Blue, of course

Great news this morning.  I went back to Pipe Hall Farm Woodland Trust reserve and there was a man with an enormous tractor taking a break from mowing. I went up to him (and the woman chatting to him who turned out to be the site manager) and asked if it was true that DEFRA had dug up the wildflower meadow.  "Outrageous !" she said. Apparently, it's not true. The wildflowers have minds of their own and they come and go, sometimes missing a couple of years. Poor old DEFRA - they get such an awful (justified) press that we were all ready to believe the worst !

The butterflies were out in force.  Magnificent fluttery meadow browns, cheeky gatekeepers, mating burnet moths, skippers small and large, whites of various natures, and small tortoiseshells sharing the thistles with more gatekeepers.  (Big scores in the Big Butterfly Count this morning)

But the photo had to be a blue - always my favourite Common Blues.

plus a couple of extras