Pete's Walks - Painted Lady

Photo taken 18/05/22 at Studham Common, Beds

I first saw these by a mass of Ragwort beside the path through the Ringstead Down Nature Reserve in Norfolk, which was a haven for a variety of butterflies.

In 2009, there was a remarkably high influx of these tiny migrants, due to good winter rains in their breeding grounds in the Atlas mountains of North Africa. I saw several on a walk on May 28 that year, from Kensworth to Redbourn. A month later, they were looking rather faded and battered, as the photos below show.

Photo taken 15/06/18 at Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk.

Photo taken 28/05/09 between Markyate and Flamstead, Herts.

Photo taken 24/06/09 between Hexton, Herts., and Barton-le-Clay, Beds.

Photo taken 24/06/09 near Barton-le-Clay, Beds.

Picture omitted

Photo taken 9/8/14 at Bison Hill, Whipsnade, Beds