Red Admiral (Nymphalidae Vanessa Atalanta – Male)

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MCN: C5DC1-V7P9B-VVXH9

On 10/08/2011 this image has had 218 views, 26 comments and favorited by 2 people

Canon 5D, 300 mm lens, ISO 100 1/125 at f5.6

Featured in Cover Shots – August 2011
Featured in Bubblers’ Weekly Challenge – October 2010

The butterfly was sunning itself on one of the Oak trees at the end of my garden in early summer (for those of you from the UK – do you remember that day – lol)

The Red Admiral is a frequent visitor to gardens throughout the British Isles and is one of the most well-known butterflies as a result.

This butterfly was always known to migrate to our shores from the continent, but the sighting of individuals and immature stages in the first few months of the year, especially in the south of England, mean that this butterfly is now considered resident. However, it is still believed that most individuals are unable to survive our winter, especially in the cooler regions of the British Isles. An interesting observation is that this species also has a tendency to migrate south in late summer, possibly due to the diminishing day length.

The resident population is considered to only be a small fraction of the population seen in the British Isles, as it gets topped up every year with migrants arriving in May and June that originate in central Europe. The number of adults seen is therefore dependent on the number of migrants reaching the British Isles and numbers fluctuate each year as a result. In some years this butterly can be widespread and common, in others rather local and scarce. Text Courtesy of UK Butterflies