Searching for Burnets

Yesterday morning I walked up to Hampstead Cemetery to see if I could find some six-spot burnets in the butterfly garden.

I'd seen them there in years past, but when I looked earlier this month I didn't see much of anything. I was concerned that something had happened to drive them away.

I guess it was just too early, though, because I saw several yesterday, flying among the thistles and the purple knapweed. Burnets are one of my favorite insects -- a day-flying moth with bright red spots on a black background, and a red underwing that makes it very colorful in flight.

Look at this one's little curled proboscis!

It turned out to be a good day for butterflies in general. I also saw...

... a small copper...

...and a meadow brown.

There were several types of hoverflies and bees feasting on all the flowers.

And then I came home, and Dave and I spotted this pair of small whites in flagrante on our rose bushes. We did not disturb them.

And then this peacock fluttered into the garden yesterday evening and spent lots of time on one of our buddleias, or butterfly bushes. It actually flew into the house at one point, through an open window, but I was able to shoo it outside again. It went right back to the buddleia, probably very relieved.

So Boris Johnson is going to be the UK's new prime minister. I probably should be upset about this, but honestly, I'm not. I don't agree with him politically, but his election has long seemed inevitable, and although he is somewhat Trumpian in his views I maintain that he is smarter and more politically savvy than Trump. I mostly just want to move ahead and get this godawful Brexit mess over with, in the least damaging way possible -- since at this point there doesn't seem to be any way out of it. Boris's solutions may be harmful, but only time will tell. We'll see where this takes us!