Irish Butterflies

Late May 2018 – 

I was lucky enough to catch a few shots of Small Blues mating… pervert, I am!

A Happy Day in May 2017 – The sun shone!

Evanescent – Some Word!

01 Apr 2017 – Gosh, I seemed to have missed the whole 2016! Mind you, I’m sure I added photos. So, here’s the deal. Today, I’m beginning a new plan. To support Biodiversity Ireland’s Butterfly Atlas Project 2017 to 2021. Let the fun begin! Here are a few of the butterflies that were willing to venture out on AFD2017. I think one of these blues met its end… into the belly of a blackbird! (Sorry… I had to add the bumblebee!)

30 Aug 2015 – My season just gets better. Today I’m adding the Silver-washed Fritillary to the list. This female was my first and so far only sighting. Last year, while walking in Togher Wood in Co Laois, I thought I spotted one flying through a clearing so when we visited the area this year I had to go looking.

I took what I thought was a direct route to the same clearing and within minutes of getting there I was rewarded. I was looking at a Small Tortoiseshell feeding on bramble flowers when this lady appeared. I took many photos and walked on, in the hope of seeing a male as well. No luck, so I returned to the bramble patch and got many more photos.

Do click here to visit a post I did, showing a few different views… and then, if you want to read more about butterflies then click here to visit the massively impressive site of Adrian Hoskins…  Learn About Butterflies must surely be the most comprehensive fountain of butterfly knowledge I’ve ever stumbled upon!

The Silver-washed Fritillary

21 Aug 2015 – It’s amazing what a few days of sunshine offers… the butterflies go crazy and my camera shutter goes crazier!! Have a look at the gallery… you may enjoy it.

Today Was a Good Day…

30 June 2015 – I only copped on a few days after snapping this butterfly that I’d managed another new species for this page. I’ve only got the one photo but that means I’ve met my own requirement. So, here’s an example of the one and only…

Large Heath

07 June 2015 – What a day for this page. I visited North Bull Island in search of a bit of sunshine and in the hope of spotting a few butterflies. The Marsh Fritillary is known to frequent this location and I’ve paid quite a few unsuccessful visits in the past so it was special when I spotted my first specimen.

However, by this time I’d already identified two other new sightings to tick off my list and also found two pairs of Common Blues mating. A real fun few hours. So, let me begin with the first species. Unfortunately, I only managed to see one of these… (and in the attempt of snapping more pics almost broke my ankle in a rabbit warren… ) Update: 05 Sep 2015. I managed getting a few more photos along the Royal Canal near NKCC…

Painted Lady

While I was wandering around I noticed these little low flying browns. They reminded me of Meadow Browns but were tiny in comparison. Home research confirmed that they stay close to the ground and never sit with open wings so I may have been lucky with the slightly blurred image of the one as it came in to land.

Small Heath

Last but not least, I found the illusive target of the other visits! When I did find them I almost stood on the first two as they were sitting quite still, allowing me a few photos.

Marsh Fritillary

Then… as I mentioned… there were blues mating! Love is in the air so I’ll add a few for posterity!!

Mating Common Blues

10 May 2015 – This has been a good year so far, when the sun shows it’s face. I managed to catch sight of another first… the Holly Blue. OK, I only have one photo but as they say in the classics… one is better than none! So, that’s my 3rd first for 2015!

Holly Blue

Holly Blue Update: 10 Aug 2015 – I eventually stumbled on a hot spot so I can place a gallery…

Spot Me… if you can!!

How’s this for shouting spot me if you can? I’m leaving you with the unedited, uncropped pic for effect. (I did add a few extras to the OT gallery…)

07 April 2015 – So… now I add another first! Do please click here to read how it happened. I only have a few photos at this stage so please be patient… I’ll be pursuing more soon!

Brimstone

22 March 15 – Well, to say this year’s butterflying has begun with a flutter will be an understatement! A few Small Tortoiseshell survivors of the winter hibernation have been flitting about in the garden for a few days, allowing me photos this weekend.

