Bentley Wood, pt 2

Below are some more images from Bentley Wood yesterday, including Her Majesty, the Purple Emperor.  This mythical butterfly is rare in England and even here at it's stronghold, is difficult to find.  We only saw four and were exceptionally lucky to see, let alone photo, a female sunning herself on a path.  For some reason, she did not want to move from the puddle, even when a tractor drove past.

Female Purple Emperor resting on the warm track at about 10am

Female Purple Emperor, video grab, courtesy of John Chapple.

Large Skipper, male, one of hundreds seen during the day.

Male Silver-washed Fritillary

Female Silver-washed Fritillary being shown interest from a male.