Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds

Strolling through Lawnswood Cemetery, I stood beneath the canopies of a row of Copper Beech and was drawn to the vibrancy of colour present in the spring leaves, more than equal to the saturated warmth of their autumn foliage. High levels of anthocyanin mask the green color of the chlorophyll and are responsible for making the leaves appear as a copper or purple color. Here their colour is further enhanced by early evening sun.  

We continued down the path and disturbed a Red Admiral butterfly, a few metres away from the location of our previous sighting a week or two ago. As it took to the wing, I stood still to watch it loop around and return to the exact same spot at the edge of a headstone. The striking butterfly with its orange banded forewings stood out against the contrasting stone and shadow.