All about butterflies!

 I have spent the last few months like most folk staying local to home and exploring parks and woodlands near me. During this time I have done a bit of photography (but not as much as I would like of course!) and have particularly enjoyed working with butterflies. I have always had a passing interest in butterflies and have photographed them many times of course but until this spring not gone out of my way to find them.

migrant painted lady

peacock in the bluebells

I missed out on the biggest UK species despite two days looking for purple emperor in the woodlands of Warwickshire but did find the most diminutive in small blue on the chalk hills of Hampshire.

small blue at roost

Along the way though I had a lot of fun with many other ore common species and saw some interesting behaviour, whilst honing my technique in photographing these delicate little beauties!

Green veined white taking minerals from a fire site

I have missed a few species though so have ordered a new diary to make sure that 2021 sees me be in the right place at the right time!

chalkhill bee feeding on wild marjoram

all things Wildlife

I have been very quiet on this blog recently as I work on a brand new website allthingswildlife which unsurprisingly has been taking up most of my desk time.

Launching soon it will be an ever growing collection of articles, reviews, guides and images all inspired by wildlife and the countryside.

I have though managed a couple of outings with my camera including to Donna Nook in Lincs for the grey seal breeding season.

It's a real wildlife spectacle and well worth a visit between October and December.

I also spent a day at Aberystwyth on the Welsh coast and was rewarded with some great bird life including a very obliging kingfisher,

a surprise dipper

and a pretty decent starling murmuration.