Studs

Walking from a melody of Blackcaps staccatoed with Chiffchaff and soft Bullfinch wheezes, the song changed to enticing Woodlarks and grating Dartfords.

There was still a chill in the air on the coast with just the hint of a sea fret. Further inland the temperature was ten degrees higher. Here on the heath it smelt of honeysuckle and gorse. A sort of sweet coconut heady mix. The purple drifts of heather were eye catching.

It didn’t take me long to find the first Silver Studded Blue Butterfly. Then another … and another. Despite the low cloud the sun was fighting to break through. Each time it did butterflies rose from the heather. All, apart from a hasty passing Painted lady, were Silver Studs.

Photographing these beauties is never easy. They stay low. Scrambling about on all fours our legs were soon scratched and bleeding from the piercing gorse. Why did I wear shorts? As we watched them perch on the purple flowers of the heather they stroked their hind wings against one another; as if rubbing their hands at finding such a wonderful source of nectar.

Minotaur

On tour last week I was surprised to see a Minotaur Beetle crossing our path up on the Heath. Normally only active at night these are quite impressive insects with three horns emerging from the pronotum. Not having my macro lens with me I had to photograph it with the 100 to 400mm lens I had fitted. With a little readjustment it more or less gave a decent result.

Spotty

A six spot Ladybird!