Walking the Purple Emperor transect at Knepp, for the last time this year. I counted five ancient males. This chap shouldn't have been able to fly, as two-thirds of one wing side were missing, and one third of the other -
Yet he managed to hold territory and pulverise a Purple Hairstreak. Attitude counts!
Provisional data suggests that this became an 'average' year at Knepp - but after great early season promise, with a near-record count for Week 2 of the season (in fine weather around Midsummer Day). Then, they got clobbered by a sequence of bad weather events.
We've been monitoring Emperors along a 2km single-species transect route at Knepp for nine years. 2024 was definitely better than 2016, 2019 and 2021, but had the fine weather held it might have been as good as 2023 (our second-best year, after the annus mirabilis of 2018).
Another bout of rain is forecast for Thursday. That will almost certainly end Knepp's season for the year...
Elsewhere, a few Emperors are still going in the more northern parts of the Empire, and at other 'late' sites such as Savernake. The race is on for the last Emperor of the year, though I doubt that will be in August.
Early signs are that the 'egg lay' is very poor, but more of than anon...
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