Spring sunshine and Orange-tips

Just been to our Nature Garden at Cupar, Fife. Good to see some orange tips flying around on such a bright sunny day. The males are so easy to recognise with their orange-tipped wings. Hopefully they will set up a breeding colony. Must make sure there is enough Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) to lay its eggs on. I say Garlic Mustard because there is lots of it growing wild around the area. But there are other alternatives including Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis), Hedge Mustard (Sisymbrium officinale), Winter-cress (Barbarea vulgaris), Turnip (Brassica rapa), Charlock (Sinapis avensis), Large Bitter-cress (C. amara), and Hairy Rock-cress (Arbis hirsuta).

Orange=tips are widespread throughout most of Britain, but a bit localised so you don't always encounter them. The last I saw was about three weeks ago in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.  Nearer home, we find them every year in a hedgerow near the playing fields in Blairgowrie, Angus.

Unfortunately the above is a stock photo. Although i had my camera with me, they flitter along so quickly, rarely alighting that they are difficult to snap. That's in contrast to the Peacocks which are much less camera shy and will even come and sit on your hand.

Our Nature garden is a good breeding ground for Peacock Butterflies which are always around at this time of year. We have a good stand of stinging nettles in a prime sunny location - just what their caterpillars need.