That Cuckoo Trail looks ideal for Orange Tips and Holly Blues, Trevor - sounds like my kind of spot! That's a great GVW too - it's always worth looking for roosting butterflies on dry cloudy days.

Cheers,

Dave

Thank you, David. :) The conditions have been just right for the Hollies to pose - a mix of sun and cloud, and not too warm so they need to bask to become active. There has been a good variety down this way, Neil, and decent numbers too - except for the Small Tortoiseshells (which have largely disap...

Despite cool conditions, in an all-too brief spell of early sunshine today (10th) another Holly Blue opened up for me. HB3 100424.JPG Seven species altogether, the majority of which were Peacocks. A full report in my PD: https://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6157&start=5620#p184354 D...

Good to see you are underway, Wurzel - back in mid-February in fact! Some great shots there, and as ever a for the Small Tortoiseshell.

That last Comma is very close to being an o-album - the white mark is so nearly a closed circle.

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks again, Wurzel - I think only a day-long cold cloudy wet day will stop the Peacocks at the moment! :) The weather forecasts I've been relying on have been depressingly accurate, telling me in advance not to expect more than a sunny interval at best on most days. The various Met Office forecast...

Thanks, Chris - that was by no means the first time I've had that kind of interaction with territorial Red Admirals. Though it's no doubt mistaken to ascribe the concept of "personality" to butterflies, certain species do have behavioural characteristics that make them endearing! :) Cheers...

Monday 8th April (continued) - the afternoon. Islands of sunshine appeared later in the day to break up the cloud, so I headed out again. First up, I found what may well have been the same female Orange Tip as I'd seen the day before - leastways it was on the rape flowers again. OT9 080424.JPG Havi...

Monday 8th April was much less windy, and quite a bit warmer than Sunday, with temperatures reaching 18 degrees locally. However, it was often cloudy and a lot of the sunshine was hazy, giving the day a bit of a muggy feel. However, I saw quite a few butterflies - all ten of the species seen here t...

Absolutely awesome photos Dave. Really surprised to see the Orange Tip on the finger photos. I am lucky if I get within 10 foot of one round my way. Do you use Garlic Mustard aftershave? :lol: Thank you, Chris! :) Well, I'm no stranger to garlic... :) However, there's a knack in approaching Orange ...

Saturday 6th April : As forecast, a very warm day for early April, but very windy and unfortunately the sunshine was very hazy indeed. However, there was enough strength in it (it's as strong as it is in early September) to encourage the butterflies out. I made a good start - the first butterfly I ...

Cooler and still windy today (7th), but less sunshine (though what there was was stronger than yesterday). Not as many butterflies on my local patch, though I encountered the same nine species overall. Highlights included a beautifully marked fresh male GVW... GVW1 070424.JPG ...an equally new male ...

A strange day of weather on my local patch near Heathrow today (6th): very warm, but only a very hazy sun for much of the time and gusty winds. Nevertheless, I counted 59 butterflies of 9 species, including my first close encounters with Holly Blues this year, and my first female Orange Tip. HB4 060...

Overnight it rained a fair bit once again, but by ten o'clock on Friday 5th April , the rain had cleared to blue sky and blustery winds. However, with so much moisture on the ground the sun just evaporated it into low fluffy clouds within an hour. It was warm though, and the sun/cloud mix was enough...

Cheers Wurzel and David - the butterflies are certainly responding to any bits of decent weather, and that Hummer was an unexpected bonus. :) Tuesday 2nd April was quite warm again, and there was brightness enough to tempt out the butterflies. However, I was heading off to visit an old school friend...

Cheers Trevor and Wurzel - every moment the sun shines now is a trigger for butterfly activity it seems... :) I just have to keep my eye on the weather radar to see when the breaks are likely to come this way. :) Plenty of sunshine first thing, but I could tell that it was going to be one of those d...

My first GVW of the year this morning kicked off the new month, one of 33 butterflies of eight species seen locally during a mix of sunshine and cloud before the latter began to predominate.A full account of the outing in my PD shortly...

Dave

Specklies, Commas, Small Whites, a Red Admiral Wurzel? Are you sure that report wasn't from today? Oh no - just spotted the Meadow Brown...

Cheers,

Dave

I have to give you a big for the Holly Blue, Trevor. You definitely had the best of the sunshine today (though I believe it's been stormy this evening).

Cheers,

Dave

A nice change to see those Danaid butterflies, David. :) Your account of inclement weather on Tenerife reminds me of a holiday taken many years ago at this time of year when I nearly got stuck in a bad and unexpected snowstorm on the approaches to Las Canadas. It was a very hairy and slippery drive ...

Not much to finish off March today - just six butterflies, but one was another new male Orange Tip.A full report and more pics of this butterfly in my PD.

Dave