Butterfly Star

Here's our own, personal Red Admiral, the only one who frequents our garden, among a fair number of Small Tortoiseshell and various Whites.

Just as I carefully approached the fence to get a shot with his/her wings spread out so colourfully in the morning sun, Snap!, the wings close and the gay colours are gone.

Yet the closed form has its own fascination, and I was able to get this somewhat odd-looking close-up before the wings spread again and in an instant it flew up, off and away...