From Ashley Whitlock

 

I went to a new site today called King Johns Hill, the wood there is sat on a very steep hill and at 1115 I saw a male Emperor flying in and around a very high Ash Tree. The wood has great potential as an Emperor Wood, with many areas of good Sallow, and the King John Hill is potentailly a good Assembly Point, which will need investigating in the future.

I then moved on to Alice Holt Forest for the last time in 2013 probably, the weather wasn't great with very cool cloudy conditions mainly, but when the sun did shine then it was for long periods, and the temperature really shot up. At Abbotts Wood Inclosure I saw (4) males oak edging at 1200, near to the small car-park, another was seen flying north at 1215, another a minute later at 1216 oak edging towards the car-park, another male at 1232, near to the cross-ways, then another male at 1240 seen flying onto an oak sprig at the 'T' Junction on the main ride. There was one male on station at Alice Holt Forest (1) and two across the road doing battle. I think it was far too breezy at Alice Holt One as this is the highest point in the wood. There wasn't any males at other assembly points except Goose Green where only two were seen occasionally chasing down the wayleaves at 1342, despite the cooler cloudier conditions. Ive noticed this year there are several Assembly Points not occupied, yet there has been far more activity in the wood, with well over (30) males seen on a good day a few weeks ago. There certainly hasn't been this many up at the Assembly points, which suggests to me there must be other Assembly Points we don't know about, or many males don't visit these sites?