Bishop's Wood Butterflies

Before I took the sunset photos in my last post, I had been wandering around the Bishop's Wood nature reserve which overlooks Caswell Bay. My main quarry was butterflies, and the first one I came upon, perched on some vegetation bordering the car park, was this rather tatty Comma (it's the small, white, comma-like mark on the underwing, visible in the picture, which gives this butterfly its name):

I then climbed up the path through the woodland which leads to a grassy meadow with fine views over the bay below. I hoped, again, I might see a Silver-washed Fritillary which I've seen twice here before, but I had no luck today. The clifftop was full of flowering Hemp Agrimony and Common Knapweed, both good butterfly plants, and I saw plenty of Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, Large and Small Whites, Common Blues, a handful of Small Coppers, as well as a couple of Small Tortoiseshells:

I've not had much luck photographing 'Cabbage' Whites (as well as them being so common that I probably tend to overlook them), so I was pleased to get this Small White in range of my lens:



I then saw what I at first thought was another white, but which, on closer inspection, turned out to be a female Brimstone, the first I've had the chance to photograph this year. Unfortunately, it was somewhat tatty, but that didn't stop me taking a few shots as it fed on Common Knapweed:

Finally, one of several Red Admirals which I saw feeding on Hemp Agrimony:



Butterflies

On Wednesday, August 4th, I went round to Caswell Bay on the Gower Peninsula near Swansea. I walked up through a grassy area above the bay, near Bishop's Wood, and saw a Silver-washed Fritillary butterfly feeding on the pathside flowers. I was very pleased, as I had only seen this species once before, and had no idea there were any in this area. Unfortunately, this individual was a little tatty, but I still took a couple of pictures:

Whilst there, I was also able to photograph this Speckled Wood butterfly:

The following night, I came down with sickness and diarrhoea, and was out of action for a week. (Maybe something to do with the dodgy takeaway sausage I ate at Caswell Bay!)

The few times I've been out photographing since, I've been concentrating on butterflies, as I've been having autofocus problems with my various cameras and lenses, which has ruled out most bird photography.

I've found 'Cabbage' Whites quite difficult to photograph, as they seem to be constantly on the move, so I was pleased to photograph this Large White on my first tentative walk out after illness:

I spotted my first Comma of the year in the same area:

I went round to Caswell Bay again, to see if I could see any more Silver-washed Fritillaries. No such luck, but I managed a couple of shots of Meadow Browns:

And another Speckled Wood:

There seems to be a glut of Small Tortoiseshells this year (unlike last year, when I hardly saw a single one round here). This individual was in the Botanical Gardens in Singleton Park:

There are still plenty of Common Blues flying around in the sand dunes on sunny days:

Along with smaller numbers of Small Coppers:

This Speckled Wood was posing obligingly on some Oak leaves on the edge of the local golf course:

There is a Buddleia bush on Swansea seafront which is blooming later than most of the others, and is thus proving a magnet to local butterflies, including the numerous Small Tortoiseshells:

and Red Admirals, which look great from the front:

or the side:

Last year, there was a large influx of Painted Ladies, but, until the last few days, I hadn't seen a single one this year. However, this bush has now pulled in a half-dozen or so of these beauties:

I also saw my first Peacock of the year a couple of days ago:

Thanks to those who have commented in my absence, and I hope to post more very soon!