Mating

I had a walk up the garden and noticed the butterfly lying flat on its back on a bramble leaf. Initially, I thought it was dead, but then noticed other butterflies fluttering around it and realised that it was a female and was waving its abdomen in the air to attract males.

Rushing into the house, I picked up the camera, came back and caught this male approaching the female. In the end, no mating actually took place and eventually, she turned over and flew off. Perhaps she wasn't impressed with the quality of her suitors!