A happy Monday morning wishes to all, hope that your week has started well. My week could not have started any better when early on I woke up to glorious sunshine. I happen to glance out of the window to the front garden and the buddleia bush and there I saw the most beautiful butterflies, five different species. They were fluttering among the honeybees of which there were over half a dozen. I stood watching them for a long time and only then thought about taking some photos and I’m glad that I did because in a way I feel that I have captured their beauty to share with so many others, and that makes me happy!
What a beautiful time of the year it is!
This is a peacock butterfly, it is found all over Ireland. It hibernates during the winter. It’s got to be the most beautiful of the butterflies in Ireland.
This was amazing, so many species on the one flower spike, there is the red admiral, these feed on over-ripe fruit and also in particular you see them on the buddleia bush. There is also a painted lady and a small tortoise butterfly. Not to forget the lovely honeybee, it’s so nice to see many of these around isn’t it, knowing that they are on the decline.
After I had stood there for a long time watching them, there came a neighbour’s cat and she could think of nothing better to do but to try and catch the butterflies, she managed to get hold of one branch of flowers and destroyed that, but the butterflies were able to escape and of course, much as I love cats, she got chased away very quickly by me.
agoyvaerts 
it truly is a butterfly bush. Lucky you. My buddleia attracts bees but I haven’t seen many butterflies – too cold? too windy? too many cats?
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Yes the cats certainly love to chase the butterflies!
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Lovely post ! I love that you identify the butterflies. We have red admirals and painted ladies here in South Jersey, USA. Not sure about the others.
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Thank you Jodi. Glad you too have the red admirals, they have got to be one of the most beautiful ones, that is apart from the real tropical butterflies. It gives so much joy to see them doesn’t it.
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Always! We had a Luna moth a few days ago. Up high and I had no camera – but I loved it!
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So lovely to see these beautiful creatures isn’t it Jodie!
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These pictures are priceless, Agnes. So glad you were not too mesmerised to remember the camera! Thank you for sharing. Had to laugh at the cat 🙂
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Thank you Mary, I am so happy that you enjoy them. 🙂 Guess what, the cat was sitting on the box that is standing there, no she was lying there, making more plans for butterfly gourmet meals I think, but I won’t let her 🙂
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Her expression seems to say, I wish I can fly 🙂
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Reblogged this on Life is But This and commented:
I was uplifted by these images of butterflies – but here comes the cat!
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🙂 yes it was rather funny in a way. She did ruin some of the buddleia but it is near to finishing flowering now anyway.
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you can see how all the spots and stripes on the wings mimic clusters of flowers with their dark centers and bright petals…and then, the errant catt! LOVE IT….what a great morning you shared…Merci Beaucoup!
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You are so welcome Rox, it caught me by surprise too and was delighted of course, until the cat came, but all the same it is a beautiful cat too 🙂 I never thought of butterflies as mimicking flowers but think it is a lovely idea of yours.
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the cat’s striped tail seems it should belong to another cat…
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Haha, good thinking Rox 🙂
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great pics. I had to look up buddleia, as I thought, I just had planted one of the same this spring. But over here they are called summer lilacs. However, it is the same plant, but mine is almost through with blooming.
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They are a wonderful shrub/tree, yes here they grow into trees, I only planted mine last autumn and already it is much higher than I am. Delighted with the lovely scented flowers which of course attract all the bees and butterflies.
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Butterflies of the wonderfull life!! They are like little flying flowers! Good you chased the naughty cat…
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Life is so much fun sometimes, if we notice, isn’t it Vanessa 🙂
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Fabulous photos. I have been lacking butterflies in my area, so I am really enjoying yours.
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Sorry to hear this and hope it will soon change for you. I’m getting more and more interested in them lately.
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How wonderful to have so many butterflies. With the exception of some whites, and ringlets we’ve had very few butterflies here in the west this year. Too wet I think!
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What a shame, having said that, up to now I had only seen two small tortoiseshell butterflies, and then all of a sudden yesterday so many! Not sure why but it was a warm day.
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That’s really wonderful that you still have some different kinds of butterflies in Ireland, dear Agnes. This year I nearly only saw the white ones. We also have a buddleia in our garden and it’s full of bees and butterflies. We can do a lot for nature in planting special things that they like. Thanks for sharing, hope you’re fine, kind regards from finally warm Hamburg, Mitza
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You are very right in what you say, we should plant flowers and shrubs especially to feed the butterflies and the honeybees. I’m so glad that it finally warm there Mitza, you deserve extra warmth after such a bad weather lately. By the way I have already earmarked another buddleia to plant in the back garden too. The are very easy to propagate 🙂 kind regards to you too.
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Thanks a lot for your kind words,A gnes. In a few days I will fly to Greece. I’m longing for the sun, the sea, the nice people and good food. When do you fly to Malta? Have a nice day, kind rega ds Mitza
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29th of September Mitza, housesitters are arriving a few days before to come and live in our house here, I do hope that they have a good winter.
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You’re lucky to spend the winter in the south, dear Agnes. I wish I could do that, too. Have a good time and a lot of fun, kind regards Mitza
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Thank you very much Mitza 🙂
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Naughty cat!
I saw honeybees on the rocket flowers yesterday which was a very pleasing sight. They don’t very often appear in my garden.
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Delighted for you Helen!
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Ew, love the.. ‘vibrance’ 🙂
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Thank you kindly Kutukamus.
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Wat een schitterende natuurbeelden
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Dank u wel, ben blij dat je ervan genoot.
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Taking pics of bees and butterflies is so much fun. I feel really good when the photo is clear. And I think cats just love having their picture taken.
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Yes i feel the same Carolina, if a photo comes out well and gives lots of beautiful detail it makes me happy too.
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