Still some butterflies about even in the North. Parked in Haworth and found a Red Admiral and a Comma on an Ivy Bush. Still there when we returned after an hour. The photos were taken on my camera phone.

Made it back to Arnside Knott yesterday before the rain set in. Still a good number of Scotch Argus to be seen although few other butterflies about with small numbers only of Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small White as well as a solitary Grayling and a male Brimstone.

Visited Walton Common for the first time in a month yesterday. The marjoram is now out over a large part of the common. 13 species of butterflies seen in total, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Peacock, Brimstone, Green Veined White, Silver Washed and Dark Green Fritill...

Visited arnside Knott for the forst time this year yesterday. Very different from how it will be in about a month's time when there should be large fritillaries and grayling everywhere. Yesterday despite it being sunny and warm we only saw a total of about 15 butterflies. Small Heath and Small Pearl...

These were my first Painted Ladies as well!

After the first three days here I was beginning to think we wouldn't see any butterflies at all. Maximum temperature was 11 degrees and no sign of the sun. However things improved yesterday while we were on the island of Sanday and several Green Veined Whites plus a solitary Large White were seen in...

Thanks Scott,

Sounds like we might be lucky to see 6 or 7 different species. I will let you know, although the weather doesn't look too good there next week so may struggle to see any!

David

Thanks for that, very much as I suspected. May have to try Dunnet Head for the Small Blue before we catch the ferry!

I visited Sand Point today. No Glanvilles to be seen although in previous years I have seen them during the last week in May/ first week in June so it was probably too early this week. The site does look in better condition than last year so hopefully they are still some there.

We are going on a week's holiday to Orkney at the end of May. I have been unable to find anything about what butterfies we might find there. Anyone got any information?

We did get to Sand Point today. The weather was glorious 21 degrees. No Glanvilles but did see 2 Wall and 2 Brown Argus as well as 20+ Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Large and Small White. The area where I have seen Granvilles previously looks in better condition than in previous y...

Returned to Walton Common to look for Grizzled Skippers but failed to find any. The number of Brimstones had increased markedly from our last visit and I stopped counting at 70+. What was interesting is that on the northern part of the site all the Brimstones seen were females whilst on the southern...

Yes nornmally the Dukes are finished by the end of May. Should still be Dark Green and High Brown Fritillaries at both sites in late July as well as Northern Brown Argus.

I've been visiting Gait Barrows for about the last five years and its one of my favourite sites. Always very peaceful and easily linked with a visit to Arnside Knott which is about 5 miles away. Four is the most Duke's I have seen on a single visit. Not sure if its the furthest North in the UK you c...

Visited Gait Barrows in the Morecambe Bay area of Lancashire to look for Duke of Burgundy. 4 different indiviuals were seen over the course of about an hour. Other butterflies included 20+ Speckled Wood, 5 Brimstone, 2 Peacock, a Green Haistreak and a Green Veined White

Such are the vagaries of looking for butterflies. On a trip to Taunton we called in at the reserve at Thornbear Quarrylands seeing a total of 5 butterflies, 2 Brimstone, 2 Peacock and a single Orange Tip. On returning to Portishead we went for a walk of about 1/4 mile next to the disused railway lin...

Returned to Walton Common today, similar cast of butterflies although Green Haistreak numbers have multiplied with 20+ seen. Other species included Orange Tip, Peacock, Brimstone, Speckled Wood and Green Veined White.

For the first time this year there were butterflies out in force in the local hedgerows. On a short walk we saw 5 Brimstones, 5 Peacocks 3 Speckled Woods 2 Orange Tips and one each of Small Tortoiseshell and Green Veined White.

Quick visit to Walton Common this morning. Several Brimstones seen, also two Peacocks and my first Green Hairstreak of the year!

First butterfly of the year! A speckled wood flying round the side of our house in Portishead, North Somerset.Temerature was 10 degrees.