Small Copper

Blithely saying I knew every butterfly in our garden this morning, in reference to the Butterfly Count, I had to eat my words. Never ever to my knowledge has a Small Copper been spied winging it's way over the garden let alone to stop for a quick pick me up from the flowers here. I think I squealed  on dashing for the camera. 

Not only do I love it's colours but love the little horns too which are covered in sensory hairs and are believed to help the butterfly 'taste' food sources. Called labial palps, they are multi-segmented external organs and vary in size from butterfly to butterfly.

I have been rather like Mother Theresa today: firstly rescuing a baby  thrush in the conservatory which I had doubts would recover from the crashing about in there but it did. Second up was a female Common Darter which I managed to catch in my hands as it was stuck in a web with it's wings all tangled. Carefully untangling them it escaped onto the ceiling but only to thankfully be recaptured. Next in line and the list is long here was a Gatekeeper, two Meadow Browns, a Green-veined White and a couple of Small Whites all of which had a death wish. All this bouncing round and a gruelling hour in the gym too :)))