23rd April. This was more than 2 weeks ago and I have a blog entry circling to land for nearly every day since then and they are backing up my hard drive and the sun is still shining, beckoning me out the door to take more photos which increases the blockage on my computer. So there may be a couple of hurriedly thrown together reports. I don't do hurried very well.
Here is a quick one from Warriston which I was going to skip only there were red admiral shots (quite rare this year) and then the orange tips roosting at the end of the afternoon. The rest of the fine tuning may be lost to history and a sunny Springtime like we have never in living memory remembered. I am NOT complaining! (Neither are the butterflies although the lack of rain and its effects might restrain celebrations somewhat.) (Dry and crisp is good in a white wine but less so in nature and grasslands.)
Here is a quick one from Warriston which I was going to skip only there were red admiral shots (quite rare this year) and then the orange tips roosting at the end of the afternoon. The rest of the fine tuning may be lost to history and a sunny Springtime like we have never in living memory remembered. I am NOT complaining! (Neither are the butterflies although the lack of rain and its effects might restrain celebrations somewhat.) (Dry and crisp is good in a white wine but less so in nature and grasslands.)
red admiral - a rare treat!
peacock
orange tip
speckled wood
comma at In Loving
GVW
GVW
great tit
So I was about to end the afternoon visit but went up towards the secret garden and East Gate where I came across a pair of male orange tips, done for the day and looking to overnight on top of bluebells/whitebells. Initially I only saw one of them and was busy setting up the shot and trying not to kneel in nettles when I saw the other. One was still quite frisky, (it woke right up and flew about but came back to the same spot) the other less so.
very well camouflaged in plain sight
the lively one
Orange-tips are nearly famous for going into a very deep sleep when the sun goes behind a cloud. They seem to shut down most of their systems and behave in a zombie-like fashion. If you handle them gently they can be coaxed onto a finger and placed on an attractive plant for a photo. (Wouldn't dream of it!) Neither of these specimens were in full zombie made as the sun was still shining, although both looked like they were settling down for the night. I took many photos and didn't kneel in too many nettles although no doubt went home with singing-stinging legs.
the sedate one
bee-fly
sometimes backlit works better
although clearer shot with sun behind the camera
ahh what fun!
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