A stranded Peacock butterfly

When I climbed the stairs to go to bed last night, halfway up I spotted a strange black shape in the dim light, which I thought at first was a leaf. I bent down to pick it up and then realised it was a dead butterfly lying on its side. I thought possibly that Bomble had been playing with it because when he had come in the house just before he had been playing very skittishly as he does when he is interested in some prey. I took the butterfly into my study and lay it on its side again on the windowsill so that I could have a look at it in the morning when there would be daylight.

Today when I got up after Helena had left for work at 8am I spotted the same butterfly on the study floor, on its side again, and I presumed Bomble had found it again and stated to play with it. I gently lifted it and put it back on the windowsill but in a more remote spot so Bomble couldn't get to it., and went to make myself a cup of coffee.

On my return the 'dead' butterfly was flapping its wings against the window pane and was very much alive. Resurrection! I looked carefully at it and saw that its wings were in very poor shape but that its body seemed to be unharmed. I grabbed my camera and changed lens and as it had calmed down and was sitting with its wings closed I gently eased it onto my woollen hat and moved it into the full sun so that it could catch the heat energy from the sun's rays.

After a while its wings opened again and it seemed to be wanting to head out inot the light. I wondered whether to intervene and did a bit of online checking. Apparently you should find a cool dark place for a butterfly to over winter but with an avenue of escape. I wasn't sure whether we could offer that in our centrally heated and warm house with closed windows, with the added threat of Bomble attacking anything that moved in interesting ways, when it chose to make another escape later.

So after a short while, and several photos later, I opened the window and let it fly away. It did a few circles over the cabin and then alighted on the patio and walked towards a shady area, which was the last I saw of it. But at least it has the chance of finding a shelter for itself. I gather it is a Peacock butterfly and that they are renowned for coming into houses and becoming trapped. I wish it well.