www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Walking in wild parts of a local park and saw a Tortoiseshell which was just too big! Checked the exact markings and it comes up with the Compton. This species does fly in Southern Europe from March and given the mild Winter, why not here?
Will go back and try to photograph again.

The European version of this butterfly, usually known as the false comma, is an eastern species, rather than southern, and rare to very rare in the western parts of its range (from Austria to Finland). Although it does migrate there is effectively zero chance of it reaching the UK naturally. Far more likely, though still a great rarity in Britain, would be large tortoiseshell. Do go back and try and get a photo. Don't go in for a good one - just try and get any photo at all first! It sounds as though you saw something interesting but it's a billion to one against being a false comma (but hey, people do win the lottery! ).

Guy

I agree .
It's most likely an oddly-marked Comma http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... ydhrIXn0_w
or an aberrant Small Tortoiseshell http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... es=urticae
or a rare Large Tortoiseshell http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... ydiG4Xn0_w
Do any of those look familiar?

Vince