A Brimstone butterfly flew past the kitchen window this morning. Later I saw a pair of butterflies in courtship display flight. They were too far away for a proper identification and a gust of wind blew them away from me, but I sensed that they were Small Tortoiseshells. These were my first sightings this year.

I spent most of the day in the garden: pruning Buddleia, Hyssop and Lavender; removing the dead flower stalks of Sedums and Scabious; pulling up weeds and planning where I want to move plants. Cheltenham recorded one of the highest temperatures today at 17 degrees centigrade, which implies that it was near that temperature here in Cirencester.