The biggest sensation of the year 2012 in Finnish nature was the mass immigration of Scarce Tortoiseshells. Normally this butterfly is extremely rare in Finland, but now there were lots of sightings. My first sighting of the species didn´t produce good pictures, so the next day, I was eager for another opportunity. I was photographing with a friend, and I showed her the place where I had spotted the butterfly a day earlier, and to my surprise, there it was again!



Unfortunately, the place was not good for photos, and getting closer without scaring the butterfly away was difficult. Suddenly, it took off and for a moment I thought we had lost it. However, it landed not too far away. The terrain between us and the butterfly was difficult, full of bushes and rocks, and we knew there were snakes around. However, neither of us hesitated when we rushed through the bushes and tried to locate the place where the butterfly disappeared.



Luck was on our side, and we spotted the butterfly sunbathing on a rock. We approached it as carefully as possible, and we were able to get right next to the butterfly without scaring it off. Our first photos of Scarce Tortoiseshells were a reality!



This book includes photos taken during this and my other favorite moments in the Finnish nature during 2012.