My first Painted Ladies of the year

We spotted two this afternoon as we neared Runswick Bay on the coastal path.  We also spotted two different pairs of Wall Browns.  I’ve seen Wall Browns on this stretch of coast before and, in previous years, have seen them in Danby Dale where we are staying, .  Altogether though butterfly numbers were disappointing.  there were whites about, mainly small white and we did see the occasional Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood (they weren’t stopping so I can’t say for sure).

We had a lovely walk and my knee kept going, but we only did Staithes to Runswick one way and then caught the bus back as we needed to be back at the cottage before four.  We did manage a cuppa and cake in the small cafe near the car-park, which gave me a bit of time to think about the garden planting that the landscape gardener has chosen for the new `Blue Lobster Garden’.  It’s very insect friendly and I love her choice of grasses and blue planting scheme.