In the vineyard just across the road from where I saw a pair of hoopoes flying a couple of weeks ago, this morning I saw one again, this time on the ground among the vines – maybe it’s one of the pair. This seems likely since they are territorial birds. It wasn’t long before it noticed me an flew away.
Just a bit further along the road I saw this beautiful small butterfly – a Silver-studded Blue (Plebeius argus):
olivesandartichokes 
What an extraordinary looking bird, and that blue butterfly would look great in my purple garden!! c
That’s a very interesting bird – I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the flesh.
We usually see one or two hoopoes every spring. I think they’re wonderful birds.
Oh my, don´t think I´ve ever seen one of those, how beautiful!
That’s such a beautiful butterfly! Our weather is just now warming enough that the butterflies should be flitting about within a few days. Always a welcome sight.
We had hoopoes here last year. I heard them calling a couple of days ago, they were taking it in turns with the cuckoos! I was outside all morning and hoped to hear them again but it is so windy today, I didn’t see or hear any birds at all.
Great photos of the hoopoe and the butterfly! The black and white stripes are so clear and the mohican very striking. The blue of the butterfly so vibrant – that colour might even tempt me away from turquoise!