On Parade

No, I don't mean Army but the Navy, paying particular attention of the Admiral. An Admiral is a senior rank of the UK Royal Navy which equates to the NATO rank of OF-9 and outranked only by the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, (correct name Admiral of the Red). This rank was always filled by only one man. In 1996 the rank of Admiral of the Fleet was put in abeyance in peacetime except for members of the Royal Family; however Admirals of the Fleet continue to hold their rank on the active list for life.

But of course I am not talking here in naval terms really. The naval rank of Admiral of the Red has been adopted by a kind of butterfly known as Red Admiral. The proper name is Vanessa Atalanta and it is found in Asia, North America and Europe. It is resident only in warmer areas but migrates north in spring and sometimes again in the autumn.

I saw this one today when I was out on my travels. It stayed on this flower for ages together with its friend Mr Bumblebee. Both seemed to be enjoying the October sunshine and I simply couldn't resist.