We've been enjoying fine, dry weather for the past couple of days, but with the wind in the north - the direction which brings the best weather - there's a chill in the air even though the temperature in the sunshine has, at times, reached a dizzy 22C.
The buddleia under our bedroom window has been in flower for ten days but it's hardly seen a butterfly until yesterday, when a tortoiseshell appeared. It was soon joined by a couple of....
....very smart red admirals.
When photographing these beautiful animals there's a tendency to concentrate on the brighter upper side of the wings, yet....
....the apparently less showy undersides can be far more spectacular. This is a red admiral but the painted lady, of which we've not seen one yet this year, is an outstanding example.
The buddleia is now a mass of insects though there are some which appear to spurn it. The most common butterfly at present is the green-veined white, yet they don't feed on this plant.
It's high summer but, with that chill in the air, there are the first signs of a changing season. Crane flies are flying erratically around the place before crashing into the undergrowth....
....the cob nuts are swelling on the hazel, and....
....tucked into hollows in the damp soil, puffball toadstools are appearing. With the Scottish schools back next week, summer seems to be slipping away. But.... I prefer autumn.
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