Sue wrote:
"John Burke" wrote
By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.

It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled
orange wings.

Can anyone identify it?

A Comma perhaps?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_(butterfly)

Similar, but the profile of the wing was an arc, not in angular sections as
the Comma's. Also the speckles were uniform (and all of a same dark colour).

The combination of the vivid primary orange and the secondary (almost black)
dark markings made me wonder if signalled something nasty for a predator.

Thanks.