First Butterflies of the Year.

Clear skies overnight resulted in a frosty start to the day, but also meant the sun soon warmed things up later, resulting in reports from neighbours of early Brimstone butterflies on the wing. (Last year the first I saw didn't appear until the 11th of March.) None in my garden though, but a stroll down the permissive path to Ashton in the afternoon did yield three Small Tortoishells, all rather tatty having over-wintered by hibernating.