The first butterflies of the year

We both spent much of today out in the garden, Colin giving the potager a "going over" with the motobineuse  whilst I pottered about in the flower beds, trying to look busy.

It's hard to look busy when you've a camera constantly tempting you to take photos of all that comes your way. And today there was plenty to snap.

Before I'd even got out of the house I saw this beauty on the windowsill...

Once out in the garden Colin spotted the first peacock butterfly of the year but I wasn't quick enough to photograph it.

Another spectacular "miss" was a small hummingbird-like, bee-type of creature. It looked like a cross between a tiny shrew and a small bee...(I think that should weed out those with anything short of a fertile imagination!)

Ladybirds and bees were two a penny but then came the Brimstone butterfly and I was ready...

By now I'd abandoned the pretence of being busy. I had the camera posed ready for the next potential shot and the Brimstone didn't disappoint!

It led me a merry dance round the garden; hence the variation in the backgrounds on each picture..

I was catching my breath when I spotted these; aren't these just so pretty?

They were buried under several inches of snow in sub-zero temperatures for more than two weeks yet they've  survived and are looking lovely...

Gardening is such a pleasant and uplifting pastime.... when you've a camera, rather than a motobineuse to hand!