It’s a sad and depressing coincidence that on the very day I’m writing this blog about seeing my first Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) of the year, on 1 April, the Guardian newspaper has published an article reporting on a sharp decline in sightings of this species in 2023, and a population decline of 82% over the last 47 years. Commenting on the survey data of all the UK’s butterfly species, gleaned from over 3000 sites across the country, ‘Dr Richard Fox, the head of science at the charity Butterfly Conservation, said: “Butterfly numbers fluctuate naturally from year to year, largely due to the weather, but the long-term trends of UK butterflies are mainly driven by human activity, including habitat damage and destruction, pesticide use, pollution and climate change”.’ I feel privileged to have seen this beautiful Small tortoiseshell but also saddened by the possibility that future generations may not be so privileged.