From Ashley Whitlock

Today was probably my last venture into Alice Holt Forest for this season, and today was a pretty good day all in all. The males are certainly not flying with much conviction now that the Females have all been mated and there is no need really for searching through out the wood for that elusive female. However there were a few exceptions today at 1035 a Male was seen oak edging and flying from the southern end of the wood at Abbotts Inclosure towards the north over the large 'King' Oak in the small triangle near to the small car-park.Another male was seen at the 'pottery' triangle going north at 1200 high over the oaks obviously making its way up towards one of the Assembly Point's. Another male was seen at 1206 Oak edging at the main triangle heading East. At the Assembly Points Alice Holt (1) two males were really going for it battling like the clappers they were round and round and up and over the highest trees at 1320, and this went on for a good 20 minutes for what I could see of it, as I have to use a step ladder now to see anything. At the Abbotts Wood Assembly Point it was relatively calm compared with over the road, but there were two on station and they did meet several times and give chase. At Goose Green there were at least three on station, and in the warmth there were some good chases and at one time three were chasing at the same time. I left there at 1440, happy to have seen at least (10) Purple Emperors. I just like to share with the readers just what a life a female Purple Emperor leads, looking all magnificent and regal as some do now but once they have finished laying their eggs, and swooping in and out of Sallow is no mean feat, with birds like Jays ,Tits and other birds ready to strike them when there unaware. I don't know if I've ever shared this photo with Hampshire Butterfly conservation, but it is a sorry tale of a female caught by a bird strike, and she has only the left wing, the other has obviously been hen pecked by a bird whilst she was egg laying and she was found on the forest floor. She was brought to me by Andrew Brookes many years ago in a box, and we fed her sugar solution on cotton wool, for about 15 days, before she finally died. That's the nature of this very hardy butterfly, the beauty we see on the forest floor wings spread open with Purple/Blue sheen shining in the sun, but lets stick up for the regal girl without her battles in the sallow there would be no Emperor for the following year.