Cheers Wurzel and Trevor. Yes, Herb Robert is a useful plant at this time of year for attracting passing OTs. It springs up all over the place in my garden and can be a bit invasive but is shallow rooted so easy to control.
Friday 26th April.
A dismal week here with loads of cloud and a cold wind on most days that kept the temperatures well down in single figures. The only sun that we saw was usually early morning after clear and cold nights with some areas around the midlands seeing some frosts although we just about avoided those.
Today started off similar, that is clear and sunny albeit very nippy after another cold night. Although cloud started to build through th emorning, most of it held off long enough so that by early afternoon it was almost feeling pleasant in the sun, even with that cold wind.
For an hour or so in the early afternoon I pottered about in the garden and kept an eye out for anything turning up. As is usually the case, the first butterfly to appear was a male Speckled Wood that took up station in one of the usual sheltered corners.
![Coverdale 26.04.2024 008 resize.JPG (603.83 KiB) Viewed 822 times Speckled Wood - Coverdale 26.04.2024](./files/thumb_10101_3f0bb31348bef503ed25e85bc5218bd4)
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 26.04.2024
A little later another one appeared and there ensued the usual tussles whenever they caught sight of each other.
![Coverdale 26.04.2024 031 resize.JPG (630.76 KiB) Viewed 822 times Speckled Wood - Coverdale 26.04.2024](./files/thumb_10101_29315ed6b236d3566c9af1de1e3b81a9)
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 26.04.2024
A female also came fluttering through and stopped on one of the spanish bluebells for a top up before continuing on her way.
![Coverdale 26.04.2024 050 resize.JPG (543.13 KiB) Viewed 822 times Speckled Wood female- Coverdale 26.04.2024](./files/thumb_10101_d8a5c397b6668e0d2cd221ad02bdca45)
- Speckled Wood female- Coverdale 26.04.2024
Both of the males had disappeared when she arrived, probaby involved in one of their squabbles that usually took them off into one of the neighbours gardens.
A single male Orange-tip also fluttered in and settled close to some herb robert although on this occasion he didn't visit the flowers...
![Coverdale 26.04.2024 017 resize.JPG (542.54 KiB) Viewed 822 times Orange-tip - Coverdale 26.04.2024](./files/thumb_10101_8d825f5ca15664dafdbfb9687ecd6693)
- Orange-tip - Coverdale 26.04.2024
...unlike a female, the first female OT I have seen this year, that visited the same herb robert plant about 20 minutes later.
![Coverdale 26.04.2024 041 resize.JPG (556.17 KiB) Viewed 822 times Orange-tip female - Coverdale 26.04.2024](./files/thumb_10101_a177658b16be36856f5ef4fb11c2fe8c)
- Orange-tip female - Coverdale 26.04.2024
A single Holly Blue was also briefly seen but it didn't hang around.
About 2.00pm the gradually thickening cloud had built up into a blanket grey overcast and with that cold wind it once again became quite chilly so I headed back indoors for a nice cuppa.
It is looking to be a mostly wet weekend here but, as one of the weather forcasters said this morning...at least the rain should be a bit warmer
Bye for now,
Neil.