April 16th, 2012

You can’t help but notice the abundance of butterflies in our green spaces today – we are witnessing an incredible wave of red admirals (Vanessa atalanta) migrating up from the US.  I have never seen so many, at one time, in one place – it is absolutely phenomenal.  On the video below I estimate there to be several hundred butterflies on the lawn, but once I had a chance to look around a bit, that is clearly a low estimate – there must be thousands!!

The red admirals have been joined by honey bees, various fly species and a beautiful question mark butterfly (it can be identified by the “question mark” on the underside of it’s wings), all seeking nectar and pollen from the dandelions.

If you have a chance, sit – or lie down – on the lawn and just observe these incredible insects for a few moments.  They’re one of the many marvels of nature and who knows when such an incredible event as this will occur again!!