From Ashley Whitlock

Here is a report from Havant Thicket from today 6th July 2015.

I went into Bells Copse where the woodland is more dense, and has a fairly large tract running through it called a 'wayleaves' where there is Electricity generating pylons. The ride is fairly wide and you can see good vistas in the Oak canopy, and it was here I encountered my first Purple Emperor at 11:45, when it was really sunny and the wind had dropped a little. He was very shy and dropped into a Sallow and I lost sight of him, but I made my way back to the car-park for a bite to eat, and after this I went around Havant Thicket looking at most of the Oak canopy and Sallow stands,here at 13:25 I encountered my first male Oak edging, and he sat in the tree looking down at me for a good few minutes, he then started Oak edging again, and went over the ride at 1335.In a ride full of Sallow I encountered another two males Sallow searching between here and the Assembly Point at Horsefoot Hill. At Horse foot Hill I tracked several males fighting and chasing each other at 1400, and stayed at the vista for 30 minutes, where there were some more chases, but mainly just one male flying around his territory, until I left at 1430 when the wind had got up again and the sun had all but disappeared.