Small Tortoiseshell Chrysalis

Went for a walk up the marshes cycle track. Lots of small tortoiseshell butterflies along the ditch mostly feeding on the wild mint and fleabane along with the odd speckled wood, meadow brown, green veined white, red admiral and common blue. We kept our eye out for caterpillars and on the way back found several nests of small tortoiseshell some who were getting ready to pupate and with a little searching we came across a chrysalis, the first one we’ve ever found in the wild. There were also a good number of red admiral caterpillars most were sewn up safely in their nettle cocoons. A few common darter dragonflies were zipping around and a lovely bush-cricket was on some fleabane.