Red Admiral Butterfly, Vanessa atalanta

Red Admiral Butterfly lives across much of Western North America. This Admiral is actually a lady, related to painted lady, American lady, West Coast lady and Painted Lady. The larval plants are nettles. The only time I can get a picture of them is in winter or early spring on manzanita flowers, or when we provide a warm surface such as the installation of a new greenhouse. They'll hang about there, otherwise it's just luck. If I see them first, I get a picture(and I'm using a 28 times optical zoom). Very fast when they need to be.  Fred Heath says they'll set in the same spot for weeks watching the world go by. Maybe it's too cold here, they are usually moving.