Red Admiral nectaring on Eryngium planum
Green Hairstreak Butterfly
Callophrys rubi
Green hairstreak on bramble leaf
Essex skipper butterfly
Thymelicus lineola
Essex Skipper perched on grass in soft light
Brown Argus nectaring on Lavender flower buds
British Swallowtail Preening
Papilio machaon britannicus
Norfolk Swallowtail preening its antennae on nettles
Small copper glistening in sunshine
Rimlit Ringlet butterfly
Peacock Butterfly Basking
Inachis io
Young Peacock butterfly absorbing the sun's rays.
Chalkhill blue butterfly basking
Chalkhill blue basking on plant stem
Spot the skipper - landscape
Orange-tip butterfly
Anthocharis cardamines
Male Orange-tip butterfly opening wings
Red Admiral On Heather
Vanessa atalanta
Red Admiral nectaring on heather
Green-veined White Butterfly
Pieris napi
Green-veined white butterfly (female) on burdock
Large Skipper Butterfly
Ochiodes venata
A Large skipper butterfly portrait in black and white
Small Copper Butterfly
Lycaena phlaeas
Small copper butterfly perched on Ragwort
Chalkhill Blue Butterfly
Lysandra coridon
Chalkhill blue butterfly nectaring on small scabious
Common Blue Butterfly
Polyommatus icarus
A female Common Blue butterfly perched on a grass seedhead
Brimstone Butterfly
Gonepteryx rhamni
Brimstone butterfly perched on broad-leaved everlasting pea flower (Lathyrus latifolius)
Large Skipper On Thistle
Ochlodes venata
Large skipper nectaring on creeping thistle
Large Skipper Butterfly
Ochlodes venata
Large skipper perched on reeds
Hesperiidae Butterflies - Essex Skipper
Essex skipper (male) on field scabious
Marsh Fritillary Butterfly
Euphydryas aurinia
Marsh fritillary perching among downland grasses
Grizzled skipper and cobweb
Dingy Skipper Butterfly
Erynnis tages
Ringlet Butterfly
Aphantophus hyperantus
Ringlet butterfly perched on thistle
Vanessid Butterflies - Painted Lady
Painted lady nectaring on pink heather
British Swallowtail Butterfly
Papilio machaon Brittanicus
Norfolk Swallowtail perched on yellow flag iris
Large White female Wings spread with spot showing on English Lavender
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia. A newly emerged Silver-Washed Fritillary butterfly nectaring on bramble flowers at Bedford Purlieus in Cambridgeshire
Small white nectaring on lavender
Small tortoiseshell nectaring on Saw-wort
Meadow brown nectaring on greater knapweed
Green-veined White Butterfly taking off after nectaring on ragged robin
Small copper on water mint flower
Essex Skipper Butterfly
Essex skipper uncurling proboscis
Grayling on bell heather flowers
Meadow brown nectaring on Greater Kanpweed in wildflower meadow
Common Blue Butterfly On Heather
Polyommatus icarus
Common blue butterfly perched on pink ling heather blossom
small skipper in meadow evening light
Large white nectaring on cat's ear flower
Large white nectaring on knapweed
Meadow brown on greater knapweed head on
Rimlit Chalkhill Blue nectaring on Small Scabious
Comma butterfly feeding on blackberry
British Butterflies
I fell in love with butterflies at an early age, fascinated by their vivid beauty, transience and amazing lifecycle. Now of course they are increasingly vulnerable to threats, with many species in decline and they are often seen as a "canary-like" indicator species warning us of the health of our entire ecosystem. Here is a selection of some of my favourite butterfly images, mostly taken in local nature reserves or my own garden in Norfolk and previously Oxfordshire