Knepp Kicks Off!

I managed to see three males at Knepp yesterday, June 15th.  One might have been out for a day, judging by his (abominable) behaviour. The other two were seemingly on maiden flights.

The main one, a vicious thug of a beast, launched himself at seagulls, a blue tit (revenge for winter predation on his cousins!), a wood pigeon, and also sent the first Purple Hairstreak of the year quivering with fear back into its pupal case. Here he is -

There was no big emergence today. I rather struggled to see five males, one of which I watched whilst a cuckoo called close by...

My guess is that the first decent emergence of the year here will be on Sunday. It's very early days yet...