'Common' may be a derogatory term in some usages of English but it is also a proud one, as in the Common People of Magna Carta, the House of Commons, the Commonwealth and the concept of Common Law. In the same way, it is a badge of pride for some of our most beautiful butterflies, which are all the more to be valued because they are easy to find.
The male Common Blue, above, is a glorious example even if he makes you wait before he opens his wings. By far the commonest way to see him or his female mate, whose top wings are much darker but also exquisite, is with their wings folded as in the photo below.
Patience is a virtue and if you stand quietly, the butterfly will often (although not always) give you a little glimpse of its hidden beauty as below.
Wait a little longer and you may get more, before the ultimate reward of fully-spread wings as in my first picture. The closely related Brown Argus butterfly is the same but on this occasion, in the Trap Grounds nature reserve by the canal in central Oxford, I did not have to wait so long for it to perform.
Dragon and damselflies were out in the delectable sunshine too, including this female Ruddy Darter whose large round eye catches the light in my second picture from at least 50 yards away.
Finally for today, Penny found this lovely little nest on the gravel in front of our house. We think that it must be a wren's because of its very small size. No wonder that the workmanship which goes into creating these lovely, cosy homes has made 'nesting' a much-favoured word in the English language.
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