Butterflies

The last few weeks have brought many butterflies out into my (mostly) sunny home county of Dorset. Although I've always had a passing interest in these vibrant insects, after finishing my 1st year on a Zoology degree, I'm more and more interested to learn about the different species of butterflies (and all other living things for that matter!) living in my part of the UK.

My next door neighbours have a Buddleia bush in their back garden, which means I've been able to to see many butterflies from the comfort of my own home. Their Buddleia plays host to vast numbers of Peacock butterflies (Inachis io), Large Whites (Pieris brassicae) and the occasional Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) or Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae). They flit about the back gardens in search of nectar, occasionally landing on the wall, or a brightly coloured pair of trousers on the washing line, thinking they've found another nectar-laden plant!

A Peacock butterfly resting on my garden wall

Out and about, I've had the luck of observing some more species in my local area. Just a few metres from my house I have seen Common Brimstones (Gonepteryx rhamni, the wonderfully yellowy/green hued butterflies) and Small Whites (Pieris rapae), along with an abundance of Peacocks, Large Whites, Small Tortoiseshells and Admirals at each Buddleia.

On Upton Heath (a great site for reptiles and also for Nightjars) I managed to spot a couple of Graylings (Hipparchia semele), which are somewhat heath specialists. At this point I'm going to add a photo of a Grayling, but be warned, it's rubbish and it's been cropped!

The infamous, and well camouflaged, Grayling!

My best of the year were found at the beautiful Lulworth Cove (and one also seen at the Dorset Wildlife Trust's Kingcombe centre).They were the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea), and the Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), both brilliant examples of exquisite patterns in nature. At Kingcombe I also caught a very fleeting glimpse of a Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), but I wasn't quick enough to see the beautiful blue of the upperside wings!

A Wall Brown on the Coastal Path to Durdle Door - and my first specimen of the species!

I feel incredibly lucky to have seen all the species of butterfly I have, as news reports suggested it was going to be a bad year for these incredible inverts. I hope the rest of the season and next year allow me to discover more species on my journeys in the outdoors. Or just my back garden!