Red Admiral

I've been shower-dodging today.

Drove through the rain to the Health Club. Swam in the sunshine.
Drove home in the sunshine. Dodged the showers to put out the rubbish, and fill up the peanut feeder.
Drove into Lichfield in the sunshine. Dodged the showers to run some errands in town.
Drove through torrential rain to the farm shop.
Headed on to Elford Gardens, in optimism.

I was so lucky. The sun came out - and stayed out - while I wandered round the gardens with my camera.

Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were playing on the lavender. Several Large Whites were keeping them company - and occasionally buzzing me.
I wandered into the Wildlife Area and came across the friendliest Red Admirals I've seen all year. They kept landing on me (maybe it was my pale blue Marks and Spencer T-shirt? )

This beauty posed deliberately on the treetrunk, waited, and then flew away when I'd finished.

There's a Scarecrow Festival in the village of Elford this weekend. I'm away, I'm afraid, but I do hope one of our Staffordshire blippers can go along.