Clouded Yellow, Holly Blue and Small Skipper

In addition to Fritlllaries and Large whites, I had opportunity to photo 3 other species of butterfly whilst camping in Italy, two them new species for me.  The first of these was the Clouded Yellow.

Clouded Yellows are fast flying butterflies, and you can easily find yourself chasing them as they flit from one place to another. However with patience, I was lucky enough to capture a few images.

Clouded YellowPeschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Clouded YellowPeschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Clouded YellowPeschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Clouded YellowPeschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Clouded YellowPeschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

The second was a much smaller butterfly, a Holly Blue - it was sitting low down in the vegetation by the Mincio River so I only got a couple of quick grab shots.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)Peschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)Peschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

The final species, is a butterfly I have seen and photographed many times before. Small Skippers are tiny little butterflies, which presents a challenge in terms of photography. But they also hold their wings at an angle that creates an almost 3D effect, meaning you need additional depth of field. They also fly around very quickly and I had to wait patiently for one or two to come to rest before carefully approaching them for a photograph. The image stabiliser on the Canon 100mm F2.8 IS lens is invaluable in these circumstances. 

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)Peschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)Peschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)Peschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)Peschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)Peschiera del Garda
Lake Garda, Italy

I really enjoyed my early morning walks along the riverside. It's great to photograph new wildlife species and others that you don't see too often (and of course one or two common ones too!)

For more images please go to the Butterfly gallery here.