Double Whammy!

Bigger butterflies ....


I'd commented to another blipper recently how few butteflies I'd seen so far this year. In fact I don't recall having blipped a butterfly at all since joining Blipfoto just over a year ago, though I have managed 2 or 3 moths.
Today Saskia couldn't be here, but May and Ginger's owner 'S' had called yesterday and done all of the dunging in the paddock. Today I only had Tom's feeds to make up and a minimal amount of dunging to do, so I decided I really MUST start removing the Ragwort which seems to have sprung up from nowhere in the paddock over the last couple of weeks - some even coming into bud and threatening to flower. It was quite sunny and very warm, and as I was digging out a couple of plants near the edge of the stream I noticed a Ringlet on a large bramble bush. I had my camera so went over to the bush to try to grab a blip of it. I then realised that the bush was alive with various wasps, bees, beetles, and quite a few Ringlets visiting. I felt as if all my Christmases had come at once! What a good reason to have a break from the tedium of digging out Ragwort, hehe. And what finds I had! I've no idea how long I spent there, leaning in as close as I could for macro shots, getting nettle stings on my arms in the process (luckily I have a high pain threshold, and nettle stings don't bother me at all), with insects buzzing all around me. Somehow I managed to grab many, many shots without once being stung by anything, despite a couple of bees flying into me and virtually bouncing off me. It amazes me how tolerant insects can be if they feel you're no threat to them ....
When I managed to take this shot of not just a Ringlet but a Large Skipper (I'm pretty sure that's what it is) with it, it had to be my blip!

Here's a Ringlet with open wings.

If I hadn't blipped the butterflies then this beautifully marked Longhorn beetle would have been my choice.

I also found this gorgeous orange and red Soldier beetle (with a wasp in the shot too).


This metallic green and blue fly grabbed my attention - and here's another one.

Other insects were: A honey bee, and another bee? (unidentified).

A Hoverfly and some different Hoverflies.

As I concluded the Ragwort removal session, I noticed one plant with these Cinnabar moth caterpillars (and a ladybird) feasting on it. So I grabbed some shots of it. Of course I left that plant - I couldn't close down the cafeteria while the diners were still at the table could I? There are still plants to remove, and as I have Friday off work due to my car being MOT'd I plan to complete the job then (weather permitting) so will remove that plant when I do the rest. It's a shame having to remove what is actually a very valuable plant for those caterpillars, but I have to think of the horses' welfare first and foremost - Ragwort's such lethal stuff :((