From Ashley Whitlock

Visited my local woods today (Creech Wood-Forest of Bere) to see how the Emperor was getting on after the bashing after St'Swithens day. I arrived at 10:40, and walking along a very narrow ride with good areas of Sallow and Vistas I saw a magnificiant male quartering a vista, and then began oak edging. 10 minutes later I saw another in much the same area, he was in good condition also, I think these woods on the Southwick estate are maybe a few days later than a lot of woods in Hampshire as they are protected by Portsdown hill to the south of the area. At 12:10 after a lull in Emperor activity, I was walking along a wide ride , the main ride in fact when out of nowhere came a lovely female, she was a lovely bit of skirt, perched on a small Beech about 8 feet from me and about 5 feet off of the ground. She was wing waving a lot and just staring at me, as I looked on. I think she may have been laying eggs, and needed a rest, She stayed with me for about 5 minutes, a typical female I guess!Further down the ride where the Sallow is a lot thicker and higher, I observed a rather tatty male quartering a vista, he looked somewhat forelorn, shredded to bits. I decided to go and have a look on the eastern side of the wood where the high ground is, and as I parked up at 14:10 I got out the car,a female exitied a Sallow bush and flew away, right by the main road. A good mornings Emperoring!