Very fine day. Trip to Fenn's and Whixall Moss - Large Heaths were abundant ( davus subspecies)- I saw none last weekend. Everything is a bit behind here - there was several days of lying snow at the end of March. Difficult species to photograph - always on the move and tending only to settle within...

Full details now up on the Royal Mail site

http://shop.royalmail.com/issue-by-issu ... utterflies

Browsing Amazon for upcoming books I saw this from Tom Tolman and Richard Lewington for next year. Their European guide is excellent but I prefer UK specific guides as I don't go abroad much ( :D ) and there are IMO too many species on the continent to be done justice in a single volume. Richard Lew...

A week's break on the Welsh Coast and off to Morfa Harlech for the afternoon. This site is said to have colonies of Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary and Marsh Fritillary but either there aren't any, I'd left it too late or I was looking in the wrong place. The Dark Green Fritillaries were out in forc...

Hardly any Speckled Woods so far this year anyone else finding this? Last year was a poor one for them too.

More details have emerged on these stamps. They feature Comma, Orange Tip, Small Copper, Chalkhill Blue, Swallowtail, Purple Emperor, Marsh Fritillary, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Marbled White.

Saw A Grizzled Skipper at Llynclys Common yesterday evening - they're not that common in this part of the world.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary spotted at Llynclys Common this afternoon

I'm luck enough to have a good spot near Oswestry on my way home from work - Lynclys Common. Saw this fellow just a couple of hours ago. There are Silver-washed there too in July. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8270/8952337276_1dfc687148_z.jpg Morfa Harlech is a wonderful place. Later in the summer t...

my first Large White of the year this morning - a much underrated butterfly IMO

Butterfly season started for me over the weekend! Lots of whites and Orange-tips about.

Trip to Whixall Moss yesterday. A few male Brimstones searching rather vainly for nectar. Also a few Peacocks.

A couple of small tortoiseshells seen when out and about today.

Saw a battered Red Admiral last weekend on the Welsh Coast.

Amazing that noone has posted a pic of a white or Speckled Wood yet. Given the snow we had here which lay for days I would not be surprised if I don't see an Orange-tip before May.

A foot and a half of snow here so, no, no sightings

Amazing really. A bit like the Red Admiral then.

Commas and Red Admirals still around yesterday when the sun came out.

Really wish I hadn't looked in this thread.

Bit of fun assuming there will be 6 stamps wonder what species. I would predict

Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock
Brimstone
Common Blue
Gatekeeper
Speckled Wood

Probably completely wrong

Though I guess they will be unable to resist including the Purple Emperor

SPBF cannot wander very far, as its failure to colonise Ireland indicates - there must be an abundance of suitable habitat there. It is a reasonably common butterfly in the wilder parts of Shropshire, but those are some way from Ellesmere. Yes I would think colonisation is out of the question - the...