small pearl bordered fritillary

we went in search of the marsh fritillary today at Wimalford farm which lies in the long narrow valley of the Fowey river that runs down from Bodmin moor south of Jamaica Inn. The area is very marshy and covered in low scrub, cotton grass and heath spotted orchids. It was dull and overcast and we didn't find any marsh fritillaries but we managed to spot two small pearl bordered fritillaries, one of which was torpid enough to allow some close up photos.

after the show

elegy on a steam engine

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The plume of steam winds slowly o'er the lea,
As the engine homeward plods its weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

two herds and a tractor

It was Duchy College open days this week end. I am not sure what the equine students were doing but they enjoyed it, including Daisy and the boy in a tutu.

giving way

a traffic jam on a sunny evening (large dog behind pony is Sox, not visible is shetland pony on leading rein, and Jess, spaniel of Goosewell, below, who was all dressed up in hot pursuit of Harriet, who also is feeling quite hot)

pennywort

wall pennywort (also called navelwort, aka umbilicus rupestris) growing on hedge boundary wall with some foxgloves, Duchy College in the background, and the first tortoiseshells of this year's new batch.

heath fritillary

at long last, a photo of a butterfly (a very tattered heath fritillary) on a butterfly orchid, it is a meadow icon. I am not sure why butterfly orchids are so named but I have never seen a butterfly on one before. There are a lot in the meadows this year. The butterflies were very docile after 48 hours of wind and rain which allowed some unusually close close ups. I have always liked the effect created by sunlight shining through the wings.