Saturday 5 September 2015

Moving into Autumn

We've enjoyed a glorious Highland day today, with the temperature in the shade rising to 18C, and a gentle northerly wind. But there was a chill in the air early - the temperature last night dropped to 9C. The berries on the rowan trees are ripening into their autumn colours, and....

....the small birds that move away to warmer climes have either already left, like the martins, or are thinking about it, like this pied wagtail.  Most of the swallows have gone, leaving the few who have stuck it here to feast on the midges that the warmer weather has brought out.

Amongst the butterflies, there are a few whites and a peacock or two still around, but several of those still flying are looking a bit battered. I assumed this was a scotch argus when I took the picture, but it seems to lack the white in the centre of the eyes, so wonder if this is a lost mountain ringlet, a species we have yet to see.

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