Small Copper

It was a rather better day than expected weather wise. Alexa had threatened us with thunderstorms, but it turned out hot and sunny.
I went through the beehives, not much in the way of honey but they all seem to be doing well.
While we were having a cuppa in the garden, a delightful freshly emerged Small Copper butterfly appeared, enjoying the knapweed and betony flowers. We usually see one or two each summer, which doesn’t seem like enough to keep a population going, but there they are.
I pulled out the broad beans row, and we ate them…not enough for winter stores! It’s the worst crop I have ever had from them, and it seems the flowers did not get pollinated. That’s disappointing as we have a good bumblebee garden, but maybe there just weren’t enough around. I have another row of broad beans coming along, and French beans too, so I hope they turn out better.