It felt far too early in the year for an egg hunt – and much too cold to be surveying butterflies. Yet, when it comes to searching for evidence of one of Britain’s most elusive lepidoptera, the timing couldn’t be better.

More than 20 of us gathered on a chilly morning in Belvidere Meadows nature reserve, on the outskirts of Exeter, to take part in a butterfly egg hunt organised by Devon Wildlife Trust. The progeny we were hoping to find were those of the brown hairstreak butterfly (Thecla betulae), a scarce chocolate- and orange-coloured species that is notoriously difficult to spot, as adults generally fly high up among the treetops.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Country diary: in a flutter over a butterfly egg hunt | Environment | The Guardian