Tag: European Peacock Butterfly

My First Butterfly of 2025

Describing my first butterfly sighting of 2025, with a picture of the butterfly and a large photo gallery.

I will present a full photo gallery at the end of this post as usual, but the feature is indicated by the title.

THE SIGHTING

Yesterday morning in the course of my extended walk to the bus stop for work I had reached the final stage, a short trip along a stretch of the Gaywood River that briefly runs parallel to Gaywood Road, from where I get the bus, and was already reasonably pleased with the photos I had got – it was bright, sunny and by the standards of early March it was warm as well. Before crossing Loke Road, next to the bridge that takes that road across the Gaywood, I had managed to photograph a pair of swans just before they left my field of vision as they headed in the opposite direction to me. I was not expecting anything further, but halfway between the bridge and the path through to Gaywood Road (it pretty much hits Gaywood Road at the bus stop) I spotted a European Peacock butterfly among the dry reeds at the far edge of the river from me. I managed to get a photograph. This butterfly is no great rarity, nor is King’s Lynn outside its usual range, but even so is is rare to get a sighting this early in the year. I emailed Butterfly Conservation about it last night and received an enthusiastic response this morning.

My first butterfly sighting of 2025.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Here is the rest of today’s gallery…

Channel Islands 8: Exploring Alderney – Roman Fort and Home

Continuing my account of my holiday in the channel islands. The main feature of today’s post is Alderney’s Roman Fort.

Welcome to the latest installment in my series about my recent holiday in the channel islands. Today we look at the second half of Wednesday’s explorations.

THE ROMAN FORT

The Roman fort is well preserved although there is also a considerable amount of stuff there relating to the German occupation. Admission is free, and there is a detailed plan just inside. Why only one Roman fort when the Victorians deemed the island worthy of 18? The Romans controlled the English Channel in its entirety, so no hostile power could have used these any of these islands as a base from which to attack them – the main danger to Rome would have been pirates looking to base fleets there.

THE REST OF THE WALK

We now headed back on a long circuit towards Braye. We saw some more forts, and when we hit a road once again a taxi was called, four of the five of us electing to get home that way while my sister chose to keep walking. Before I share a general gallery, this is the image that now forms my desktop background:

Now for the general gallery…

Now it is time to sign off with a view of Fort Clonque:

This shot was taken from distance.