Speckled Wood

After having my blip for today, I was walking back when I saw two butterflies which were unfamiliar to me. I quickly tried to take photos but they were very camera shy and kept flitting away but I did manage to get one on the stony path. Unfortunately it is not good especially as I have cropped the image but was excited to find this rare Speckled Wood butterfly, Pararge Aegeria.

.....By the late 19th century, the Speckled Wood was in decline in Scotland and the eastern populations became extinct in the early 20th century.
Pararge aegeria is a recent, but still very local coloniser from England. Most of the records held by TWIC are for the eastern and southern Borders. However, there are localised sightings for the species in East Lothian.

It is not uncommon in England but rare in Scotland, although there are communities around the west coast and Moray coast. Northern butterflies have white spots (subspecies; oblita) while those in England tend to have orange spots (subs; tircis) and I think these have spread from England according to The Wildlife Information Centre for the Lothians and Borders, so must be tircis. It seems that they have been reported only during the last three years or so, in the area, so I was extremely fortunate to see them on the edge of the wood not far from Ravensheugh beach.