Speckled Wood

Earlier on in the year a friend recommended a book called The Butterfly Isles by Patrick Barkham. Whilst I'd always thought butterflies were pretty and enjoyed catching them as a child, I've never had a particular interest in them. The Butterfly Isles was a great read though and the book has stuck with me. So, after a couple of warmish days in the North East during, I found myself chasing them around the garden. This one is a speckled wood. They're pretty common, but less so the further north you go. They are also usually found in woods and while there are no woods particularly near me, I am luckily enough to be surrounded by trees in my city garden. I got some closer shots of the butterfly, but I liked this one and the way it's colours contrasted with the greenery.