Tanking Up!

Yesterday was too windy: much of Knepp was exposed to the Moderate (occasionally Fresh) East to North-East wind, and seemingly devoid of Emperors as a result. But West-facing edges were superb.

In this heat, both sexes are increasingly resorting to small sap bleeds on the oaks. These bleeds are hard to spot - look out for the distinctive and diagnostic zig-zag flight of Emperors homing in on sap and flying into a tree, and watch out for hornets and Red Ads, which also frequent sap.

Here's a posse of Emperors getting tanked up on fermented oak sap prior to the football yesterday evening. They'll smash the place up when England get knocked out...

The Emperor is now a hedgerow butterfly at Knepp - there are that many of them. In the heat they are shading a lot, occupying dappled shade - Speckled Wood country - along North-facing edges.

Going to a wedding or another big family event this weekend? Skip it, go Emperoring; do not miss out.