Monday 15th April 2013

The Spring has sprung - finally Osnabrück, N Germany After many weeks of exceptionally cold weather, yesterday the temperature finally climbed above 15 degrees Centigrade, and immediately, almost as if they could wait no longer, butterflies began to appear. The first was a male Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni, which flew through the garden even before the sun had properly come out. I went to see at least five Brimstones, both in Osnabrück and at the Dümmersee, a reed-fringed lake to the North-east of the city. Several Small Tortoiseshells, Aglais urticae, were also enjoying the late afternoon sunshine here. Having returned to the Netherlands late yesterday evening, today I did my usual round through the polders of Flevoland, enjoying the arrival of many summer birds, and was able to observe around five Small Tortoiseshells, Aglais urticae, and one Peacock, Inachis io. Butterfly list as of 15th April: 4 species