Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Butterflies Page 33

Image Taken on 15 Jul 2011 at 16:12 Image of day on 19 Aug 2011

Second sighting (the first was already bird pecked) of a Small Copper Butterfly down on a fresh flower in the mostly withering clover.

Ref: 20110819_df1_20110715_1612_104 small copper butterfly on clover(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Sep 2006 at 16:17 Image of day on 05 Oct 2006

The Small copper butterfly first appeared here briefly last year. It has returned this year are is here taking nectar from the poisonous ragwort (presumably the nectar is not poisonous, or the butterfly is resistant).

Ref: 20061005_p32_20060926_1617_504 small copper butterfly on ragwort (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Jul 2011 at 16:17 Image of day on 31 Aug 2011

Concentrating on the intended subject it is easy to overlook what else is going on. The photo being taken was of the Small Copper Butterfly but we only later noticed also the grasshopper (below the butterfly's Proboscis) and 5 Red Soldier Beetles, 1 under the butterfly on the right, and 4 more in the next flower along, one pair mating as usual.

Ref: 20110831_df1_20110717_1617_111 small copper butterfly on thistle + grasshopper + 5 common red soldier beetles (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Sep 2020 at 12:49 Image of day on 12 Nov 2020

The weather is turning generally colder, but a bit of sunshine and desperation to make the most of their last days means butterflies and Dragonflies make appearances near the middle of the day.
This is a Small Copper Butterfly - you normally see the orange upper wing but here we see the subtle appearance of just the underside of the rear wing with touches of the orange showing through.

Ref: 20201112_df3_20200926_1249_018 small copper butterfly showing underside of rear wing(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jul 2015 at 12:27 Image of day on 25 Sep 2015

A pair of Small heath butterflies mating on a grass stem. They often fly about in this configuration - we had to wait for them to land to get this image.

Ref: 20150925_df3_20150725_1227_019 small heath butterflies mating(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 28 Jun 2016 at 09:29 Image of day on 07 Aug 2016

Here a Small Heath Butterfly sips his fill.

Ref: 20160807_df3_20160628_0929_027 small heath butterfly (1st of 2016) feeding on oxeye daisy (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Jun 2022 at 09:26 Image of day on 31 Jul 2022

The first sighting of a Small Heath Butterfly this year - choosing a piece of wind-blown rubbish to perch on :-(

Ref: 20220731_df3_20220615_0926_479 small heath butterfly (1st of 2022) perched on windblown rubbish(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 18 Jul 2013 at 18:04 Image of day on 04 Sep 2013

Sharing a thistle flower for a moment, this pair of mating Soldier Beetles are joined for a few seconds by a Small Skipper Butterfly collecting supper.

Ref: 20130904_df1_20130718_1804_042 small skipper butterfly & mating pair of soldier beetles on thistle flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 16 Jun 2025 at 12:21 Image of day on 01 Aug 2025

First Skipper (a small variety of Butterfly) of the year.

Ref: 20250801_d72_20250616_1221_022 small skipper butterfly (1st of 2025)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 12 Jul 2015 at 13:07 Image of day on 11 Sep 2015

Here this Skipper, a type of small butterfly, and two different hoverflies gorge on the nectar of a Thistle flower.

Ref: 20150911_df3_20150712_1307_001 small skipper butterfly + hoverfly (syrphus ribesii) + marmalade hoverfly on thistle flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Jul 2020 at 17:44 Image of day on 02 Aug 2020

A Small skipper Butterfly feasts on a clover flower.

Ref: 20200802_d73_20200702_1744_019 small skipper butterfly feeding on clover flower(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Jul 2011 at 16:02 Image of day on 19 Aug 2011

First sighting of a Small Skipper Butterfly here enjoying the thistle flowers.

Ref: 20110819_df1_20110715_1602_060 small skipper butterfly female(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Jul 2023 at 08:27 Image of day on 02 Sep 2023

A female Small Skipper Butterfly perched delicately on the delicate grass seed head.

Ref: 20230902_df3_20230707_0827_019 small skipper butterfly female perched on grass seed head(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Jul 2016 at 17:53 Image of day on 15 Aug 2016

Lots of Small Skipper Butterflies about at the moment.

Ref: 20160815_df3_20160701_1753_030 small skipper butterfly on blackberry flower(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Jul 2016 at 14:46 Image of day on 15 Aug 2016

Lots of Small Skipper Butterflies about at the moment.

Ref: 20160815_df3_20160701_1446_022 small skipper butterfly on clover leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Jul 2026 at 12:43 Image of day on 27 Aug 2026

From this withering Oxeye daisy a Small Skipper Butterfly collects the still generous bounty.

Ref: 20260827_r52_20260703_1243_098 small skipper butterfly on fading oxeye daisy flower(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Jul 2006 at 15:50 Image of day on 12 Aug 2006

Less spectacular than many, the skipper butterfly is smaller and holds its wings in a characteristic way.

Ref: 20060812_d10_20060723_1550_888 small skipper butterfly on teasel(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Jun 2009 at 15:30 Image of day on 26 Jul 2009

Among the hoards of Meadow Brown butterflies are a few Small skipper butterflies. Normally seen perched with the wings slightly raised & top wing partly hidden, this spread wings view explains the orange shimmer as they fly.

Ref: 20090726_da1_20090627_1530_013+1545_085 ft1 small skipper in flight with oxeye daisy (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Jun 2014 at 17:45 Image of day on 01 Sep 2014

Small Tortoiseshell butterflies 'courting'. We saw this behaviour again inside a blackberry tangle, but these were on the slate that keeps the rain off the camera window of a photo site. The brown fur beneath them includes some skin and is quite coarse - we think it might be from a badger skirmish we know nothing about.

Ref: 20140901_df2_20140620_1745_103 2 small tortoiseshell butterflies courting on slate over fb5 camera (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 04 Apr 2021 at 12:08 Image of day on 03 May 2021

Our first sighting of a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly this year - a species that hibernates through the winter. This one is remarkably pristine for 6 months old.

Ref: 20210503_d73_20210404_1208_081 small tortoiseshell butterfly (first sighting in 2021) feeding on blackthorn blossom(r+mb id@768).jpg

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