Long-Haul Flight

Some years Painted Lady butterflies are hardly seen in England so I was pleased to spot this one in the garden today.

They fly over from Africa in summer seasons when their numbers grow too large to survive there using the available food sources.

They cannot survive British winters and so fly back at high altitudes, making use of favourable air currents to help speed the journey. It's amazing to think of the distances some creatures need to cover for survival.