Territorial behaviour

 Today in my garden, two butterflies spent over a minute flying round and round each other in a whirling ball of wings.  When they stopped and one of them perched for a rest, I saw that they were speckled woods.  The males of this species are renowned for trying to scare rivals off their territory in this way.

Photo: Alan Watts

Also today I thought there seemed to be more birdsong: coal tits, blue tits and especially robins.  Now this is the time of year when male and female robins cease co-operating to raise nestlings and prepare for winter rivalry.  The song is a way of staking out territory.

Photo: Nadya Webster