Job Done!

Early blip today, thanks to this Red Admiral butterfly feeding on Blackthorn blossom.

It's not the best image in the world, as I had to stand on tip-toe, and it was breezy too (excuses I hear you say)

The warm weather of the last two days has brought out the overwintering and spring butterflies in good numbers. Brimstones of course, Small Totoiseshells and this beauty. I haven't seen any Peacocks yet.

The Blackthorn seems to be very late here, compared to other people's recent blips, and although it was very cold on Monday, that doesn't really count as a blackthorn winter.

A Blackthorn winter is an unusually cold snap that often occurs when the Blackthorn blossom mirrors the snow or frost laying in the hedge bottoms at the end of March.

This first hint of magic is apparent on the south facing margins of London Wood, but it will be a couple of weeks before the woodland floor transforms into a carpet of blue ...