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Red Admiral - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 14

More of the same this week but the end is in sight, it may only be the faintest glint in the distance but there is definitely some light at the end of the tunnel

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I took my favourite shot of the Red Admiral on 7th Oct in my back garden, the month was not a good one for me personally but the Admiral's were in the garden nearly every day cheering me up bit Goldie

My favourite was taken during a family visit to the wonderful National Botanic Garden of Wales, conveniently placed just beyond the western end of the M40 motorway. We had a great day, including the tropical butterfly collection in Plas Pilipala, but this Red Admiral was nectaring in the walled garden, just outside the glass house.
Mike

This individual captured on buddleia in the Victorian Country Garden at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, near Cross Hands, on 15 September, was the best I managed in 2018:

After a poor showing through most of the season, the Red Admiral seemed to finish on a high, with plenty seen on my late summer and autumn excursions. The first sign that things were starting to liven up with them was good numbers of fresh individuals seen at Smarsdale Gill at the beginning of August Later in the season freshly emerged individuals kept appearing, this one almost certainly on its maiden flight and later still they kept appearing and managed to keep me going up until the last days of October (along with the Clouded Yellows)

Like Goldie, my Admiral appeared at the right moment to cheer me up. This photo was taken in Topsham, Devon on the evening of 13th August, just a few hours after the funeral of my Grandad, and managed to put a smile on my face and those of my parents.
Remarkably, this was the only Red Admiral I photographed this year. Did they have a bad year? I can't recall passing up the chance to photograph one, either, so I guess I just barely saw any.

Hi! Callum, they had a bad Summer, although I saw quite a lot when I was in Kent they were mostly hiding from the Sun in Blean Woods and were very hard to get shots of, it was only when Sept/October arrived that I saw quite a lot in my Garden so I don't think they liked the hot weather and kept out of the open fields etc , I live in the North so maybe it was cooler here for them than in the South. Goldie

Red Admiral

This was taken on my last proper trip when I revisit the sites that I visit at the start of the season and comes from The Devenish. It’s my favourite because it came after the butterfly had flown off. I reckoned that it would come back after about 5 minutes so I hung around hiding in the shade of a tree and it did. So because I managed to accurately predict its behaviour/witnessed a coincidence this shot of the butterfly upon its return this is my favourite shot.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Numbers were well down this year thanks to a sudden late bitterly cold spell in March, I think. Saw this fresh-looking bialbata at Bavins Shaw, North Kent on July 13th...