My heart soared with it when I saw my first butterfly over the last weekend. It was fluttering around in and out of one of my oak trees when I first noticed it, but then I came down and perched on the ground for a few minutes, which allowed both an identification and a few photos. It wasn’t a big surprise to discover that it was a cloudless sulfur butterfly (Phoebis sennae), which is often one of the first butterflies to start hatching out each spring. The butterfly didn’t stay on the ground for very long before it headed back into the tree. When I followed it, I discovered why. The tree had a Carolina jessamine vine draped through some of the mid level branches and the vine was flowering. The fresh, bright yellow blooms were undoubtedly filled with plenty of nectar and pollen. It’s always a good morning outside when the weather is beautiful and you can see a first butterfly and the first blossoms of the new year.