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Butterflies Page 23

Image Taken on 02 Oct 2010 at 12:47    Image of day on 25 Nov 2010

We have a yellow Buddleia that has always kept flowering until the first air frost. We seem to have a solitary Red admiral around the plot that is a regular on these flowers. Here it is rolling up it's proboscis after feeding on nectar - there is still a drop of fluid at the top of the curve.


Ref: 20101125_df1_20101002_1247_464 red admiral butterfly coiling up proboscis 2 of 2 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 15 Oct 2008 at 08:33    Image of day on 03 Nov 2008

... and here is the emerged insect - a Red Admiral butterfly. Released when the weather improved in the afternoon, we saw it around for several days feeding on our autumn flowers. Click to see a Red Admiral top view taken in 2006.


Ref: 20081103_p34_20081015_0833_419 red admiral butterfly emerged from chrysalis through glass tank side(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 15 Jul 2023 at 12:49    Image of day on 10 Sep 2023

A Red Admiral, here NOT showing their vivid top of wing colours, has their proboscis deep into the nectary of this blackberry flower


Ref: 20230910_d72_20230715_1249_026 red admiral butterfly feeding from blackberry flower(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 05 Sep 2021 at 10:47    Image of day on 16 Oct 2021

The Yellow Buddleia we inherited has produced a mass of flowers this year. Here a Red Admiral Butterfly.


Ref: 20211016_df3_20210905_1047_067 red admiral butterfly feeding from yellow buddleia flower(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Sep 2023 at 10:34    Image of day on 05 Nov 2023

The previously generation of Red admiral Butterflies enjoyed feeding on the Blackberry flowers, and may even have fertilised the fruit from which this one is taking their fill.


Ref: 20231105_df3_20230914_1034_066 red admiral butterfly feeding on blackberry fruit(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Jun 2021 at 15:29    Image of day on 05 Aug 2021

One of several Red Admiral Butterflies.


Ref: 20210805_d73_20210630_1529_054 red admiral butterfly feeding on elderberry flower(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 20 Jun 2022 at 12:27    Image of day on 08 Aug 2022

A Red Admiral butterfly perched to show both top and bottom of wings.
Because most butterflies and moths build their wing pattern with tiny scales on each side, the two sides can be entirely different. It very frustrating that so many ID book show only one side or other!


Ref: 20220808_df3_20220620_1227_019 red admiral butterfly feeding on flower in hedge(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 29 Aug 2019 at 12:44    Image of day on 22 Oct 2019

We have let the Mint flowers go riot this year and have been rewarded by lots of insects stopping by to enjoy the flowers. This is a Red Admiral, wings closed, enjoying 'lunch' in the sunshine.


Ref: 20191022_df3_20190829_1244_030 red admiral butterfly feeding on mint flower(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 17 Jul 2023 at 13:22    Image of day on 10 Sep 2023

A Red Admiral Butterfly tucking into the nectar from a Purple Loosestrife flower growing in a patch in the main pond. The insert shows their figure-of-eight proboscis tucking into the flower.


Ref: 20230910_df3_20230717_1322_009 red admiral butterfly feeding on purple loosestrife in main pond (crop + insert)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 12 Jul 2020 at 09:14    Image of day on 18 Aug 2020

A Red Admiral butterfly this time choosing a Teasel for it's next feed.


Ref: 20200818_d73_20200712_0914_071 red admiral butterfly feeding on teasel(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 31 Jul 2017 at 11:01    Image of day on 12 Sep 2017

This Red Admiral Butterfly was feeding from this leaning Teasel, showing us in successive frames the proboscis deep in a floret and then moving to another.
Working up this little mirror-image montage was accompanied by the track 'The Red Admiral Butterfly' on the CD 'James Galway and the Chieftains' (also available on YouTube)


Ref: 20170912_df3_20170731_1101_010+011 red admiral butterfly feeding on teasel (montage as mirrored pair)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 17 Jul 2017 at 10:05    Image of day on 02 Sep 2017

A Red Admiral Butterfly feeding on a freshly flowering (un-divided ring of flowers so far) Teasel. In the Left hand image the butterfly has it's proboscis deep inside one of these tall florets. At the right a floret has pulled out of the Teasel head as the Butterfly extracts the feeding tube, something we have seen several times before but never had the camera focussed to catch the moment before the insect flicks it away.


Ref: 20170902_df3_20170717_1005_030+1004_016 red admiral butterfly feeding on teasel proboscis deep in floret & dislodging one (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 20 Nov 2008 at 08:57    Image of day on 07 Dec 2008

A very late appearance of a Red Admiral butterfly enjoying the sunshine on a flowering Viburnum. It might be the one we raised indoors, but really don't know as we didn't mark it - see the archive for 3 Nov 2008.


Ref: 20081207_p34_20081120_0857_973 red admiral butterfly feeding on viburnum flower(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 15 Sep 2016 at 13:36    Image of day on 06 Nov 2016

In the autumn sunshine, a Red Admiral Butterfly feasts from the water mint still flowering at the main pond.


Ref: 20161106_df3_20160915_1336_055 red admiral butterfly feeding on water mint flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 26 Aug 2016 at 13:41    Image of day on 16 Oct 2016

A pristine Red Admiral Butterfly sipping Water Mint nectar through it's built-in straw.


Ref: 20161016_df3_20160826_1341_031 red admiral butterfly feeding on water mint flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 06 Oct 2020 at 09:40    Image of day on 15 Nov 2020

... before moving to the Yellow Buddleia to refuel.
Apart from Ivy, this generous Buddleia seems to be the only local source of nectar.


Ref: 20201115_df3_20201006_0940_022 red admiral butterfly feeding on yellow buddleia(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 18 Jul 2023 at 10:28    Image of day on 10 Sep 2023

Another Red Admiral Butterfly, this time hanging from a grass stem. The Proboscis is rolled up and hidden away.


Ref: 20230910_df3_20230718_1028_072 red admiral butterfly hanging from grass stem(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 28 Aug 2017 at 15:56    Image of day on 15 Oct 2017

This Red Admiral butterfly was caught circling the Buddleia, but we had seen them over the Water Mint as well and this is what we show the butterfly with.


Ref: 20171015_da1_20170828_1556_156+1553_144+1535_086_ft1 red admiral butterfly in 2 flights with water mint (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Jun 2019 at 12:40    Image of day on 22 Aug 2019

The Red Admiral butterfly here shows the wings from the top.


Ref: 20190822_da1_20190630_1240_060+1238_043_ft1 red admiral butterfly in flight + privet flower (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 02 Aug 2015 at 14:13    Image of day on 06 Oct 2015

A rather 'worn' Red admiral Butterfly could nevertheless fly well.


Ref: 20151006_da1_20150802_1413_512+1241_289_ft1 red admiral butterfly in flight + teasel head (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


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