Big Butterfly Count

Our garden buddleia and verbena have joined the other plants in full flower, just in time to draw in the butterflies so we can add them to the Big Butterfly Count, which started today. Not that much happened at first, though what did was pleasing: this is a tortoiseshell, a species we haven't seen in weeks, which persisted in showing the underside of its wings until....

....it finally took pity on me and opened them.

It was joined by a peacock which, much to my disgust, spurned our carefully nurtured shrubs in favour of a lick of soil - I suppose to obtain some minerals.

Equally unhelpful was this small white which ignored the flowers and spent its time on the broccoli and pea plants.

While all the above came into the garden one species refuses, the common blue, even though there are plenty of them up the road. Not to worry, this female was a joy, not only for its colours but also because it must have been the smallest common blue I've ever seen.