Very heavy rain at Knepp. Many of the paths are heavily puddled or quagmired, plus a lot of sog and bog...
A glowering day, with incipient brightness around lunchtime for a while, then as dull as Hades.
Inpsired by the announcement on the BC website that the Emperor emerged in Sussex on the 23rd a number of people are visiting Knepp TOO EARLY. IT'S NOT OUT...
Watch this space...
None again today at Knepp or at Bookham Common. This is making the sighting at Ditchling Common on the 23rd stand out like a sore thumb, though BC have accepted it.
Story: 2 years ago Neil and I almost fell out. A couple of large dark butterflies were briefly seen chasing each about over some distant oaks. I swear they were Emperors, the first of the year, but Neil who was closer to them and has better eyesight is adamant they were Red Ads. I gave way to him. 'Many will come in my name', as it sayeth in the Good Book...
Just how late a season it this is illustrated by the fact that Purple and White-letter hairstreaks are still not out at Knepp - the Emperor follows them - and today I saw my first summer brood Green-veined Whites - that's late.
Tomorrow, perhaps...
Good to see a mating pair of Commas, at 5pm. Only the second time I've seen this species mating. Very few people have...
Yesterday (Sat 26th) was perfect Emperoring weather. Experienced observers were out scouring the woods and whatnots for the first kosher Emperor of the year, at known 'early' sites such as Knepp, Bookham Common and a lovely little wood near Bicester in Oxon.
None was seen. The conclusion is that the butterfly is Not Out, and that last Wednesday's 'sighting' at Ditchling in Sussex may well have been of a high-flying Red Admiral (of which there are loads around at present). The Red Ad is adept at mimicking distant Emperors, I regularly get fooled myself...
At Knepp, no White Admirals, Silver-washed Fritillaries and Purple or White-letter hairstreaks were seen - suggesting it is a little early for Emperors (though there are only small populations of the first two at Knepp).
My guess is that the Emperor should start on the next good day, but this is a difficult season to predict and may well see an unusually protracted emergence.
Watch this space.......
Apparently, a Purple Emperor was seen at Ditchling Common in Sussex on Wednesday, though some of the local experts aren't convinced about it...
White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary males are coming out nicely in Sussex and Surrey. That means He is imminent...
I'm off to Knepp early tomorrow.
Watch this space...
Follow me on Twitter on @MatthewOates76 for regular updates.
Also, for those of highly serious Purple disposition, there is the People of Purple Persuasion's WhatsApp group. Contact me on 07771 971488 [you need to be on WhatsApp already].
Knepp Castle Estate is looking forward to welcoming visitors to see Purple Emperors this summer.
However, we are not expecting a large emergence, due to damage done last summer (gales during the flight season reduced the egg lay considerably, then many sallows dropped leaves during a severe drought in late July / early August). To be honest, I've no idea what numbers are going to be like here this year!
We ask Purple visitors to keep to designated routes and parking areas.
The estate's Purple Emperor Safaris are sold out.
But once again we've produced an annotated map for visitors wanting to see Emperors, a self-guided walk. This costs £5 per car group, and is available from the carpark attendants at the main entrance at Dial Post.
The route has been improved, to take in more of the really good areas. It's quite a walk, and you need to go a fair way before you get into the main Emperor areas (though Emperors can be seen anywhere on and around the estate). Just follow the purple ribbon, laid out along the designated route - the best spots are marked by ribbon clusters.
Please come properly equipped, with suitable footwear, food and drink. Knepp Wildland is huge, and is not a place you can drop in to for a quick visit.
We are being asked NOT to park on the verges along Countryman Lane but to use the main car park at Dial Post.
My guess is that Emperors should be starting at Knepp next weekend (26th-27th - but the cool weather forecast for this week may hold them back), peak numbers will be flying during the second week of July, and the butterfly will be done by August (don't visit after July 25th, unless you know precisely where to look). But this is a difficult season to predict...
Regular updates will be provided on this Blog.
Happy Emperoring!
Ladies, Gentlemen even, the 2021 Purple Emperor season is almost upon us...
I predict that the first iris of the year will appear around high noon on June 26th one of our 'early' sites such as Bookham, Knepp, a few of the woods around the M25 perambulation and in some of the Oxford woods - if the current warm weather continues. There is a chance of the butterfly appearing a little earlier, especially in the sunnier Kent and Kentish woods [though we seldom receive any records from them].
Neil Hulme predicts June 28th and Ben Greenaway is going for July 2nd, which is when the majority of sites are likely to start.
Peak season will be during the second week of July, so that's the week to throw a sicky and go Emperoring...
Numbers are hard to predict. Numbers may well be poor in The Weald, which was hit by a major drought in early August last year, many sallows there dropped their leaves. This includes Knepp, where many [but not all] sallow stands were seriously drought-struck.
It may well be a patchy season, with good numbers in some of the far-flung parts of the Empire which were not hit by drought last August. This may even be the year in which to search for the butterfly outside the standard known range...
Larvae are currently pupating at the non-early sites, and enjoying good pupation weather. Many will undoubtedly have already pupated in the SE. The quicker they pupate, and the shorter time they spend as pupae, the more of them fly - but, really, everything depends on flight season weather [and we are owed big time after last season's gales...].
There may be an unusually protracted emergence this year, as many sallows flowered profusely this spring and came into leaf late. This will have slowed resident larvae down.
Watch this space... His Gloriousity is going to shine...
