![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
After the day down on Salisbury Plain, there was still some time on 14th May to pop out locally. Some of the species seen were the same as those I'd been looking at earlier... ...and some not. It's interesting that common everyday species can be completely absent from more "specialist" sites. A Peacock, giving a typical view of one finding the sun too strong to bask comfortably... ...a Comma that really was a Comma this time and not something more exciting... ...a Holly Blue not quite prepared to open up completely (or indeed very tidily)... ...and a very fresh bright Small Tortoiseshell, the first of the summer generation. There had been several male Common Blues investigating the abundant Birds-foot Trefoil plants, partly to nectar and partly to look for newly emerged females. However, one of them disturbed another blue butterfly which momentarily confused it before it went off elsewhere. Holly Blue females are frequent at present on the Goats Rue, laying lots of eggs. However, the Common Blue had put up a Holly female which had turned its attentions to laying on the BFT for a change. Dave