tortoiseshell butterflies

This week is the start of a national butterfly survey. We are encouraged to go outside for 15mins or so and count them. My count today was 6 small tortoiseshell and a couple of small whites on the wing.

Tortoiseshell butterfly on wild scabious flower.

A rather pale tortoiseshell, weather beaten sunning and feeding today in the garden.

Small tortoiseshell thrusting its proboscis to reach the nectar in this thistle flower-head.