Wild Red Admiral Butterfly, early 2023 January sighting!!

[Testudo Man]

A lucky lunchtime garden sighting for me today!

Brilliant sunshine, still quite cold in my (Kent) back garden, but warm enough to coax out a beautiful Red Admiral.
I wasnt planning on using a camera this time of the year, so when i spotted the Red Admiral, i had to run in the house, grab a camera, attach a 500D close up lens...then spent the next 15 minutes capturing some nice images of this beauty.

Although ive see Butterflies in January in the past, its still a rare sighting for me, so well pleased.

A couple of pics of the beauty, no cropping to the images, minimal editing, Jpegs, handheld.
Cheers Paul.

Red Admiral Butterfly. 1st sighting for 2023! No cropping. by Tort Man (thinking about hibernation!), on Flickr

Red Admiral Butterfly. 1st sighting for 2023! No cropping. by Tort Man (thinking about hibernation!), on Flickr

 

[Stuart Philpott]

I morn those day way back when ad's torts and peacocks thought my house was a half decent place to spend a winter,but even inside with a snag of heat we never saw anything trying to get iinto the big wide world in jan Paul........I'm stunned.

Oh and matey HNY have the best one cheers for all the flutterby inspiration and nouce previously bestowed

take care

stu

 

[Testudo Man]

I morn those day way back when ad's torts and peacocks thought my house was a half decent place to spend a winter,but even inside with a snag of heat we never saw anything trying to get iinto the big wide world in jan Paul........I'm stunned.

Oh and matey HNY have the best one cheers for all the flutterby inspiration and nouce previously bestowed

take care

stu

Cheers mate, hows it going, all well i hope.
I do hear of others, who have reported hibernating butterflies in their homes, but ive yet to see one in my house.

I would think in the last 12+ years, ive had maybe 3 sightings of butterflies in January, so its a rare sight for sure. The best for me, was back in 2012, it was on the 11th of January, an it was a very mild Winter that year. I saw/photographed 2 Red Admirals basking on a tree trunk (i was in my local woods, hoping for an early Adder sighting) which i didnt see, but the butterflies made up for that.
Cheers Paul.

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Think so mate,sort of weathering a horrible storm but full of hope and fun,so all as it should be bless ya for asking.

I'm hoping to see some common liz soon Paul doubt I'll get to adders this year but maybe one day.

Back to how it used to be we have always had stands of nettle here they used to be trashed by black cats, and then each spring a bit later on we would have the singular joy of letting out butterflies for their first time into the big wide world for a little while it would be a daily morn ritual.

Lovliest thing mate to wake up hearing the wings against the window

 

[Testudo Man]

Think so mate,sort of weathering a horrible storm but full of hope and fun,so all as it should be bless ya for asking.

I'm hoping to see some common liz soon Paul doubt I'll get to adders this year but maybe one day.

Back to how it used to be we have always had stands of nettle here they used to be trashed by black cats, and then each spring a bit later on we would have the singular joy of letting out butterflies for their first time into the big wide world for a little while it would be a daily morn ritual.

Lovliest thing mate to wake up hearing the wings against the window

Yeah, its always a treat to see our Reptiles, before the Springtime vegetation starts to grow.
I will be hoping to see some early Adders/Lizards, so i will start looking end of February...just depends how this months weather pans out?!
As you say, its quite common for people to find hibernating butterflies fluttering/flitting up at the inside of the windows, just not something ive seen myself. Good luck looking for those early Common Lizards mate, im sure we will both find some cheers Paul.