Tortoiseshell butterfly on thistle

I noticed a number of different butterflies today whilst walking Flash, which makes me hope it will be a better year for them.

A dozen or so tortoiseshells were visiting a clump of thistle flowers, creating a fabulous clash of purple and ginger, with little splashes of turquoise. Most fluttered away as I approached. This one posed for me, flapping its wings whilst it carried on sucking nectar.

I indulged in a bit of messing with two of the images on the computer and, although it may seem a little odd to 'decolourise' this butterfly's gloriously embellished wings, I like the resulting emphasis on the shapes, patterns and textures, and the shadow created by one wing edge upon the other. (And that tiny insect.)

I'm not so fond of the cabbage white butterfly which must have snuck into my greenhouse. Her caterpillars have munched all the juicy, leafy bits of a big pot of mizuna which was going to be part of this week's salad supplies, leaving a large bunch of stripped stalks. I guess mizuna must be brassica family, as they've ignored the lettuce, peashoots and rocket.

I stuck the pot outside as I cannot bring myself to squish the caterpillars but I'd forgotten that they'd make a tasty snack for my two chickens. Sorry fellahs.