Tuesday 18 May 2010

Orange-tip & Candytuft

Here are some more pictures of yet another harbinger of spring, the Orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines). The undersides of his wings are marked with a mottled camouflage pattern that helps him blend in and go unnoticed among the leaves. The top side of his wings are more striking and are a direct warning telling anybody who fancies a butterfly sized snack that he doesn't taste very nice at all.

He's filling up on the sweetest nectar from Debbie's Candytuft (Iberis Sempervirens). He's a common butterfly in the British Isles but still a very handsome sight.

18 comments:

  1. Wow! I have never seen this guy before, what a great butterfly and a fuzzy guy as well. Thanks so much for sharing the photos of him, I find him fascinating! What a beauty! Thank you for participating in 'Face of the Week', he is truly one of the best, very cool.

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  2. wonderful photos of one of my favourite butterflies...

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  3. Great photos! Well done - I've been trying to get a photograph of this butterfly for a couple of weeks but they just won't settle . . . grrrr!

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  4. Far OUT! (yeah, that shows my age and complete lack of coolness). It took me a tic or two to find the face in the first photo, hence the spontaneous far out!
    He may be common over there, but i think he is stunning and i think i may love the speckeled underside even more that the orange-tip topside!
    Lovely photos!

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  5. Lovely shots :) We don't see too many butterflies around here, but I have seen 1 or 2 in the past couple of weeks.

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  6. Great photos! "Harbinger of spring," I will keep that phrase you used in my head all day as I photograph my city....... You said it first!!!

    Jan
    GDP

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  7. What a lovely bunch of spring flowers and butterflies!

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  8. Oh Wow! I've never even heard of this butterfly. It's gorgeous!

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  9. Wow, awesome capture and closeups of the butterfly. I've never seen this one, it is a beauty!

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  10. Butterflies are wonderful and this is a gorgeous one...have never seen an orange tip butterfly before so this is a real treat. Beautiful photography.

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  11. Wonderful shots. Butterflies are gorgeous and not very good about posing for their portraits!!! Well done!

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  12. Beautiful shot of pretty butterflies. Love all your photos.

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  13. Wow - very good shots of a gorgeous creature!

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  14. lovely series of butterfly photos.
    ..cant seem to find any butterfly here down south. grrrr

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  15. Your Orange-tip butterfly is a lovely little thing, and your photos are fantastic Michael, even more impressive when enlarged. Great detail!

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  16. The butterfly is handsome, indeed! The candytuft is lovely, as well. I visited your sister's blog, and told her you teased about her liking to say, "mini-beasts". LOL I see you also are a contributor to her blog. You both are great photographers.

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