I think my camera may have seized up or is in it's bag sulking because it's not been taken out much recently! This has more to do with the weather and traffic than any other restrictions.
However, after an abysmal day yesterday in that it rained all day long, this morning dawned bright and sunny and a flutter took full advantage of this to visit the hydrangeas in my mother's front garden.
HOWEVER, what is it? I've looked in the books and I'm undecided - I think (!) it's a Gatekeeper but on the other hand is it a meadow brown? The marking on the upper wings suggests Gatekeeper but the underside ???
Apart from cropping I've not edited the pictures at all.
Any help would be appreciated?
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14 comments:
Hi Tricia, it's a Gatekeeper
Hi Steve - thank you so much; I was hoping it would be!! :D
I agree it's a Gatekeeper - a female one at that :)
Sorry, I meant to say a Male! :P
Busy weekend Tricia. Sounds like you had the same weather I've had last couple of days.
Nice Gatekeeper ;)
Beautiful pictures Tricia x
Hi its definitly a Gatekeeper
How weird, saw one very similar in my garden for the first time today and assumed it was a meadow brown (with my poor butterfly knowledge).
After looking at yours and a quick google for the two species, I think mine was a gatekeeper too (female). Or as I christened it, the "1970s curtains butterfly".
Nice images of the Gatekeeper.
Nice images of the Gatekeeper.
Well done on your Gatekeeper Tricia. A way to ID them from meadow Browns, is the Gatekeeper has two white dots in the black eye, the MB has only one.
Oh I'm so envious I'm just starting to read up on the fluuterby's and moths but it's taken such a long time with the birds I reckon the task with these creatures is going to be a mammoth one - lovely looking butterfly though Tricia!!
Jayne
Liz, thanks.
Keith - exciting weather wasn't it!
Karen - Thank you
Alcester Nature photography (sorry, don't know what else to address you as??) Thanks to you to for the ID
Anna - yes I was hovering between the two but it was the "double" spot that finally decided me.
NatureStop - thank you
Warren - thanks for the confirmation of how to tell them apart. It was the underside of the wing that had me pondering!
Jayne - thank you - there's so much to learn in wildlife generally - but it's a rewarding learning curve!
It was the amount of orange that convinced me in the end. The meadow brown seems to have less than the gatekeeper.
Next time I'll look for the spots!
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