Category: RANDOM

These cabbage whites – a name redolent with faint scorn (contrast Purple Emperor, Red Admiral, Peacock etc) – were out and about on a warm Dorset July day. They couldn’t actually get at the cabbages / purple sprouting broccoli, where they no doubt would have liked to lay their eggs – too well covered over. So I decided to see if they merited a photo-shoot in their own lepidopteran right. I think close-to they have their own beauty.

I’m often surprised how ragged the wings of a butterfly can get, without its flight being affected. I guess it is the sign of impending doom though, a rather sad thought…

A WINTER BUZZARD ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

We saw this buzzard in a tree by the ramparts of Carisbrooke Castle from some distance away. Believing it would fly away at any moment, I started to take photos every few paces as we approached the tree. It stayed put, watching us carefully. I ended up with a batch of photos that improved as we got nearer the bird. Finally I got the one I wanted, with the sun just right. Thank goodness for digital cameras and the delete button for the earlier attempts…