With the warm and sunny weather the woods continue to burgeon, though it is getting very dry.
Today, following the transmission lines from the east we enjoyed a crab apple tree in full bloom (all fruit trees seem to be full of blossom this year).
There was a good showing of butterflies including brimstones and orange-tips, but no sign of pearl-bordered fritillaries in the places where they used to fly. The picture below is of an unusually small, and rather worn, comma, well disguised on some freshly sprung hornbeam leaves.
Many of these new leaves have a brief moment when they are nicer than flowers and un-nibbled by caterpillars. These are aspen:
