Scotland 2019 12: Isle of May Butterflies

There might not have been many birds on the Isle of May in August, but the resident butterfly collection more than made up for this.  I don't think I have ever seen quite so many butterflies in such a small area: mainly Red Admiral, but also Painted Lady and the occasional Peacock.

The next three pictures will, hopefully, give some idea of the sheer number of butterflies on the island.  Most were on the (prolific) Ragwort; but, even on the bare ground, there were dozens of Painted Ladies.  

The shots in this set were taken with a mixture of two lenses: the Fuji 80mm f/2.8 macro, for the butterflies which were close to the path; and the Fuji 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 for those which were more distant.  I was captivated, and could have spent hours photographing these beautiful insects.

Both Harriet and I really loved the Isle of May, and definitely want to go back there.  Next time it will be earlier in the season when, hopefully, there will be lots of birds - especially puffins - in addition to the butterflies.  We might even try to stay at the Bird Observatory for a few nights, if this were possible.  Whatever else, we'll definitely be returning to Anstruther for the amazing fish & chips!