Orange Tip males emerge before the females and set up territories along hedgerows and sunny banks. I'm always surprised by just how bright those wingtips are.
The underside is a mosaic of black and yellow scales that resemble moss or lichen. Good camouflage:
And here's the underside of a Green-veined White that also emerged on the same day:
5 comments:
Nice pics - I love that underside of the OT (is that the female? If not it's extraordinary how well the orange is hidden.
Lovely pics. There've been a few orange tips in Wicklow but I can't get near them.. not even with a long lens. Also some 'whites', not sure if green veined or small white though. Saw a red Admiral on 19th March.
Gill: The female OT's won't be out for just a little while (Cardamine isn't in flower at this location). Both pics are the same specimen.
Aynia: the males are very flighty. I only get a decent shot of them perhaps one year in three. They do quieten down afte a while, but they're not so bright then. The other opportunity is if you can find a freshly emerged one.
Sometimes the cold air of early morning or the evening makes them a bit quieter too - but they (and the gren-veined) are very flighty here too!
lovely pictures of the Orange tip and green veined white Butterflies.
down here in west Cork only seen 1 Small and 1 Large White, and a Small Tortoise.
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