Tag Archives: Gatekeepers

Two mating orange and brown butterflies with black and white markings

Gatekeepers. Photo: Shona Refoy

A greenish yellow butterfly with some brown markings nectaring on a pale pink flower

Brimstone. Photo: Shona Refoy

Two photos from Shona, both taken yesterday, 20/07/2021 and sent in telling us:

I went to Garston Wood yesterday morning, but by 8.30am I couldn’t stand the horseflies any longer, so I left and went to Badbury Rings instead!  It was pretty hot by the time I got there, so most of the butterflies weren’t settling, apart from this pair of Gatekeepers who were otherwise occupied!  I then came across this beautifully fresh female Brimstone in the wooded area in the middle of the Rings, my first of the new brood.

view of mating Gatekeepers showing under hind-wings

Gatekeepers Mating. Photo: Rex Bale

Rex photographed these mating Gatekeepers on 3/07/18 on the heath at Thornicombe Woods.

Rex says that despite the lack of sun there were a lot of butterflies about that morning including Silver-studded Blues which have not been recorded on that site before.