Red Admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta) are more likely to be seen here in October than in March, with numbers gradually dwindling towards December. Their success during the autumn is partly due to the flowering of Ivy when many of these butterflies can often be seen scrambling over a clump of Ivy, feeding on the nectar. During the warmer months they need Nettles on which to breed. This year has been a strange year as nettle leaves and stalks started to dry out in the parched hot summer weather but as soon as it started to rain again rapidly gained new growth which has continued during October.
Red Admiral perching on fresh young nettle leaves growing up with fresh grasses 24th October 2018. Nettles are the food-source for the caterpillars of several butterflies, including the red Admiral, the Peacock and the Small Tortoiseshell.
Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were very scarce this year but at present it's not certain why.
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