There are not many Emperors in the traditional woodland sites of Sussex this year, perhaps because they've all left in disgust and have decided to spread themselves evenly across the entire county. Here's another report of a misplaced singleton, this time from Richard Roebuck on 12th August.
"I then went to check out Wolstonbury Hill to look for Silver-spotted skippers -
previous visits recently had drawn a blank. I parked at Pyecombe Street and as
normal set off up the track which leads to the bridleway. Part way up I suddenly
froze, as sat on the corner of a garden Flint wall was a female Purple
Emperor. It was hot and the sun was beating down she was there just gently
opening and closing her wings at 12.50p.m. She was sat directly under a tall
Buddleia in full flower, but immediately next to her were three wheelie bins,
one was slightly open with Bluebottles flying in and out, she was showing a bit
of wear around the tips of her forewings but otherwise was in good condition.
She took off flew round me once and then flew straight over the roof of a house
opposite. She had flown some 50 feet upwards in seconds. I waited around for a
bit, my camera was still in its bag, that weird feeling as what to do now
descended on me yet again. Anyway she was gone heading south perhaps towards the
Bright lights of Brighton? Then the questions, where had she come from, the wind
direction suggested perhaps from the wooded side of Newtimber Hill opposite or
perhaps woods slightly further away where I saw another Purple Emperor flying up
whilst walking up a road a couple of weeks back. Most intriguingly, what was in
that Bin?"
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment