On 05/01/18 11:52, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Fri, 5 Jan 2018 11:34:14 +0000, Jeff Layman
wrote:

Photographed a few minutes ago on the garden tap insulation. Outside
temp was 7.5 deg C.
https://imgur.com/UCES7gS

It flew off when I touched it, so it wasn't even "sleepy".

A 'red admirable' as we call them in our household, which is
apparently what they were originally called. This, from
https://www.gwct.org.uk/wildlife/spe...7/red-admiral/

"The name ‘red admiral’ apparently comes from a corruption of the
original 18th-century name ‘red admirable’."

and on the same page:

"The first admirals to be spotted here in spring, sometimes as early
as February, may well have managed to overwinter in the south of
England as adults, although usually our winters are too harsh for them
to survive. Climate change may well be resulting in more adult
admirals managing to successfully overwinter here."

Yes, I had identified it before posting, but thought it would make an
interesting surprise. I have seen them in March, but never so early in
the year. And this winter has been a lot colder and wetter than the four
previously we've experienced here in south central Hampshire. It was
pretty warm yesterday (12 deg C), so maybe that's what brought it out.

I guess it must be finding nectar somewhere (ivy flowers?) but can't see
it surviving for long.

--

Jeff