Red Admiral. Photo: Mark Herbert

Mark sent in this photo telling us:

It’s 15/01/2024 – a crisp, cold day in the middle of January and 4C at lunchtime according to my car dashboard. Nonetheless, in a sheltered fold behind Woolsbarrow Hillfort in Wareham Forest, it was warm enough for this Red Admiral to be feeding on the flowering gorse.

The butterfly was flying strongly and looked in good condition. The area it was active in was out of the cold northerly wind, and in sunshine. There’s plenty of gorse in bloom for it to feed on. Good to see, especially as no other insects were spotted during my 90 minute walk.