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Vince Massimo wrote:

Gruditch wrote:Where do the Red Admirals spend their inactive time. On several cold but sunny November days, when it was only 6 degrees in the shade, there were Red Ads feeding on the apples I had placed in the sun. If they chose a deep shady place in a shed, like Peacocks & Small Torts, then they would never know there's a sunny day to be had, let alone get active. So they must be fairly hardy to spend the winter in probably a pretty exposed spot.

Gruditch - I, like Susie, thought they roosted and over-wintered in ivy, but I have seen them finding a night roost in Scots Pine and some garden shrubs. However, if I have a question about butterfly behaviour I go straight to Adrian Hoskins' excellent website http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com . There he states that, at night, on cold days and during the winter months, Red Admirals roost head-downwards on the trunks or lower branches of oaks, larches and other trees where the bark-like underside of the wings provides them with excellent camouflage.

I have also seen reports, including one from Sunday on the Sussex pages, where they have been found tucked away down rabbit holes.

Cheers,

Vince