The landscape around my home town of Hitchin is a farmed one on the whole. Nonetheless there are several walks in the vicinity that are excellent for butterfly spotting. 

 I walked one such route today in ideal conditions- hot, dry, sunny. There was a gentle breeze in the surrounding countryside but the particular track I followed has high hedgerows on either side so the air was still. Usually abundant with butterflies as midsummer approaches but not one did I see. 

 I did spot several Meadow Browns in a grassy meadow I cut through on the way home but I fear this may be a bad year. We had a wet winter and spring and June has been cool and breezy. Then again there was an unseasonably warm spell in April. I saw butterflies appearing early during that period- a bad thing if out of synch with their food plants.

 It's difficult to second guess the effect of the vicissitudes of the weather and the fluctuations that may cause. I'll be on the lookout for emerging butterflies in the weeks ahead.