Speckled woods

Our first day back at home after a week in Southampton. In the garden this morning were these two speckled wood butterflies locked abdomen to abdomen in coitus.

Speckled woods are regular butterflies in the shady parts of our garden. They tend to sit in the sun spots amongst the shade and fly up and investigate other passing butterflies. It is unusual though to see two at once, and I have never seen them copulate before.

Speckled woods are spreading north in Britain, perhaps beneficiaries of a warming climate. When I first moved to Cumbria twenty years ago, they were a rare sight in the south of the county.

I have finally caught up with my back blips after a week away when I was unable to load up more than one blip. Please see the sequence from last Sunday:

Sunday
TuesdayWednesday
Thursday
FridaySaturday