Imagine you had never seen a butterfly before. What would your first encounter be like? Would you think you were looking at a scrap of flying carpet or catching the glimpse of an angel; would you think you were dreaming? It is impossible to over-emphasise the beauty of butterflies. Even in this country, lacking the largest, most glamorous species, a meeting with these gorgeous insects is always an event.

Last week, a common blue visited the last few flowers of the marjoram.