First

Up and running for the year at last, my first butterfly for the year is this Small Tortoiseshell, basking adjacent to the same patch of Coltsfoot that provided Friday's blip, just off the edge of campus.

For comparison, my first sightings over the past 5 years:

2017 - March 17th, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell
2016 - March 7th, Small Tortoiseshell
2015 - March 7th, Peacock & Small Tortoiseshell
2014 - March 3rd, Small Tortoiseshell
2013 - April 3rd, Peacock

Butterfly Journal 2018

1. 26/03/18: Small Tortoiseshell,  University of Bradford