What a difference a year makes.

Look out of the window. What do you see? Snow? Grey skies? Leafless trees whose branches are being bullied by a biting easterly wind? Thought so. This makes it very hard to believe that this time last year we were at the start of a heat-wave, the very same one that started off a hose pipe ban and reduced southern reservoirs to cracked mud.

On March 24 2012 I was at Beddington SF and saw the following: Small Tortoiseshell (26), Peacock (8), Small White (7), Brimstone (2) and single Red Admiral, Comma, Orange-tip and Speckled Wood. What are the chances of seeing even one of these this weekend.

So, for the time being, let's celebrate being cold, wet and muddy - and if you do come across a confused butterfly or a hardy Wheatear, look upon them with a mixture of pity for their circumstance plus admiration for their bloody mindedness!

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