Camberwell Beauty

26:th of August
We´ve had a rainy August, but the last week gave warmer and sunny weather. Our garden is a delightful place to be this time of the year and so think the butterflies, Peacocks, Commas, Small tortoiseshell, Red Admirals and Camberwell Beauties are flitting around between plum- and appletrees.
The Camberwell Beauty is surprisingly difficult to get good pictures on. They never seem to perch on flowers, just on buildings and high up in trees. This is the best I´ve got on it ever, I´m afraid.

Reddish darters

24:th of August
Sweden´s got a bunch of interesting Dragonflies, that can not be found in Britain for example. I am just picking up on them and so far I can´t say for shure if this is a Common or a Moustached Darter. Maybe you can?

... and from the side.

Brown Hawker

Just take a look at the head of this really big Brown Hawker. Doesn´t it look like a smiling monkey face?

Canary-shouldered Thorn

The last new moth on this night´s canvas was a Canary-shouldered Thorn. Another member of the Moth´s own Pokemon collection. I just can´t believe how fantastic all these creatures look out there in the night.

my lemon puppie

This adorable, little face is worth another close-up, isn´t it? Alflikmätare is the swedish name.

Ennomos alniaria

...and sideways.

Purple hairstreaks

6:th of August
An August highlight on the butterfly scene is of course the late flying Hairstreaks. I set off for just a short bicycle-excursion to see some of them and manage pretty well. At least 7 Purple hairstreaks flit around an oak tree, but mainly up in the canopy, so I have to collect one with my net and get a jar-picture in order to get any picture documentation at all.
At least 7 individuals were seen together.

Brown hairstreak

6:th of August 2008
Brown hairstreak (here a female) is one of the last butterflies to fly in Sweden. This late and so fresh in plumage. What a beauty! Spreading it´s wings on raspberry plants.

Fire flies

...and perhaps even better on the underside!

Mountain expedition

15:th of July
We make this years third trip to the Härjedalen mountains. We walk to the top of one of the easier mountains in the Funäsdalen area. Great views, plenty of flowers in bloom, some Bluethroats, Long-tailed Skuas and Rough-legged Buzzards along the way.
Isn´t Sweden fantastic?

Alpine blue

On the climb we only saw one single butterfly. I just happened to flush a blue on the windy slope and then my son Simon found it in the grass. The wind made it stay put for some close-ups, showing it´s characteristic underwing pattern - An alpine blue!

mystical larvae

This furry caterpillar is not yet identified. Maybe you can help us out!?

On the top

Simon, 14, reaches the top first and places another stone on the sculpture.

Where the wolfbane blooms

The only flower I could identify on the trip: Aconitum lycoctonum. I think it´s called Northern wolfbane in english. Thus the lycantrophic parafrase of the Swedish garageband the Nomads 1985 album in the headline. An interesting flower for lepidopterists, because where it grows you´re supposed to find the rare butterfly Thor´s Fritillary!

yellow orchid

..a orchid-like yellow flower almost on the top.

Gorgeous white

..a gorgeous white on the very high alpine top.

Meadow Brown delight

28:th of July
Tjärnö and Saltö is not a bad area for butterflies. We´ve had a couple of good moth nights with Pine-tree Lappets and stuff, and along the road to the shores and on the nice, grassy meadows, we have seen Scarce Copper, Purple-edged Copper, Wall Brown and Meadow Brown to mention but a few. Meadow Brown produced some nice pics.

Great kayaking

27:th of July 2008
Tjärnö marine research center is a great place for kayaking in the archipelago. We (me and my three sons Max, Leon and Simon) head out just at sunset and paddle out on the sea between all the small islands. It´s incredibly calm and beautiful. As we round the west point of the island Saltö, a seal is appearing not far from us, and follows us around for a while. The sunset skies are pretty, but the horizon in the southwest is producing an even more fantastic light phenomena, as the supercalm surface of the sea blends together with the sky in a blue, oblivious velvet without any visible horizon line. Unfortunately my camera is packed away at the time. But what a night! Sweden is fantastic!