Hillier Gardens

Last year around this time, we visited Hillier Gardens for our first 'proper' day of butterflying, and we thought we'd give that a go this year as well during our Easter break. Like last year prior to our Easter Hillier visit, we've seen three species of butterflies so far this year: brimstone, red admiral and peacock. With a bit of luck, we should be able to add one or two species to our 2023 year list!

Due to the time of year, many plants weren't yet flowering, but the magnolias were out in force. 

In terms of butterflies, plenty of brimstones, a few peacocks, a few orange-tips and a small white. The latter two were the first of 2023 for us (and the first of the species that do not overwinter as adults). 

And, just like last year, we kept a close eye on the vegetation around the various ponds, hoping to see the first large red damselfly of the year, but alas and again, no luck ...

Here's the usual table (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):