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Browns (Nymphalidae)
The Nymphalidae is our largest family of butterflies, which also includes the Aristocrats and the Fritillaries. They are medium to large in size. They effectively only have four legs, as the front pair are vestigial.
Gatekeeper - A fairly common species and medium sized. Similar to Meadow Brown but smaller, generally brighter coloured and their eye spots contain two white dots, as opposed to the meadow brown's one. We've started getting an odd individual in our garden.
Male
Female
Grayling - A very dull, generally grey species. Fairly large but difficult to see as they blend into their background. Often found on dune, dry heath and stoney ground, all of which camouflage them. The first one I ever saw, at Red Rocks on the Wirral coast, I thought was a moth. It looked so dull (pic.2). They do have some orangey colouration on their upper wings and the base of their top outer wings, but they always rest with their wings together, so this is difficult to see.
Large Heath - This is a specialist of peat bog. There are very few sites where you can see them in England. I'm lucky that one of those sites is Whixall Moss, which is only about an hour away. Not a particularly striking butterfly either. Nice to see all the same. Another species which refuses to bear it's upperwings for inspection. Always rests with them closed.
Marbled White - This is a stunning butterfly you would think would belong to the family of Whites, but no it's a Brown. One of the few actually expanding it's territory, albeit slowly.
Meadow Brown - Probably our commonest butterfly. Can be seen in big numbers in undisturbed grassland. Often looking pale and worn by late Summer. Few would argue that it's one of our prettiest butterflies but a freshly emerged female is rather nice.
Male
Female
Mountain Ringlet - This one is a challenge to see. Unless you live near the western side of Central Scotland or the Lake District and are reasonably fit. It only lives above 1500ft and you have to pick your date, day and location very carefully. It's very similar to the Scotch Argos in appearance and habit, but smaller and it doesn't have the white spot at the centre of the black eye spots on the wings.
Two specimens seen on Iron Fell, nr.Eskdale at the end of June.
Ringlet - Another very common species, again in long grass, verges, canalsides etc. Unless I just never used to notice them, they seem much more common than they were. A freshly emerged male is quite stunning in dark chocolate brown, if a little plain in pattern. The females rings are far more prominent.
Male
Female
Scotch Argus - Another real rarity, outside Scotland. There is just a couple of sites in Cumbria for the english to see them. A sun loving grassland species. I saw mine at Arnside Knott in S.Cumbria. Similar to Ringlet but with a nice patch of orange around the rings.
Small Heath - Like the Large Heath they always rest with their wings together. A shame really as they're quite orange on the upperside which really stands out when you see them in flight. They tend to like heath and poor, undisturbed short grassland.
Speckled Wood - A common species of woodland and large hedgerows. They will often come into our garden in Aug/Sept, lured in by fruit rotting on the ground. They like to bask a lot with wings held flat.
Female
Wall - A butterfly that has declined a lot in number. They're usually by the coast on a hot, dry day when I encounter them. They seem to like rocky areas and stoney paths, where they frequently bask in the sun. Medium sized. Photo 1 was taken at South Stack on the Anglesey coast. Photo 2 is an exception. There is a colony on the side of a quarry in Much Wenlock, Shrops.
Male
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