Despite the damp conditions the pom-pomless dahlias are still attracting lots of butterflies and bees.
On the last visit to the plot I managed to grab photos of a couple of butterflies.
A small tortoiseshell:
and the first red admiral that I have spotted this season.
Then in the garden another butterfly was making the most of a late flower of a buddleia.
You could be forgiven for thinking this is a raggy tortoiseshell but it's a comma. In the photo below you can see its tongue trawling for nectar.
Here's a closer look.
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The Comma is beautiful! I don't think I've seen one of them before...
ReplyDeleteWe don't see lots of them, Tanya but see one or two most years. When the wings are folded up over its back and you can view the underside they have a tiny white comma shape under each wing. This one wouldn't fold its wings for me to grab a photo.
DeleteThe Comma is a beaut! Nice pics all round.
DeleteThanks Lee
DeleteAfter reading your post made me realise I have not seen any butterflies for a week or so now.
ReplyDeleteWe still have quite a few flying about awpol which is why the netting is staying on the brassicas.
DeleteI haven't seen many butterflies at all this year. Well done with the sweet corn in your last post, I'd be pretty pleased with that harvest.
ReplyDeleteIt's unusual for the butterflies to be still fresh looking (no ragged wings) at this time of year, Jo but they seem to have been much later arriving this year.
DeleteThe sweetcorn crop was a pleasant surprise, Jo
DeleteI hardly saw any butterflies in my garden this year, and the ones I did see were mostly Small Whites. I don't think I have seen a Red Admiral here for 3 or 4 years, which is why I planted a Buddleia bush. Hopefully they will find it eventually! When we moved in here 21 years ago we used to sometimes see 12 or 15 simultaneously.
ReplyDeleteOur no pom-pom dahlias have been a butterfly and bee magnet, Mark. The buddleias were swarming with peacock butterflies recently. We generally only see one red admiral at a time but have more peacocks, tortoiseshell, gatekeepers and the ubiquitous whites! (Unfortunately ours are the large whites - the ones that lay batches of eggs that hatch into a army rather than the single eggs of the small whites that are easier to control).
DeleteI saw quite a few butterflies over the weekend too Sue. It is nice to see them flying about in the last of the sunshine that keeps periodically popping out.
ReplyDeleteThat comma is lovely!
It's good to see butterflies about after they were so scarce earlier in the year - glad you have some too!
DeleteWhat great photos Sue. We seem to get a lot of butterflies around here, so I need to brush up on (for which read develop) my technique for capturing them on camera.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a burst/rapid fire facility on your camera it is worth it's weight in gold, Janet. I use it lots. The comma was quite a distance away but the telephoto came into its own for that. It meant I didn't spook it into flying away. It also helps when they settle down for a good feed.
DeleteBrilliant photograph of the Small Tortoiseshell and the Commas. I've only seen 2 butterflies down the plot recently, (1 Comma & 1 Cabbage White), as the weathers been far too damp.
ReplyDeleteOnly one cabbage white, Rooko - lucky you! WE still daren't remove the insect netting from the brassicas.
DeleteI know what you mean, but the weathers been so wet here recently its been about 3 weeks since the Cabbage whites were out in force.
DeleteHello Sue... having trouble leaving you a reply on my comma blog. Hope its a temp blogger glitch as can't leave comments on any posts. Must look at settings.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, the day you had your Comma we had a group of Red Admirals. I see you've had that visitor too along with the Small Tortoiseshell which we've had too.
I'm hoping the Peacocks will make an appearance next and perhaps a Painted Lady or two - we haven't seen the later since the good year they had. Nice images you captured here :-)
Blogger seems prone to glitches, Shirl. We had lots of peacocks earlier in the season - almost a flock or a fluttering - whatever you call it. I had never seen so many at one time - they were all over the buddleia. We always have a few gatekeepers. I haven't seen a painted lady this year though.
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