I didn’t see my first Peacock butterfly (Aglais io) of the year until 30 March, which is much later than usual – these are butterflies that overwinter as adults so can emerge from hibernation on warm sunny days even in winter. Now, just six days later, my count is up to eight, as we – and the butterflies – bask in a spell of unseasonally dry and warm spring weather.

I’ve discovered that, when I first see a new butterfly species each year, I have a tendency, a predilection, a need even to photograph every single one I see, as if taking their image makes them real – or perhaps it’s just my attempt to capture the heartfelt joy I feel at seeing butterflies on the wing, and relive that feeling when I’m looking at my photographs at home. After a few days, and having seen several, I begin to relax and focus more on taking better images – at least, I think the photograph below, taken today, is better than the earlier ones above.