Gatekeeper

I love the way they have another two eyes to make them look bigger I think lovely photo.

Beautiful colours....I wonder if this was the type that was in my garden....I couldn't get to see it open though, only settled with wings closed...........

Just a few of these in the garden right now, but it's quite early in the year for them...and they only fly when it's really sunny.

Although these look quite like Meadow Browns in a photograph they are very different in appearance when you see them "in action" - they're about half the size, much more active in flight (difficult to find one that had landed & would allow me to approach it in fact!) and much brighter orange....actually they just look pure orange when they fly.

I hadn't realised until I photographed this one today that they have kind of dusty silvery/white sheen of scales across their whole surface...it makes them look like they've been powdered somehow.

Ah....this isn't the one in my garden the....probably a type of Meadowbrown...the same size. Yes they do have powder on the wings Ilex, when we've picked up one or two that have been tired by the end of the summer, they been very powdery..........

Another beauty Ilex.
Janey there was one in our garden this morning so they are in this area :) I was going to put a pic on but it isn't as good as this one lol !

Oh good Aster, it is a little beauty......this is the first year we haven't had butterflies in the garden...hopefully it's not too late, and the buddleias are just beginning to flower....:o)

Just put a peacock on here and have seen red admirals too so they are about :))