Note: Despite my good intentions, I have realised over the last two or three years that I cannot keep up with posting details and photos of all my various butterfly-hunting excursions, especially during the summer months. I have therefore decided to just post highlights of my trips - hence the new page title - leaving out many of the less interesting destinations and the more common butterflies. 

17th: After a very cold first 12 days of the month, the daytime temperatures are now a little higher (7-9°C) and on my local walk today I came across my first butterfly of the year - a Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae). Here is the location (photo). The butterfly was struggling to get out of the long, dry grass but, before I could lift my camera, it freed itself and then flew off down the hill and out of sight. So - no photo at all!