The Magic of Life Butterfly House - by Colin King

Club visit to The Magic of Life Butterfly House, Vale of Rheidol, Mid Wales
on 28 August 2011

The situation next to the lake at Rheidol is superb, but the butterfly house itself truly excels. We were allowed to arrive a little earlier than other visitors, a definite privilege. Located in an insulated polytunnel, the butterfly house contains a good quantity of tropical flowers and foliage and some of the world’s largest and most attractive butterflies and moths.

As we entered the building we were advised gently to warm up our lenses using a fan heater. Just as well! Any cool lenses immediately fogged over with the tremendous heat and humidity, giving an unwanted and long-lasting ‘soft focus’ effect! The centre’s staff could not have been more helpful, explaining many things and pointing out some of the best camouflaged butterflies, all too easily missed among the leaves.

In the antechamber before the main room were two enormous Atlas moths, easily the size of a large male hand. Within, however, were the main beauties. With their short life span of only a week or two, constant replacement is essential. The butterflies are bred in a special cabinet and some could be seen emerging pristine from their pupae. Others were flying around in abundance, some conveniently posing while sipping nectar from the tropical flowers and others fluttering around (and very hard to photograph in flight).

It soon became clear that a macro lens and flash gun with diffuser are very helpful with butterflies (of course a ring flash would be even better…). They bring out the fine details that are so hard to see by eye and help to freeze the frenetic movement of some of the creatures.

As well as the flying form, there were many caterpillars, some of them quite large and clearly very hungry, others red and covered in dangerous-looking spikes.

The large variety of gorgeously-coloured butterflies, the well-spaced vegetation and the helpful staff made this a most successful club visit, and some really spectacular photos were taken by the members who visited.

Highly recommended:
http://www.magicoflife.org