I was thinking the same thing - I hope the butterflies I saw today are tucked up somewhere cosy because I have just got home and it is not nice out there at all; very cold and rainy.

That is quite some photo, Padfield!

I know, I am so thrilled. These are the first butterflies I have seen this year and I have been envious of everyone's sightings of RAs, Brimstones, Peacocks and Commas.

I am waiting to get a new camera too, as my old one has gone kaput. What did you get, Chris?

My first butterfly of the year was spotted this morning in my back garden - a pristine male orange tip. I was thrilled to bits.

This was shortly followed by a male Small White.

Thanks for the tip, Jack. I will try that with a couple of my buddliea this coming summer so they don't all flower at the same time.

A bit late now (or early for the coming season) but I think that while PH usually feed on honeydew on oak I have occasionally seen them nectaring on a flowering sweet chestnut tree too.

You and me both, Denise! :lol: The kids think their mum is barking, and I am not going to say they are wrong. My earliest memory of butterflies is a buddleia we had by the kitchen back door; it was always covered in butterflies (although my memories of this probably only really span the course of on...

They are lovely little butterflies. I got this photo by a complete stroke of luck as I was out for a run down a footpath just behind where I live (yes, I know, I used to take my camera everywhere!! lol) and she was freshly emerged. Once you find a site near you they aren't too hard to spot but you w...

You're on! :lol: Tea and sandwiches and sticky buns. :mrgreen: http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/Lizzysue3/DSCN8642.jpg I took this photo in garden on 27 August last year. For the next two weeks there were Brown Hairstreaks in the garden at around lunchtime everyday, although none of them settl...

My back garden was a good place for 'em last year.

This is on my list of wanna sees for 2008 too. They are supposed to be at Buchan Country Park in Sussex, but I am not holding my breath ....

Hullo Mike

Purple Hairstreak, taken with my Nikon Coolpix 3100 which was held together with an elastic band and has now given up the ghost entirely.

I can't help you with what research has been done but here is a link to some good plants for butterflies. http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/downloads/48/gardening.html When I first started gardening to encourage butterflies I planted lots of plants I hoped would provide nectar, now I provide pla...

I shall look forward to reading all about it

I guess I should add that I live near Horsham in West Sussex now. Some of you may know me because I used to live in Hayes in West London and attended a few Herts & Middlesex Butterfly Conservation meets and Herts Moth Group meets too.

Thanks for the welcome. I love your name too, but I wouldn't know how to pronounce it.

We've had hail today, snow wouldn't suprise me.

Thank you for the welcome, Pete.

That is good news, although I am biased and would prefer it to be down south. Isn't it warmer and we have more butterflies down here (although not necessarily today!)?

I wanted to say hello to everyone here and thanks to Pete for creating such a lovely site. Some of you will know me from Yahoo butterfly groups as Lizzysue, others from Back Garden Moths as Rosy.

Susie x

Thanks for the link, Pete. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the reports regarding Purps

Will this event be taking place again next year? I would dearly love to go.