Oates's 50

Applause, please, from the members in the pavilion for Oates's 50: he has now seen iris in the wild, in one or more of its different life stages, in each of the last 50 months.  And if that's not obsessive behaviour I don't know what is... . 

The 50 was brought up today in Savernake by this egg -

I also found a couple of other eggs and a 1st instar larva, and briefly saw an old male resettle high up on beech during a brief sunny interval.  

All great Purple Emperor seasons begin and end with expeditions up north to see the two Erebias.  I've just spent a few days on and around Arnside Knott where things like this were going on -