Holly Blue

I've always enjoyed seeing the Holly Blues this time of year, but have never been lucky enough to catch one on camera.  This one, however, hung around long enough for me to faff about and still get a picture.

I was wondering how to tell if I was looking at a male or female, when she gave the game away by curling her abdomen and laying some eggs.

Most definitely one of my favourite butterflies.  My next challenge is to get a shot of the upperside.  Might be a while!