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Saw my first butterfly of the year today at Bognor Regis, a Red Admiral with a slight nic out of it's wing.
Gary told me off as I was supposed to be waving him back into a parking space, but when he looked in to his mirror, I was frantically pointing to the gate post which the Red Admiral was on!

Was that the wing mirror he was looking into?

Nice sighting - and very interesting in this long, cold winter. In East Anglia, where I come from, the norm is for red admirals not to survive the winter but I know they do further south in England. In Switzerland, the only year I remember when they did was 2006/7, when there wasn't really a winter.

Guy

Very funny Guy!
We were amazed to see it, we were in the middle of the town and it was about seven degrees. Unfortunatly we didn't have any camera equipment with us, so no images to go with the sighting.

The earliest sighting for Red Admirals - for the Hampshire area this year was the 13th January.

I also had a Red Admiral today, fluttering just outside WHSmiths in the centre of Bournemouth, my second of the year, the other being on 14th Jan. Once again I have managed to see at least one Red Ad. in each of the winter months.

Misha

ditto - Red Admiral for me today in coastal Somerset

Cambs&Essex BC first RA sighting 11th Jan (3 so far), Peacock 17th Jan (3 so far) and a single ST on 12th Feb.

Certainly in Cambridge RA's present throughout the year for last 2 years.
Seems like they do overwinter in East Anglia now Guy, if, as a Suffolk boy, you count Cambridgeshire or Essex as East Anglia , that is, ...

N

Spotted this Brimstone today, She was one snip away from going in the garden rubbish bag.

Gruditch

My first of the year, snapped lunchtime today on a neighbour's shrub.
A welcome sight on this glorious day down here in the Wes' Vinglun.

saw my first butterflies of 2009 this lunchtime !! at Stirtloe near Huntingdon

they were almost certainly all Peacocks ( i counted 6 ).... i looked for Red Admirals in their usual haunts but did not see any.
I am not sure if both of these have come out of hibernation ... one looks a bit tatty.

Charles

Nice shots everyone!
I'm thrilled to say that I saw my first butterfly of the year today - a male Brimstone in and around our garden. Sadly, it wouldn't settle long enough for me to get any photos of it, but it was a most welcome sight! Although it was lovely and sunny, it was only about 9 degrees celcius when I saw it, so it goes to show I think that our species really are quite hardy and robust doesn't it! Also, this is the first year for a long time when the Brimstone has been my first species of the year. I know they can often be seen in February, but I usually see a Small Tortoiseshell or Peacock before a Brimstone. My first Brimstone last year wasn't until 30th March!
Let's hope all our butterflies have a wonderful 2009 season!
Regards
Deano.

Also saw my first of the year today. A very tatty comma at about 2:30pm. Temp outside was 12-13c and the sky was blue. I am sure I woke up in the wrong country this morning!

If it keeps up like this there'll be serveral about in the next few days!

Not a sausage !!

Single Brimstone passed through the garden this morning, good to see

Bill

One Brimstone today, seen at the Hawk Conservancy.

Two Red Admiral and a male Brimstone for me in Crawley. These are the first of the year.

Vince

Same as you Twitcher, not yet anyway, I live in hope.

That's a shame Shirley and Twitcher, I encountered my first yesterday!
I reckon it must have been a Red Admiral or Peacock, it was flying pretty fast over my head, so I didn't get a nice photo like some of the you guys have got!

Looking at the weather, we are set for a few warmish days to come, should be plenty of chances coming up to see a butterfly!

Two fast flying Red Admirals in my garden this morning.

Denise

Two Peacocks on Saturday out cycling near Cambridge
...no pics tho' they didn't hang around...

Zilch here yet, but I'll keep a lookout and hope to see something soon.