Marbled White Butterfly

Thank you to everyone for you stars, hearts and comments which have kept two of my portraits in the top pages of 'popular' for several days! 

I was up and out early today but still too slow to catch the butterflies still asleep! I returned to the Ragpits (local wild chalk pits managed by BBOWT).  The orchids remain good but just past their prime so I was happy to have caught them last week; however, these beautiful butterflies were much in evidence.

They flit around for a long time before eventually coming to rest, often on one of the small orchids, where they stayed usually for quite a while; certainly long enough to get the camera focused.  I found they didn't mind me moving around but didn't like the lens too close - I soon learned the amount of personal space they needed!

A busy day ahead. Late this afternoon I am doing a family portrait shoot and, strange as it might seem, I think that too much light might be a problem! After that, back to the Ragpits for a Camera Club meeting; it will be interesting to see the area at this later time of day.

I am still reeling from the shock of some dreadful news I heard yesterday concerning the child of some good friends - it's about as bad as it can get but this is not the place to divulge it.  Just please keep in your thoughts and prayers a family going through incredibly difficult times with a poor outlook!

More information on the butterfly  below:
Scientific name:Melanargia galathea
Medium-sized butterfly, with black and white checked wings.
The Marbled White is a distinctive and attractive black and white butterfly, unlikely to be mistaken for any other species. In July it flies in areas of unimproved grassland and can occur in large numbers on southern downland. It shows a marked preference for purple flowers such as Wild Marjoram, Field Scabious, thistles, and knapweeds.