Gatekeeper butterfly

The corn and other grasses are beginning to ripen. I chased this butterfly for quite a while till it deigned to stay still for long enough for me to take a photo. The Gatekeeper or Hedge Brown as many people prefer to call it is most often found as these names suggest in gateways and hedgerows. It is often seen in association with Meadow Brown and Ringlet. Of these three butterflies, the Gatekeeper is probably the most attractive with its bright orange/brown wings fringed with a wide earthy/grey brown and distinctive black and white eyespot. The colour and patterning of the wings can be very variable and there are several named aberrations. They are particularly fond of feeding on bramble and ragwort. The Gatekeeper occurs anywhere where tall grasses grow close to hedges trees or scrub, especially along hedgerows and woodland rides where there is a plentiful nectar source. It tends to avoid open grassland with short vegetation and areas where bramble does not occur. It is widespread in southern Britain and its range has extended northwards in recent years. Its range is far more localized in southern Ireland.

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