Despite my earlier misgivings and a rather soggy cool July and early August, this summer has been a wonderful season for most butterflies.

Three skippers, marbled whites, meadow browns, gatekeepers and red admirals have been especially abundant.

In fact, I nominate the red admiral my 'butterfly of the year' for being with us from early spring right into autumn and it has certainly lived up to its original name 'red admirable' with a 400 per cent increase over last year.

Up until about 20 years ago, red admirals rarely spent the winter with us but with recent warm winters they regularly hibernate here although a number still make the return journey southwards and and in late summer I have sometimes seen them flying low, fast and direct over the wide open spaces of Richmond park in a southerly direction.

On a somewhat warm sunny, calm August morning on a Dorset cliff top I'm watching constant flurries of of small and green-veined white butterflies but only a few large whites because the species has not fully recovered from a virus infection sustained way back in 1955 and the few individuals look very worn.

Holly blues are flitting around the cliff top plus the occasional painted lady and of course, yes, you've guessed it, red admirals!

In fact, so many butterflies are here, the like of which I've not seen since my childhood and I wonder if there is a partial migration underway from across the channel.

One species I have not seen is the common blue and peacocks are also rather scarce.