Like buses...

Like buses...
...you wait ages for one, and then 3 come along together! Well, that's Me and Purple Emperor aberrations! I've waited over 50 years to see a Purple Emperor aberration, not even a sniff of one before, and now three have come along at the same time! Literally!


I've been expecting a dig in the ribs by 'management', followed by the phrase, "wake up!", but so far that hasn't happened; so I guess I haven't dreamt it! Also, it was good to share the experience of the second and third aberrations with Bill Seager, who, like me, had not seen a Purple Emperor aberration before. (It was great to meet you Bill!)


I was in the Lady Wood/Souther Wood complex on Thursday 11th July when I spotted the first aberration, which circled around in front of me before alighting on a conifer about 12 feet up. My heart started racing as I tried to get a semi-reasonable photograph of it with the macro lens. I got a few record shots, but not the best in the world.

Aberrant 1 - Upperside



Aberrant 1 - Underside

With the focussing square firmly on the butterfly, another Purple Emperor aberration flew past at chest height. Now, imagine the dilemma: keep focussed on the first aberration, 12 foot up, or follow the second? The second aberration did a U-turn, flying back towards me, and then took a fancy to my right leg. It then circled low down, above an area on the track where I had deposited one of my concoctions. Finally, it landed on the track nearby and I decided to now focus on this one, firing off a few shots with the camera. It only remained on the ground for about 30 seconds and was then off again.

Aberrant 2 - Upperside

Aberrant 2 - Underside

It circled around me a few times, before making off along the track. I gave pursuit and fortunately, at this point, the cavalry appeared, in the form of Bill Seager of the Fermyn Light Horse, apparently a well-known regiment in these parts! Bill saw me pursuing it and immediately realised what it was. The Emperor doubled back again, and tantalisingly it looked like it was going to settle on the track, but then flew round the conifer and landed about 20 foot up. Grey cloud rolled in and we watched the aberrant, which remained in place for over one hour, occasionally turning, occasionally closing its wings and occasionally flapping its wings to ward off marauding bees. When the sun came out, the aberrant still remained rooted to the spot and we witnessed further Emperor activity around the conifer with at least 6 normally-marked male Purple Emperors flying further up. All of this time, the original aberration that I had spotted had remained in place. With these two aberrant butterflies settled in the conifers, we both then witnessed another aberrant Emperor flying in; this one was even darker than the other 2 aberrations, both of which I could still see up in the conifers. This third aberration didn't land, but worked its way around and then up and over the conifers. As the skies leadened, the other two flew up and over the conifers and all flying activity ceased. I had remained there all day, but eventually realised that I wasn't going to see any more, so departed for home.


I still can't really comprehend what happened, but those butterflies certainly made two grown men very happy that day!