A brief film of a male Wall Brown Butterfly Lasiommata megera basking in a sunny spot on the ground. Filmed in a woodland clearing in the Vendée, France. Unfortunately there was woodland maintenance being performed nearby, and the butterfly may have been reacting to the vibration from a mechanical saw when it was switched on - not enough to disturb it though. Wall Browns can prove to be frustrating subjects in front of a camera as they are peripatetic, they fly very fast, and the can be disturbed very easily by the slightest movement, often landing not far away, and then repeating this behaviour when approached again - often doing so several times before eluding the camera completely. They can provide plenty of exercise for a photographer! They are easier to capture early or late in the day. The nick in the hindwing of this fresh looking butterfly may have been caused by snagging it on a thorn, or by a failed attempt at predation by by a bird. The eyespots on the wings are employed as flash colouration to deter predators, and when the wings are closed the cryptic markings of the underside make these butterflies hard to see.
19 окт 2023
