Thanks for your comments guys
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I wasn't worried yet about the Specklies but if they had not turned up by this weekend then I would have been.
Friday 6th May - That's more like it!
My Orange-tip drought ended yesterday with a couple of males in the garden when I got in from work
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
, at least 2 in view at the same time although they were actively patrolling and didn't stick around.
Leaving work today at lunchtime I saw another male OT as I was driving home.
After picking up Jane from home we went round to see my mom and as I often do I went for a quick look around the park by her house as they sat chatting. During a quick half hour here I saw a couple of unidentified whites flying past and at least two Speckled Woods. There was also a nice display of Bluebells along a short path through a small wooded part.
![Langley Hall 06.05.16 003 resize.JPG (951.73 KiB) Viewed 825 times Bluebells - Langley Hall Park 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_c77b4217871178d64079aecb67407b2d)
- Bluebells - Langley Hall Park 06.05.2016
![Langley Hall 06.05.16 013 resize.JPG (817.72 KiB) Viewed 825 times Speckled Wood - Langley Hall Park 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_057556246dc6bfc1dc8385291ae44058)
- Speckled Wood - Langley Hall Park 06.05.2016
Back home later in the afternoon there was some high level thin cloud which made it feel very warm as I pottered about in the garden. In truth this pottering about also consisted of long periods of just sitting there listening to the birds sing and watching whatever came along.
Among these 'whatevers' was a female Brimstone that fluttered about around my alder buckthorns and stopping occasionally to lay eggs
![Coverdale 06.05.16 002 resize.JPG (530.56 KiB) Viewed 825 times Female Brimstone - Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_81c2ee77ca803ff54e2b1e091fd21d82)
- Female Brimstone - Coverdale 06.05.2016
A couple of Green-veined whites passed through along with a Large White that paused briefly on my Lilac which is just coming into flower,
![Coverdale 06.05.16 033 resize.JPG (513.08 KiB) Viewed 825 times Large White - Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_bfb3e4b45a2250d87f1223e4c0e8a48d)
- Large White - Coverdale 06.05.2016
A couple of male Speckled Woods were attempting to chase off anything which came close to their patches, One of which was already looking like he had lost a couple of scraps,
![Coverdale 06.05.16 024 resize.JPG (528.55 KiB) Viewed 825 times Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_ed0a73f0649d42db82472ff81188230d)
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.05.2016
![Coverdale 06.05.16 037 resize.JPG (595.23 KiB) Viewed 825 times Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_ed8318e4fc1b823fdbdd432da98b813a)
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.05.2016
Having tried unsuccessfully due to our heavy clay soil to grow Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' in my garden a couple of years ago, I thought that I would give it a go in a container this year. This currently small plant proved its worth today by tempting both a male and a female Orange-tip to pause in their travels, albeit briefly.
![Coverdale 06.05.16 014 resize.JPG (501.93 KiB) Viewed 825 times Orange-tip - Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_4bd96b9eb7e6bfff0d658cffb6866507)
- Orange-tip - Coverdale 06.05.2016
![Coverdale 06.05.16 006 resize.JPG (496.9 KiB) Viewed 825 times Orange-tip female- Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_a8d0b8133f0ac7b621dfd04f597a0584)
- Orange-tip female- Coverdale 06.05.2016
Later in the afternoon I was watching a male Orange-tip chase a female up the garden when they both sort of crash landed on a shrub in the side border. At first I was expecting to see the typical rejection pose from the female but it soon became apparent that she was more receptive and after a bit of 'jostling' from the male they mated.
![Coverdale 06.05.16 038 resize.JPG (502.13 KiB) Viewed 825 times Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_617b151f246682f37301d8e43b61b01d)
- Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016
![Coverdale 06.05.16 049 resize.JPG (509.81 KiB) Viewed 825 times Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_96817d94c1e75f541149039252c28f83)
- Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016
![Coverdale 06.05.16 065 resize.JPG (541.28 KiB) Viewed 825 times Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_7da86b006e17460b0777604be1bb97c0)
- Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016
I kept my eye on them for a while hoping to see where they went when they separated but sods law being what it is, I nipped in for a moment and when I came back out they had gone.
That brings me up to 10 species, all of which I have seen examples of in my garden and in fact that is what I would normally expect to see around my immediate patch at this time of year.
Bye for now,
Neil.