Spring is in full swing in Wicklow, although we’ve had some dodgy and disappointing weather, but April showers have brought May flowers in abundance. The landscape is lush and beautiful from the mountains down to the sea.

The landscape of the foothills and coastal plain of Wicklow as seen from Kilmurray, above the town of Newtown Mount Kennedy this weekend.

Wicklow has a huge amount of trees, as you’ll notice from the photo, and the hedgerows combined with the hills and myriad valleys combine to create a jungle-like atmosphere as you drive on some of the narrower roads. The road pictured is not one of these roads, being about twice as wide as some of them.

The rain and sun of late April and early May have fed the blooms which in turn have brought out the spring butterflies. For the duration of May you will spot the beautiful little Orange-Tip butterfly on the roads and lanes all around Wicklow. The female looks like a smallish white butterfly, and easily confused with a number of species, but the male is unmistakeable due to the orange wing-tips that give this butterfly its name.

A male Orange-tip can't be mistaken for anything else.

However, although it’s extremely easy to spot Orange-tips in flight, it’s very difficult to spot them when they’re perched, as the undersides of their wings are brilliantly camouflaged.

This male hides carefully in plain sight - but the female looks identical when her wings are folded.