled wood butterfly in 2 flights + blackberry flowers (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 28 Aug 2017 at 13:13    Image of day on 15 Oct 2017

This Speckled Wood Butterfly was a fairly cooperative flyer. These are 3 different flights montaged together. The right view is of the 'top' of the wings while the centre and left images are from below.


Ref: 20171015_da1_20170828_1313_068+1319_077+1315_071+1534_080_ft1 speckled wood butterfly in 3 flight with blackberry fruits (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Sep 2012 at 14:08    Image of day on 23 Oct 2012

There are far fewer of these Speckled Wood Butterflies this year than usual, but this one provided a couple of separate in-flight portraits we decided to show as a single image.


Ref: 20121023_da1_20120907_1408_035+1409_044+1534_127_ft1 speckled wood butterfly in flight showing both sides of wing with buddleia (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 01 May 2009 at 14:38    Image of day on 23 May 2009

In the last couple of years speckled wood butterflies have moved from occasional sightings to the most common butterfly here. Unfortunately the previous holder of that title - the Small Tortoiseshell - is becoming a once in a while siting. Anyway, this slightly tatty individual make a nice pic with lilac.


Ref: 20090523_dc1_20090501_1438_078+1543_214 ft1 speckled wood butterfly in flight showing top of wing with lilac blossom (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Aug 2010 at 12:24    Image of day on 08 Oct 2010

This is a speckled wood - the dominant butterfly LAST year and quite common this year.


Ref: 20101008_da1_20100822_1224_091+1301_104_ft1 speckled wood butterfly in flight with blackberry flower (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Jun 2014 at 15:21    Image of day on 26 Aug 2014

In a patch of sunshine in the woodland where we have been seeing them for year, we found a few freshly emerged Speckled Wood butterflies (even if this one already has a bird peck).


Ref: 20140826_da1_20140622_1521_368+1525_386_ft1 speckled wood butterfly in flight with cow parsley (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Jun 2023 at 15:21    Image of day on 09 Aug 2023

This Spring's dearth of Butterflies since the glut of Orange-tip Butterflies is rather alarming. The only butterfly we see in more than one per hour is the Speckled Wood. Here are a couple of photos taken in our refurbished insects-in-flight camera kit


Ref: 20230809_da1_20230614_1521_039+1526_049_ft1 speckled wood butterfly in flight with red campion flower (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Jul 2013 at 13:07    Image of day on 18 Aug 2013

Of the 3 speckled wood butterflies we tried to photograph in flight, only this slightly damaged (possibly bird pecked) individual was a really cooperative flyer.


Ref: 20130818_da1_20130707_1307_022+1332_088_ft1 speckled wood butterfly in flight with thistle flower (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Jun 2009 at 17:46    Image of day on 02 Aug 2009

Speckled wood butterflies have been on the wing now for a couple of months. This nice example landed in the only pool of sunlight near us. Before that a more tatty example in flight from several weeks ago.



Ref: 20090802_db1_20090630_1746_019 speckled wood butterfly in pool of sunshine on leaf(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Sep 2008 at 09:48    Image of day on 30 Sep 2008

We have had huge numbers of Speckled wood butterflies this year for what seems to have been the whole summer. First seen this year 4 June 2008 - about 14 weeks so far.


Ref: 20080930_dc1_20080914_0948_023 speckled wood butterfly on buttercup leaf(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 20 Apr 2020 at 11:02    Image of day on 08 May 2020

The first sighting this year of a Speckled Wood Butterfly. This by far the most numerous Butterfly here, and is about for many months.


Ref: 20200508_df3_20200420_1102_020 speckled wood butterfly on emerging beech leaves (1st of 2020)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 26 Aug 2013 at 10:30    Image of day on 22 Oct 2013

The understated beauty of the Speckled Wood butterfly.


Ref: 20131022_a77_20130826_1030_016 speckled wood butterfly on great willow herb leaf (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 01 Sep 2013 at 10:58    Image of day on 29 Oct 2013

We saw this Speckled Wood butterfly fly down to water level for a drink. To our eyes only about 8 metres away it was camouflaged so well we needed a monocular or camera zoom to see it.


Ref: 20131029_a77_20130901_1058_053 speckled wood butterfly on iris frond drinking from pond & brilliantly camouflaged (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 02 Sep 2007 at 10:07    Image of day on 29 Sep 2007

Welcome annual return of what has become one of our regulars now the wood is more established - a speckled wood, here sunbathing on a willow leaf.


Ref: 20070929_p34_20070902_1007_876 speckled wood butterfly on willow leaves(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 15 Jun 2019 at 10:25    Image of day on 01 Aug 2019

Walking along the edge of the Wheat crop we found this Speckled Wood Butterfly perched on this Wheat stem.


Ref: 20190801_df5_20190615_1025_060 speckled wood butterfly perched on wheat crop stem(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 18 Apr 2015 at 14:54    Image of day on 09 Jun 2015

Our first Speckled Wood Butterfly of the year. They overwinter in Chrysalis form to emerge in Spring, unlike Peacock, Tortoiseshell & Brimstone butterflies that overwinter as adults, and can wake up very tatty and bleached.


Ref: 20150609_df3_20150418_1454_295 speckled wood butterfly recently emerged from chrysalis(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 15 Jun 2018 at 09:38    Image of day on 30 Jul 2018

A Speckled Wood Butterfly as we normally see them, wings at least partially open.


Ref: 20180730_df3_20180615_0938_080 speckled wood butterfly resting on blackberry stem(r+mb id@768).jpg


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