www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

At last the sun came out late last week, and with above average temperatures the hibernators emerged. After Red Admiral, 2 Brimstones and a Comma on Thursday, a lunchtime walk at work on Saturday produced another Comma and this lovely Small Tortoiseshell.

Sunday saw us back in Cornwall, and into the sun! In afternoon, we visited the excellent Caerhays Castle estate, south of St. Austel. Never been here before, and we were treated to a spectacular display of Magnolias. Camellias and Rhododendrons. Lots of territorial buzzard activity in the air, on the ground we saw the first Peacock of 2017. While I was photographing the Magnolias, Esther shouted 'Painted Lady'! Eventually I tracked it down, again, my first of the year.

Well done, Mark. We've had all kinds of sightings over the last week or so but no-one had hitherto recorded a Painted Lady!

Cracking stuff Essex - isn't that a UK first - I can't recall anyone else seeing a Painted Lady yet? Mind you I think its cheating have two pairs of eyes when going out beuuterflying I'm just jealous as whenever I suggest that my wife 'might like to accompany me butterflying', she suggests that 'no she definitely does not like too'!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lucky you essex, nothing here yet, lovely shots as well, Goldie

I indeed was very lucky, especially having Esther with me as she spotted it, while I was photographing flowers!

Brimstones are not always the easiest to photograph, so imagine my pleasure when this lovely male landed on these daffodils in Harlow this morning.

Great to see your Painted Lady and the ' parked ' Brimstone, it really blends with the Daffodil.

You are off to a good start,
Trevor.

Great shot Essex Daffs don't seem to be that popular with butterflies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Goodness - a Painted Lady! I know they pop up in Cornwall earlier than most places, but that's a great sighting. I also agree with the others that the Brimstone shot is a classic - it blends beautifully with the flowers.

Dave

Love the Brimstone shot essex, still awaiting here for the sight of just one, Goldie

In the woods, the sallow willows are now in full bloom. They are very attractive to bumble and honey bees and, on the warmer days last week, Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells were enjoying them too. Our local buzzards have suddenly found their voices and taken to the skies in impressive soaring flight. After months of saving energy, they are now preparing for the breeding season. The woodland primroses are out and, in the gardens,daffodils are at their peak. Spring is here!

Three great shots there Essex, especially the Buzzard, never seen one perched like that.

The perched one is a female kestrel, should have said before!

One of the great things about living in Essex is the coastal estuaries and mudflats. Although not attractive to look at,they are a magnet for thousands of winter and early spring birds.

Visiting Maldon and nearby Heybridge Basin last week, I was delighted to find good numbers of Brent geese still present, any day now they will start their long migration east, to breed in Siberia.

All through winter, hundreds, sometimes thousands of black-tailed godwits have been present. Grey-brown in winter, they often start to moult into their lovely russet breeding plumage,before they migrate to Iceland for breeding. On my visit,I was hoping to see and photograph this event, and this was a success!

Wednesday 22 March. Today, I headed across the border, to do some walking in the splendour of the Welsh hills. Rain was expected to clear through the morning,with sunny spells and good clarity to follow. But when I got here at 9AM, is wasn't rain that greeted me on arrival:

Woah that's got to be the most spectacular MET Office fail that I've seen! Great shots of the Blackwits BTW I seem to recall from my birding years that scaly back = Bar and smooth back = Black when in winter plumage

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Mark,

Nice wintery looking vista there I noticed in our forecasts earlier in the week that all the rain we had been having here had been falling as snow on the welsh hills which are really not that far to the west of us. A couple guys at work who drive in from around Telford said they had some as well.

Cheers,

Neil.

Just catching up with your diary. Amazing that you have seen a Painted Lady already. I wonder where it has come from and if it will survive to breed?
I love the shot of the Brimstone on the daffodil.

With the rain and snow expected to clear and visibility forecast to improve, I decided to head up the highest mountain in South Wales, Pen Y Fan. If all goes to plan, the views would be spectacular by afternoon. To be fair, the forecast was spot on,as by lunch time, the mist was lifting off the tops, giving splendid views all round!

On the way back from Wales, I decided to visit again the 'golden triangle ' , an area near Newent where the woods are full of wild daffodils, or lent lilies. They even grow next to the M50!. It's been a few years, so it was nice to go there again,even though it rained most of the day!

You sure get about, Mark, fair play.

I had seen the snow clad upper slopes of Pen y Fan from afar when I drove back to Swansea from Abergavenny last Sunday, but it's interesting to see how it looks from the viewpoint of someone up near the summit.

886m makes it the highest British peak south of Snowdonia, and clearly one that can hang on to winter well into spring!