Small Tortoiseshell

Today's the day ……………………….. to set free

I saw this butterfly flapping desperately at the window of the garage. 

I'm imagining that it has been in there in some form or other over the winter - and that this warm weather has brought it back to life.  But it needed a bit of help to escape from the garage.  With the aid of a metal sieve and a piece of cardboard, the deed was done - and it flew off into the sunshine.

It stayed in the garden just long enough for me to take this picture - my first butterfly capture of the year …………………….