Two Lonely Butterflies

I spent an hour and a half in the garden this morning and throughout that time a lone peacock butterfly kept me company. He was actively feeding on the pansies and aubretia, only occasionally leaving them when I inadvertently disturbed him.

I also spent much of the afternoon in the garden, and saw not a single butterfly, this in a garden which we are developing specifically to be Nature friendly - to. the extent that, a few days ago, I planted some stinging nettles, a plant the peacock uses when laying its eggs.

The day before yesterday we had a visit from this beauty, a female orange-tip. She, too, was alone in the garden though a male had passed through, without stopping, shortly before.

The weather isn't ideal for butterflies, being sunny and still but a little on the chill side, but that didn't deter these two. I can only conclude that there simply aren't the butterflies.

Where have they gone?