Tuesday 8th May
Well I was at work today and how I wish I wasn't, the sun was out and the temperature had gone up a couple of notches. Not only was I stuck in an office but I was all bunged up and sniffling, hayfever or summer cold or something to make me feel even more dejected
Anyway thats enough of me feeling sorry for myself because as soon as I got home around 4.00pm my spirits lifted.
The sun was still out
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
, so having half an hour or so before domestic duties beckoned, I went straight out into the back garden.
A flash of something orangey at the bottom of the garden caught my attention and proved to be a fairly fresh looking Comma, if this was one that has survived the winter and our spring so far, it is looking surprisingly good for it. It was very flighty and soon disappeared next door.
I next had a visit from a female Orange Tip, the first female I have seen this year. She settled briefly on a straggly cuckoo flower in the lawn and then a couple of times elsewhere before carrying on her way.
![Coverdale 08.05.2012 005resize.jpg (447.54 KiB) Viewed 61445 times Female Orange Tip - back garden](./files/thumb_10101_9a8927e07d373a7dfc375f78c2cd0173)
- Female Orange Tip - back garden
After she had gone I checked the cuckoo flower and sure enough there was a single egg on it. I also have some good clumps of Garlic Mustard but these are not quite in flower and she ignored these.
![Coverdale 08.05.2012 010resize.jpg (389.85 KiB) Viewed 61445 times Orange tip egg - back garden](./files/thumb_10101_6dab53ce4dbe3e0c01a6001b9294643b)
- Orange tip egg - back garden
There were also a couple of Speckled Woods, one of which spent quite a bit of time nectaring on the Forget-Me-Nots.
![Coverdale 08.05.2012 015resize.jpg (354.6 KiB) Viewed 61445 times Speckled Wood nectaring on Forget-Me-Not](./files/thumb_10101_5276e5850a0e0904137e65f1a1cd882d)
- Speckled Wood nectaring on Forget-Me-Not
Also seen within a period of about twenty minutes along with the above were a couple of Holly Blues.
I also seem to have had an invasion of Ladybirds, mostly Seven Spot but with a few others as well. Standing in one spot and lookng around I counted 26 in plain view without looking too hard.
![Coverdale 08.05.2012 029resize.jpg (492.24 KiB) Viewed 61445 times Ladybird ?? - back garden](./files/thumb_10101_c4c42c8deb38b5a2b2e2d5fe3719fa05)
- Ladybird ?? - back garden
In fact the 'wild end' of my garden was positively alive with bees, flies and bugs of various kinds most of which were too mobile for photos, except this pair that look as if they are about to get disturbed
![Coverdale 08.05.2012 025resize.jpg (411.83 KiB) Viewed 61445 times 'Oi!! get orf my leaf!'](./files/thumb_10101_e33004ca5580df4323f6981e375b6f8d)
- 'Oi!! get orf my leaf!'
It actually looks like, after the next couple of days of rain, the weekend will brighten up a bit.
Fingers crossed,
Neil F.