Venus Pool - Butterflies

I haven't really bothered with Butterflies in the arable field  so far this year, thanks to the unwanted attention from Clegs and Horseflies! Here's a few from a walk there...

Small Copper...

Common Blue (male and female)

Brown Argus

It's never too late to catch up with things!

Venus Pool - aberrant femaleCommon Blue!!

There was nothing much going on at Venus Pool! Given the freezing wind 90% of the butterflies were hunkered down so they were there for the taking once found? This striking female Common Blue, looked for all the world from a distance like a male in colouration but turned out to be bluest of blue I've ever seen!

Sadly it flew moments after taking this image so I never got to see the underwing...

I did a bit of digging on the UK Butterflies site and it's a ringer for the caeruleomarginata aberration. Whatever, it was runner up for of the day!

Porthellick - Ruff plus a few insects!

Spent a bit of time on terra firma today and this Ruff is spending quite a lot of time at Porthellick pool but was always distant as the pic will testify!

The Speckled Woods here (Pararge aegeria ssp insula) are more striking then on the Uk mainland with a much more 'orange' colour to them...

The Scilly Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp cassiteridum) is another Scilly special.

Lucky to have this Emperor Dragonfly perched outside the Sussex hide (good spot Richard!)

And getting past their best, male and female Common Blue...

Nice to have the sun shining too!