Copper load of this...

Sorry for the poor image taken on my mobile, but I am not in possession of 80-400 Nikon vr lense - whatever the chuff one of those is.

Anyhow, the cultured amongst you will have no doubt concluded that rather than being a piss-poor picture, it is clearly a subtle and brilliant pastiche of French Impressionism.

Cobblers aside, the Small Copper that graced my Ice Plant yesterday afternoon was the undisputed highlight of what has been a dreadful summer for butterflies in my village.

Plants hitherto unknown to me such as Phlox, Verbena, Red Valerian and the immensely handsome Teasel (a plant that I am developing an unnatural fixation with) have been lovingly installed with the express aim of turning my garden into a veritable 3 Star Michelin restaurant for bees and butterflies.

It didn’t happen though. Whilst quite a few bees have remorselessly plundered my Borage and Lavender, butterflies have been conspicuous by their absence.

Then, yesterday, out of the blue, Fortuna’s Wheel spun upwards and I was blessed with the beauty above and four Small Tortoiseshells; the latter all feasting on the Verbena – a plant that had until now been studiously ignored.

A little research on the Small Copper seems to reinforce my good luck – it is in a group of butterflies that do occasionally visit gardens, but infrequently.

Perhaps there is a small colony nearby, for there is certainly a fair amount of Wood Sorrel growing in a local wood – one of the primary larval food plants for this species.

Fingers crossed next year for a Wall Brown – my favourite butterfly and just as beautiful as the Fritillaries, whom with their gaudiness and high maintenance are quite frankly a bit ‘The Only Way is Essex’

Until later.