Then, we went down to Arklow and my hope that I’d find an early species was richly rewarded. We were out walking in the woodlands when daughter called…

“Dad… here’s a butterfly!”

I caught a glimpse and thought it was another Small Tortoiseshell but the lad sat down on the wooden slats OF the bridge long enough for me to get a few hurried snaps. It was a Red Admiral… so I’ve added additional photos to the gallery below.

On the walk back GSK and I spotted a butterfly hurriedly cruising along. We followed and were rewarded with seeing my first Comma. Someone had dumped kitchen rubbish along the path. Fortunately it was veggie scarps which must have attracted the butterfly. It’s probably about the first time in my life I was grateful that someone had dumped household trash. There you have it… if the first butterflying weekend began so well then it’s surely gonna be a bumper year!

Comma

20 July 14 – Small Skipper. Often we think we know something about something and then we’re surprised to learn that our bits of research have paid off! Yep, I was aware of the existence of the Small Skipper and knew it lived near my hometown. So, when the information was passed on about a field walk at the only Irish location I was quick to find myself there.

Need more info? Do click here… only one thing, this UK site still thinks there are no Irish residents… sad, but true! (If you want to remind yourself of the day I first lay eyes on these new little residents the do please click on the link…

What’s All The Fuss About?

29 June 2014 – This may in time turn out to be my best butterfly photo. We worked hard to make it happen! The 4-year-old Wibbly Wobbly Wonder sure knew how to keep his cool and not rush things. The butterfly was rather obliging as well… only flitting to the next flower when it was disturbed by our efforts. We managed the photo at the fourth attempt.

I will hasten to add that no butterflies or children were harmed during the shooting of the photo! Once the shot was taken we left the beast alone…

10 July 2014 – Following on from the Wibbly Wobbly Wonder’s antics… the GLW decided if the little fella can do it then so can she. No, she was actually rescuing this Meadow Brown from a spider’s web…

06 April 2014 – OMBH has the pleasurable distinction of recording the first 2014 sighting of a Green-veined White for the Butterfly Ireland site… here’s the proud specimen as seen on the day…

30 Aug 2013 – Summer is almost over so this may not be the best time to begin a page devoted to the fluttery friends that grace our environment during the few warmer months of the year. However, the Good Lady and I are building a good selection of photos so, before it becomes a chore to upload them I’ll make a start with a few photos I tool last September.

I’ll include a link to the Butterfly Ireland website where we log our sightings. They show one or two of our photos in the 2013 gallery, so if you should think a photo is familiar then you may just be correct. This page will evolve with time but I think the best format will be to build separate galleries for each species…

Chasing Butterflies…

https://ouchmybackhurts.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/chasing-butterflies/

Butterfly Habits?

https://ouchmybackhurts.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/mopey-monday/

Cryptic Wood White – June 2014 – this butterfly occurs only in Ireland. I have been mistaking my sightings for the very similar Wood White. Click here to read a little more. 

Small Tortoiseshell 

Green Veined White

Peacock

Small White – I’m not too sure these are all Small White’s… there may even be the odd Large White’s in the gallery…

Small Copper

Orange Tipped White (at this point I only have a few old, blurry pics)

Common Blue

Ringlet – Unfortunately I only have one pic at this stage… 27 June 14 update… and then two come along in one day… 

Speckled Wood – I was fortunate to find a small group living near the fig tree… nectaring on rotting fruit… no other butterflies visited… have this lot learned a new trick? 

Red Admiral – I don’t have too many just yet… 

Meadow Brown – 17 June 2014 – My first recorded sighting

Moths – Chasing butterflies is quite addictive… one can follow a specimen for a few minutes, hoping it will land so one can get a decent close up… then on other occasions another set of wings flaps by. A moth! I have over time taken photos of the little critters, if they sit still long enough for me to get a snap of two.

So, although I’ll not try to identify all Ireland’s 200 plus species I’ll add photos in this gallery just to prove I did actually see a moth or three. Ok, there are many “micro moth” species that won’t be too easy to show so I’ll stick with the “macros”…