I saw a few Small Tortoiseshell butterflies in England, and several in Germany, but there in Holland they seem to be the dominant species right now, outnumbering even the Cabbage Whites. Such a beauty! And perched (and feeding on) the purple flowers makes the beauty just that much more obvious. I took way too many Tortoise shell pics 🙂

Canon SX50HS at 1800mm equivalent (full zoom plus 1.5x digital tel-extender). Program with -1/3 EV exposure compensation. Processed in PicSay Pro on the Nexus 7.

And for the Sunday Thought. I am on the 10th day of a 12 day swing through England, Germany, and Holland. The trip has centered on birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and nature observation in general, and on optics for nature observation (which is, after all, my business). I have seen parts of Germany I have never seen before and, though I have visited Rutland Water in the UK many times and the Oostvaardersplassen in Holland just a year ago, there is always something new to see. And my business puts me in contact with people, wherever I go, who are as interested in nature and nature observation as I am. It is a good life 🙂 and I am reminded of that every time I have to explain my job to a new acquaintance, as I have done many time on this trip. God is good. What else can you say? Happy Sunday.