Intensive Care

Yesterday James came rushing in through the front door with his hands cupped around a red admiral with a broken wing that he had rescued outside the school gates. He had done well considering he had to carry it on the bus about 5 miles. We spent the next half hour finding it suitable accommodation (a plastic vivarium) and food (a flower stalk off a buddleia) which it started to delve into with its curled proboscis almost immediately.
It was rather co-operative during a photoshoot this afternoon, and as one of its wings is mangled I thought it best to concentrate on the undersideof the good wing and the body and head of the insect itself. It has hairy eyes and a curious cross shape on them too! The lovely mosaic of scales, and a concentrated group of bright blue ones on the leading edge of the wing, rival the red, black and white of the other, more showy side of the wing.
I wonder how long it will survive in its new home. It seems perfectly happy.
View it large.