Thanks, Wurzel. Red Admirals are a favourite - plenty of character.
The forecast glorious hot sunshine came to pass, and I had the day off. However, all three sites I visited away from home today were distinctly unproductive.
Denbies
No Green Hairstreaks, no Grizzled Skippers. In fact, aside from Peacocks and Brimstones, all I saw was a single Red Admiral, and several teasing pyralid moths.
![Brimstone1 150415.JPG (443.75 KiB) Viewed 471 times female Brimstone](./files/thumb_9839_ad898fd72ba13b92f187e8c9f60ca1ab)
- female Brimstone
![Pyralid 150415.JPG (465.96 KiB) Viewed 471 times pyralid moth](./files/thumb_9839_f5b1ded691a184c6d2ae927f11ef60c1)
- pyralid moth
Noar Hill
The reports of Dukes being out there yesterday was a particular enticement, but between 1130 and 1400 today, not one was seen. There were three or folk also looking, but none of us was lucky. Again, there wasn't actually much of anything at all, just Peacocks, Brimstones and one each of Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. It was very warm, virtually no wind at all, and the sheltered pits were like ovens. It could well have been too hot for butterflies more acquainted with typical spring weather.
Botany Bay
After the earlier disappointments, I didn't expect to see any early Wood Whites and made a correct guess. Once again, Peacocks and Brimstones were all there were, though the former were numerous along the path with little dark "shark fins" every 20 metres or so.
Home Again
So it was back to base, and a walk around locally. It was around five o'clock and around the 25 degree mark still. Within five minutes, I had seen two Specked Woods, two Orange Tips, a Green-veined White and no less than seven Holly Blues.
![HB1 150415.JPG (307.54 KiB) Viewed 471 times high up and over-exposed](./files/thumb_9839_efb13647347be07a013c1d5de2a733ed)
- high up and over-exposed
I should have stayed home all day! The rest of the walk was equally interesting, with Peacocks, Commas, two more Orange Tips, three more Holly Blues and a variety of White butterflies.
![Comma1 150415.JPG (386.04 KiB) Viewed 471 times typical Comma pose](./files/thumb_9839_db21ba4ddada23ffd8e24e05796f9b9a)
- typical Comma pose
![GVW1 150415.JPG (489.76 KiB) Viewed 471 times GVW](./files/thumb_9839_d31ae93e1a9ad5fe7a66a14ed7b03c60)
- GVW
I watched one of the white butterfies suddenly descend from the tree tops and start to nectar avidly on low-growing flowers, moving from bloom to bloom in quick succession. Briefly still enough for me to look more closely, it turned out to be a male Large White, the first of the year for me.
![LW1 150415.JPG (421.16 KiB) Viewed 471 times Large White tucking in](./files/thumb_9839_86bc59539aef2c92d966e0ed54475efa)
- Large White tucking in
Lastly on the walk, I approached the bridge regularly patrolled by a Red Admiral. He was there, but today he had his work cut out chasing two Speckled Woods that had emerged close to his territory.
He elected in the end to perch in a small tree, and look down upon the lesser mortals basking on the nettles below. And on me too.
![RA1 150415.JPG (323.76 KiB) Viewed 471 times this is MY patch, you know...](./files/thumb_9839_77f6fcc2f6e2d4db1e94d260d57688c0)
- this is MY patch, you know...
Dave