In the UK butterflies are synonymous with hot summer’s days with plenty of sunshine. To sit and watch such beautifully coloured insects flit from flower to flower is a true delight of the British summer. It may surprise you then, that Britain is also home to one species of butterfly that prefers a harder life. The mountain ringlet, as the name suggests, is unlikely to be found in your garden, unless you live high on the fells and mountains of the Lake District or the Highlands of Scotland. Colonies of these small brown butterflies are found mostly above 350m, on grassy slopes and plateaus, where they sip the nectar of small alpine flowers. For such a species to live in one of our toughest environments challenges the perception that butterflies are soft delicate creatures…

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Nature’s Mark – An insight into the world of a nature lover, and the weird and wonderful life I’ve found.