Butterfly Garden

This year our garden has been host to a really wide range of flying creatures, birds, insects, and the odd bat. In the insect category, from early in the year it was the bees on the snowdrops, later we had red mason bees in numbers, as well as a bumbles bees of various sizes and patterns.

Lately we have had butterflies. From the conservatory, one can spy them flying around, coming to land on wall, stones and flowers. They seem to rest in the warmth again the bricks of the house. These are real ones and they remind me of the large copies which some people attach to the walls of their houses as ornaments.

In the sunshine, several fly up together in a vortex of euphoria, completely oblivious to any predators. I have seen no predators, are there any for the butterflies? When I walk into the garden they rise and fill the air with streaks of bright colours. The peacocks even make a noise as they vibrate their wings. I stalked these and waited patiently, close up t0 them with the macro lens, and was amazed by the noise they make. Is this noise caused by the very fast vibration of their wings used to attract a mate, or warn off rivals, or is the vibration a way of dispersing pheromones? To think of a butterfly making a noise!

With my Collins guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe in my hand, I patiently watch and try to identify the butterflies: peacocks, painted ladies, commas, red admirals, and small tortoiseshells, then lots of different sizes white butterflies.

As soon as Mr S is off to work, I spend a few minutes of contemplation on the garden, often still in my dressing gown. Sometimes I spend a few minutes planning my day, or just sniffing the flowers, watching the insects and gazing at the clouds. This butterfly seemed to doze on my shoulder, without my noticing until I got back into the house. After taking the picture, it was reunited with the others.