Heath Frits

[pressld2]

I promised Deb I'd upload these shots from a trip to East Blean Woods last weekend. That's EAST Blean Woods!

Before setting off I made sure I knew what common cow-wheat, the preferred foodplant, looked like. It was growing in profusion right next to the car park...



The day was cold, grey and threatening to rain so I never saw any butterflies on the wing. But I did manage to find four of them, all sheltering low in the vegetation and all within about half a square metre. Here's one in the grass...



And one on a bramble flower...



I carefully transferred him to some cow-wheat...



I then spent a couple of hours wandering around to see if I could find any more but had no luck. Until I got back to the car park where I found these two on the fence...



I never did see one in flight, or get any shots with the wings open. But that's okay, that's what next year is for!

Dave P.

[pammosley]

Beautiful photos Dave, thanks for posting them

[Deb London]

I'm almost speechless. They are beautiful and I'm ever such an incy-wincy bit envious.

For half the winter's evenings, I huddled up under some blanket or other reading Patrick Barkham's book and dreaming about the unattainable. Which, by chance, very nearly became the attainable for one of these delightfully mysterious butterfly species. My timing was impeccable. But the rest is history.

I found Common Cow Wheat in a local wood the other day. I almost laughed out loud, it was that easy to recognize. In "Blean" Woods I'd taken a hundred pictures of something like Goldenrod, later to realize another of my mistakes. It's a beautiful flower and somehow very suited to these exquisite insects.

Like I said, almost speechless.

Well done Dave. Next year I'll have you a race.

[pressld2]

Many thanks both!

Originally Posted by Deb London

Well done Dave. Next year I'll have you a race.

You're on Deb!

Dave P.