A spectacular insect

I was down in Pembrokeshire recently for a few days. While my main objective was new landscapes for postcards I tried to keep my eyes open for the unexpected and on this occasion it was a flock of red admirals feeding on ivy at the top of a south-facing cliff near St Davids. I’m not sure if flock is the correct word for a large group of butterflies but there must have been dozens of them. Being a migratory species I suppose they could have just arrived from the continent.

It was hot and sunny so they had no need to extend their solar panels, which was a pity, but even so they made great subject matter as they sucked up sweet nectar from the ivy flowers. Aren’t they spectacular insects? If they weren’t so common we would travel a hundred miles to see one. Enjoy the photographs!

The out-of-focus highlights are reflections of the sun on wavelets in the water down below.

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