First on my hitlist was Provençal fritillary, Melitaea deione berisalii. This is a very distinctive subspecies, easily separated from similar Melitaea species. Three or four males were flying very locally - it seems it is still early for this butterfly:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/berisalii31may2017b.jpg)
Another local species is ilex hairstreak. I saw just one individual, freshly emerged:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/ilicis31may2017a.jpg)
Also new for the year were southern white admiral, which was out in quite good numbers, marbled white, suddenly common, and large skipper:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/reducta31may2017a.jpg)
(southern white admiral)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/galathea31may2017a.jpg)
(male marbled white)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/galathea31may2017c.jpg)
(female marbled white)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/sylvanus31may2017a.jpg)
(large skipper)
Marbled skipper was not new for the year but this was my first photo of the butterfly so far:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/lavatherae31may2017a.jpg)
Here is a turquoise blue:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/dorylas31may2017a.jpg)
I also saw a single northern brown argus, bringing my year list to 92 species at the close of May.
Other species flying today were: Apollo, swallowtail, scarce swallowtail, small white, southern small white, green-veined white, Eastern Bath white, wood white, orange tip, brimstone, Berger's clouded yellow, common blue, Chapman's blue, Adonis blue, little blue, Provençal short-tailed blue, Queen of Spain fritillary, marbled fritillary, Glanville fritillary, comma, small tortoiseshell, speckled wood, wall, large wall, meadow brown, small heath, southen grizzled skipper, safflower skipper and dingy skipper. I'm sure I've missed some out there ... Notably absent were Swiss zephyr blue and purple-shot copper. It is not a particularly early year for many of these valley species.
Guy