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The red admiral is a common sight in British and Irish gardens with its distinctive dark brown body, red stripes and white patches, but is actually a migrant species from continental Europe and North Africa.

Speckled wood butterflies were being seen in particularly low numbers, while small tortoiseshells, commas, green-veined whites, large whites and red admirals were also being spotted in smaller numbers compared with the 10-year average.

It said there had been particularly low numbers of speckled wood butterflies, while small tortoiseshells, commas, green-veined whites, large whites and red admirals are also down on their 10-year average.

He retains a vivid picture of that moment: he was gazing at some Michaelmas daisies when a red admiral flew in.

I think I’m blessed by the red admiral.