Red Admiral Invasion

[NickMorgan]

It has been a fairly disappointing year so far, although on the few days that the sun has been shining I have managed to see a reasonable variety of butterflies here.
Up until three days ago I had only received three records of Red Admirals here. Then on 1st July I was walking along the coastal path on the east coast and saw six Red Admirals blowing over the wall onto land from the sea! It was a warm, cloudy, but very windy day with a strong south-easterly wind.
When I returned home I had an e-mail from a friend who had been at North Berwick and witnessed seven Red Admirals blowing in from the coast.
I have since had various other reports of Red Admirals from all over East Lothian and this evening I saw eleven of them on a half mile farm track!
Given that our coastline points north east it is difficult to imagine where these Red Admirals are coming from! Have there been good numbers down south? Are they all being blown north? Do you have any left down there?

[Rivoldini]

I had three on consecutive days in my garden at Washington Tyne & Wear, last week. No painted ladies seen yet though.

[NickMorgan]

Yes, it is interesting that I have only heard of two Painted Lady sightings so far this year. Someone has suggested that the Red Admirals could have come over from the continent. It that is the case I wonder why there have been no Painted Ladies?
I saw 11 Red Admirals on a short length of farm track on Friday and again on Saturday they seemed to have taken up residence in a sheltered spot by a beech tree. It is almost impossible to go anywhere without seeing a Red Admiral just now!

[Jack Harrison]

they [Red Admirals] seemed to have taken up residence in a sheltered spot by a beech tree

I have in the past come across exactly that (oak in my case and another time hawthorn hedge). The had all but disappeared after a couple of days. I assumed that they were home bred and remaining in birth area for a while before dispersing. But maybe that's not the explanation.

Jack

[NickMorgan]

I find it interesting how year after year butterflies find exactly the same spot as their ancestors chose. They must offer something that I can't see. I will go back in a few days and see if they are still there.