Last Summer

It was good to wake to happy news from Butterfly Conservation about last summer's great resurgence in our butterfly population. We can only hope now that this relatively warm and ridiculously wet winter isn't going to prove a setback, and that we have another sunny summer like 2013 in store. As Dr Zoe Randle wisely states, 'We're at the mercy of the weather, to be honest.' So far this year, despite the downpours, seven species have been spotted - Brimstone, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma and Speckled Wood all in early January, and, more surprisingly, a Painted Lady on February 7th. I've yet to see anything myself, but it shouldn't be too long now...