Today was sunny again and more tortoiseshells were on the wing in the valley. Because of the time change and because I had to be back early, I arrived at my site while it was still cold but there were a couple of large tortoiseshells there to greet me:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/polychloros25mar2018a.jpg)
This species is always common in spring but my impression is that it thrived particularly well this winter.
As I continued my walk, small tortoiseshells and brimstones joined the large tortoiseshells. This couple were sharing one of the very few dandelions:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/urticaerhamni25mar2018a.jpg)
Just one sallow was in yellow flower ...
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/sallow25mar2018a.jpg)
... but that was enough to attract peacocks, small tortoiseshells and large tortoiseshells:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/io25mar2018a.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/urticae25mar2018a.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/polychloros25mar2018b.jpg)
There were no commas, surprisingly.
Here is Minnie. You can see how wintry things still are:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/minnie25mar2018a.jpg)
In the sky over the cliff, ravens flew in pairs ...
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/ravens25mar2018a.jpg)
.. and a few buzzards passed over:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/buzzard25mar2018a.jpg)
I began walking/cycling back at about 12h45, before which I only saw hibernators among the butterflies. Then suddenly a couple of Bath whites came spinning in, one of which paused a moment to nectar on speedwell:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/edusa25mar2018a.jpg)
Just before catching the train, I found another patch of dandelions where the occasional Bath white and a couple of small whites were briefly stopping before zooming on to look for females. Here is a small white:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2018/rapae25mar2018a.jpg)
It is beginning ...!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Guy