Butterflies

[SueA]

First butterfly I've seen so far this year in our garden, well I saw it a week or two ago but this is the first pic. I got of it yesterday, small tortoiseshell.

[grindle]

not seen any yet down here

[SueA]

This is the only one I've seen a couple of times in our garden grindle, it must be one which hibernated here, we did see a couple of brimstones on our walk at Marbury/Anderton the other week but the butterflies seem to be holding out from making an appearance yet - do you think they know something we don't?

[grindle]

I've seen a couple of brimstone's on our walk too, but nothing in the garden, I think they've had a rough time this winter

[SueA]

I saw a comma & what I think might have been a peacock butterfly in the garden yesterday but didn't manage to get any pics., they were too fast! I think they must have struggled over winter grindle & they do seem to be taking their time appearing this year but then the weather isn't helping is it.

[sweetpea]

There was a few flying round the garden in yesterday's sunshine but I don't know what species they were. What I used to call red admirals but of course they weren't. I do know they weren't cabbage whites so that narrows it down

[grindle]

it's been far too wet for anything much to appear at the moment

[grindle]

saw my first ever small blue butterfly in the garden yesterday, but it was too quick to take a photo

[SueA]

I think we might get them here occasionally grindle but I'm not sure, they do flutter around quickly & I think most of our blues are usually holly blues. I saw an orange tip in the garden here yesterday, too quick to photograph as well!

[SueA]

The little orange tip butterfly was back yesterday & settled down a few times in the sun:-

[Granny Goose]

When we had those two days of hot weather a couple of weeks ago, there were several holly blues fluttering around and a red admiral....but I never have a camera to hand when I need one 😁

[sweetpea]

Lots of large whites around atm, very noticeable.
Just a few others which I fail to recognise but looked like speckled brown and one red admiral type but could well have been some other sort.

[grindle]

I have a lot of these ringlet butterflies at the moment (not my picture)

[SueA]

We've had a few more butterflies over the last week or so too, lots of large & small whites, a few peacocks, gatekeepers & speckled woods. Buddleia is proving very popular.

[SueA]

Small tortoiseshell butterfly back in the garden on the verbena yesterday, apparently the butterflies are loving the weather but it may mean that there will be fewer next year as caterpillars will suffer due to lack of food later this year.