brown,blue and green

As High Summer reaches it's zenith the garden meadow is stroked by the wings of jewelled-flutterers. Brown Argus have emerged alongside Common Blues. They wait like pennants on tall grass stems, until the sun breaks free and energises them, and they flit low between knapweed flowers. Gatekeepers and Skippers already foreshadow the orange-brown autumn colours, but for now the garden is for the butterflies and bees.

 

A hatch of Ruddy Darters keep low to the ground, but a  metallic green needle appears and rests in the longer grass. It's a Willow Emerald, larger than it's common cousins, and gone before it's importance has sunk in. The next day it's not to be found, but a squadron of Migrant and Southern Hawkers make sorties across the open space, darting speedily until the clouds force them to retreat to the shelter of the plum trees, awaiting the oncoming shower.