Bluebell, brimstone and orange-tip butterflies

Brimstone nectaring on bluebell

 
​As sunlight pours down woodland rides and illuminates glades the butterflies respond. Dancing together through sunlight and shadows, sometimes they alight on a flower.
A brimstone clings  inside the bell of a bluebell,  its proboscis seeking nectar,
Butterflies are volatile and when they settle to feed camouflage protects them from predators. The brimstone wing resembles a leaf in shape, with veins like a leaf.   That wing-shape can often be a sure identification feature, since colour changes with the incidence of sunlight. 

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Butterflies seek to be invisible and they often succeed.  Alighting on a flower, they can disappear amongst foliage. The incidence of sunlight confers colour, and can blaze it out.   In flight, small whites have a creamy under-wing.  Male brimstone can look bright yellow, or be sun-dazzled to white.   Green underwings tell a brimstone is female but sunlight modifies shades of green.  With a slight shift of position I see colour change as I'm taking photographs.  

Banks of primrose, bluebell, wood anemone and wild strawberry border the track. Herb Paris flowers in the shade beneath the trees.  A sun-filled butterfly glade with wild garlic, bluebell and celandine attracts butterflies and gradually we see a rhythm and pattern in their response to sunlight and their choice of flower.  Only white butterflies nectar on the starry white flowers of wild garlic.   Peacock and brimstone like dandelion and bluebell.  Orange-tip nectar  on bluebell and on garlic mustard which is coming into flower. 
This year  begins so differently from last  when April was cold and there was much rain later in spring.  A long period of dry weather and some warm days is, perhaps, a better beginning for butterflies.  Despite the warm weather we do not see dragonflies or damsels and this woodland can be a good location to see them. They will be on the wing from April to October.