Limited activity throughout the Purple Empire today, as most regions were hit by a brisk Moderate to Fresh W wind that sprang up after a dissipating cold front passed (the wind hit Knepp at 3.15, and closed the day down).
Knepp's day's Highlights, where the butterfly is nearly at peak:-
* 4 seriously worked up males hotly pursuing a low-flying White Stork!
* First eggs laid (nationally, in all probability).
* First 'tumbledown' of the season (in which a mated female rejects an unwanted male).
* A 'ball' of 4 shimmering males flying around one hapless female...
* Male taken by a Kestrel (? first record, ever?).
* I showed PEs to a group of Naked Ramblers.
* Males are still coming down to feed on the tracks.
Elsewhere:-
* First PEs seen in Notts yesterday (just S of Sherwood).
* More seen in Wilts and Worcs.
* None yet in Dorset and Glos, and no records come to light yet from Leics, Lincs and Norfolk.
* The Botany Bay, Chiddingfold Forest, aberration seems to be a particularly nice ab. iolata (which is much rarer nowadays that lugenda).
Overall: this is quite a good PE year, though most sites are only just getting going on most sites (Knepp is romping ahead).
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