Orange Tip

Another herald of spring. The warm weekend weather must have been enough for the over wintering chrysalis of the Orange Tip butterflies to hatch as this is first one I have seen this year. Other people in the office have reported seeing them also. They only fly for about 4-6 weeks to coincide with the flowering of the caterpillars food plants, the cuckoo flower and jack by the hedge. This one is a female. Males have bright Orange Tips to the upperside of their wings. You can usually see a thin ribbon of orange when they are at rest to tell them apart. They are superbly camouflaged and can be difficult to spot. Shot this evening on the wild part of the park next to where Cal does his endurance training.