During the winter the only butterflies seen in the garden have been the occasional Red Admiral.
With recent warmer temperatures things at last seem to be stirring.
A Comma was seen amongst primroses at Glendurgan gardens on the Helford Estuary.
And a species of White Butterfly flew through the garden, frustratingly without stopping. This would have been the first non overwintering butterfly of the year as all of the three common ‘white’ species, Large White, Small White and Green-veined White overwinter as a chrysalis.
The first ‘White’ to be recorded in the garden is usually the Small White between the 24th and 28th of March. So, whichever species, it was slightly earlier than normal.
The only other confusion species out now is the pale, greenish white , female Brimstone Butterfly which can appear surprisingly white in flight.