I suppose we won't fully understand whether the season is poor or late until the end of the season. I arrived at Fermyn expecting a big emergence, which did not happen. The signs were good - high numbers of SWF and WA all looking very fresh and I saw my first Iris at 9.20am. However, this Iris, like the other 2 that I saw in three hours, were not pristine newly emerged males. They looked slightly worn (as though they were flying in their second week) and Bill (of the Fermyn light patrol) didn't even bother to take a photograph.
On the other hand, Purple Hairstreak are not out at Fermyn so maybe we are still early and the main emergence is around the corner. At 12.00pm, I left for the car park and saw another tired male on dog poo surrounded by a crowd, before spotting Lugenda on the ground, 500m from the car park. I got a few record shots that confirm Lugenda and Lawrence (from Wolverhampton) very kindly gave me a couple of his (much better) Lugenda photos. He had seen Lugenda in the same place at 10.30am (ie he had been imbibing salts for an hour and a half next to the car park). I hoped that he would return and waited another 4 hours but he didn't show again. The Lugenda I saw at Cotgrave imbibed salts for 3 hours and was never seen again.
The problem is that Lugenda normally emerge late and this is the paradox. The Iris at Fermyn look worn as though they have been flying for a week or so in very low numbers and Lugenda indicates the season is well underway. On the other hand, PH are not out yet, SWF are nearly all males, Camilla look very fresh; suggesting an emergence is around the corner. I suppose we will all find out over the next week.
Thanks very much to Lawrence for his shots which you will easily distinguish from my record shots.
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