Thursday 18 July 2013

Ringlet butterfly

Ringlet butterflies are in flight just now! Last Friday, when we were up Corstorphine Hill, they were everywhere but moving far too quickly to be photographed. Similarly along the John Muir Walkway at Musselburgh today, they were flitting round at top speed with a few meadow browns.

This ringlet, which I saw along the Water of Leith on Monday was more co-operative, though it closed its wings as soon as I focussed the camera and refused to open them again! Still, the underside of the wing is very pretty too!

Click on the photo to enlarge it!

If you're in the UK, then over the next few weeks you can take part in the Big Butterfly Count!  From 20 July until 11 August, this project, organised by Buttefly Conservation, encourages everyone to get out and about to record the butterflies they see.

The warm summer this year is good for our butterflies, even though overall they have declined drastically over the past few years.

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

12 comments:

Carol Steel said...

Beautiful butterfly.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I love Ringlets - we don't see so many round here.

Crafty Green Poet said...

It is beautiful isn't it Carol?

Weaver, well I've never seen as many as I've seen over the past week, it's just amazing, and yes, they're lovely,

TexWisGirl said...

pretty soft colors!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

That might very well be one of the most beautiful butterflies that I've ever seen...

Kat Mortensen said...

Lovely creature! Sadly, despite by butterfly bush, the only ones we seem to be getting are cabbage moths, which we really don't want.

If I participated in a count, it wouldn't take very long.

Bill said...

long afternoon
a butterfly wakes me
from my daydream

Little Miss Titch said...

beautiful!xx Speedy

eileeninmd said...

Pretty butterfly. The count sounds like a fun time! Have a happy weekend!

Pete Thompson said...

Similar around us in East Yorkshire. There seems to be plenty of smaller butterflies about but so far not so many of the peacocks, tortoiseshells and red admirals.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Pete - I don't think I've seen any of the larger butterflies this year, possibly a small tortoiseshell.

Mind you no small coppers so far either, and usually there are a few of those in certain places in Edinburgh

Caroline Gill said...

I haven't seen a Ringlet ... and not many Blues either. I await the Butterfly Count results with interest ... but first, of course, must do the survey!