About the first orchids to appear in May are the Narrow-leaved Helleborine, a woodland species and the Early Purple Orchid which prefers more open base-rich habitats.

The Chequered Skipper and Orange-tip are two butterflies that are on the wing in my local area during May. Chequered Skippers now only occur in a fairly small area in the Western Highlands, having gone extinct in England during the 1950’s.

Orange-tips are common over much of the UK mainland. Their range has extended north into the Highlands in recent years.