Early butterflies

With the sunny weather of the last week there has been a lot of bee activity in the garden. in particularly the early bee visiting the pulmonaria and numerous honey bees visiting the grape hyacinth

I have now seen my first tortoiseshell butterfly of the year, several spotted wood butterflies and a large yellow butterfly that did not settle so no id possible. Speckled wood butterflies are unusual in that it can over winter as a larvae or a pupae.

Usually on the wing from April, this unseasonal sunny spell has probably caused earlier emergence of adults. This one is sunning itself on the wall of our house.

I also observed the first peacock butterfly fluttering around in my greenhouse, probably flew in the open door. I managed to get it to settle on my hand so I could release it through the skylight.

Both peacock and tortoiseshell butterflies hibernate as adults.