Absent friends

At last a bit of sunshine and we've got butterflies. A few at least. In a good year the buddleia by the front door is covered with late summer butterflies, including red admirals, small tortoiseshells and commas. Today there were three red torties - just the three - but maybe the weather will hold and more will turn up soon.

The iceplants are just coming into flower and should be a magnet for butterflies too, but they're not working their magic either. That said, they have been buzzing with honey bees for most of the afternoon so they're not going to waste.

Double first

It's been the perfect spring day here today; the wind has had an edge to it but when you're sheltered from it the sun is hot. My 'followed' is no surrounded by hedgebank plants that are growing at an incredible pace, but it remains closed up, with buds that are still as tightly locked down as they were in January.

While I was studying them an orange tip butterfly came by, a first for me this me. Later I saw my first swallows - a couple on telephone wires - so it feels that spring is really kicking in here in north Pembs.

Photo: Guido Gerding

I'm away tomorrow for a few days in Jersey. It will be an interesting contrast, but though I'm keen to be going I'm also sorry that I'll be missing almost a week of spring on the Cych. It's a shame I can't be in two places at once.