Monthly Archive: June 2017

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and Common Vetch (Vicia sativa) - Templecombe, Somerset, UK. ID 822_8068

Summer Hedgerows

The hedgerows are looking good across Somerset. In The Rain The rain was coming down drooping the grass with pearls of water drops. Despite the weather this bumble bee ventured out. The butterflies remained...

Brent Knoll Sunset - From Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK. ID JBA_1029

Brent Knoll

Lynchcombe on the edge of the Mendip Hills has great views across the Somerset Levels.  In the far distance to the east is the hill of Brent Knoll on the Somerset coast.  On a...

Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) - Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK. ID 822_7795

Lynchcombe Steps

Back up to the Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve of Lynchcombe to check on things and count the butterflies. Small Skippers This week the thistles arrived and with them the small skippers (Thymelicus sylvestnis).  They have...

Marbled White (Melanargia calathea) - South Hill, Somerset, UK. ID 822_7638

South Hill – Day Dreaming

I had recently seen some old but beautiful backlit images of marbled whites within their grassland. I wanted to try and replicate this style of picture. So there was only one place to go –...

Marbled White (Melanargia calathea) on Self Heal (Prunella) - South Hill, Somerset, UK. ID 822_7209

South Hill – Marbles Rock

The Somerset Wildlife Trust of South Hill is becoming a real favourite.  Today I returned to find the marbled white butterflies were really rocking. Marble Whites Marbled whites are officially a brown butterfly –...

Marbled White (Melanargia calathea) Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) - South Hill, Somerset, UK. ID 822_6975

South Hill – Pyramid Stage

I had been told by the South Hill warden that the nature reserve was covered in Pyramidal Orchids.  So this was a must visit to the tiny Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve. I did not...

Lynchcombe - Somerset, UK. ID 822_6878

Lynchcombe Steps

An extremely hot day promised much at Lynchcombe.  Would the butterflies come out and get counted? Comma It is possible to see comma butterflies at anytime of the year even on warm winter days...

Weston Airshow 2017 - Uphill, North Somerset, UK. ID 822_6317

Weston Air Festival

This weekend is the Weston Air Festival so where else could I go to watch the displays but the Uphill local nature reserve. May be with a few orchids and butterflies thrown in? The...

Large Blue (Maculinea arion) - Green Down, Somerset, UK. ID 822_5062

Large Blues IV

Today I returned to Green Down for my forth visit. The views from Green Down are beautiful, but today was not about the views instead it was my last chance to get the pictures of the large blues...

Large Blue (Maculinea arion) - Green Down, Somerset, UK. ID 822_5000

Large Blues III

Return visit in the evening to Green Down to photograph the large blue butterflies. Wild Tyme The large blue butterfly is very rare.  One of the reasons must be its complicated lifecycle.  The caterpillars...