'Cos I'm Worth It!

Having treked up the North Hill of the Malverns today in the heat, then climbed a stupidly precipitous  slope over very dry and slippy  ground with my camera, she looked at me as sweat positively trickled down my back. As I muttered under my breath panting wondering why on earth I was doing this, she answered with a cheeky wink, 'Cos I'm worth it!' Hmm..

I left my camera bag halfway down the really steep slope at the bottom of what is known as 'Grayling Rock' to the butterfly enthusiasts and headed up to be near the top of the outcrop just hoping to spot even just one Grayling basking in the sun. There were a few hummingbird hawk-moths circling at terrific speed and I had to sit in a foot hold for ages just waiting and hoping something would turn up. Sure enough wouldn't you know it - one came and sat on my lens! Lovely to see but not where I wanted it. She was beautifully camouflaged against the rocks and with her wings open she has a beautiful eye spot which she hides as a defence strategy when on stony ground.

Getting down the hill was far more difficult and I had to bomb down on my bottom, totally out of control for a few metres at one point but got down in the end. All I was concerned about was my lens but neither did I want to follow the scree I was dislodging which tumbled down at a pace. 

At least I got a shot of her and that's all that mattered as it's a butterfly in decline.