Female, Switzerland, July 2006

Male, Switzerland, June 2007

The first picture shows the first poplar admiral I ever saw. I came across her by chance and had just a few seconds to take this picture before she was up and away. A moment to savour, especially as it was not 10 minutes cycle ride away from my house! 'Local patch' butterflies have a special taste. The second picture is my second ever, and most recent, individual! It was photographed not far from the location of the first, a year later, and again gave me just a few seconds to take stock before winging it over a meadow and out of sight. The picture was taken from about 15 feet away.

Poplar admirals are not only very rare (though widely distributed), but are utterly magnificent butterflies. A Swiss book I own notes that even a medium-sized female is bigger than any other Swiss butterfly. The female above was in the undergrowth, on the point of flying, when I came across her. She rose like a kite, circled like a huge glider and floated effortlessly into the distance, all apparently without moving her wings. I hope I shall have some opportunities in the future to make more observations of this tremendous butterfly.