A leaf bud on a Salix Caprea bush in early Spring.
The leaves provide food for a variety of wasps and sawfly that lay their eggs inside the leaves, and are also used as a food source by aphids and leaf beetles.
from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_caprea):
Salix caprea (Goat Willow, also known as the Pussy Willow or Great Sallow), is a common species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia.
It is a deciduous shrub or small tree, reaching a height of 6-12 m, rarely to 20 m. The leaves are 3-12 cm long and from 2-8 cm wide, broader than most other willows.
-1.15 exposure compensation in ACR