Shredded...

2020 continues to degenerate into a nightmare season...

Purple Emperors roost in the tree tops (males especially) and get shredded by nocturnal gales. They're rubbish at riding out storms. The females are only marginally more sensible.

Today, at Knepp, Neil and I were struggling to see them, though I did see a freshly-emerged female being followed up into the oaks by three Benny Hill males - so females are still emerging, just.  

We wont know the extent of the damage until the wind abates but I strongly suspect that the 2020 emergence has been largely blasted away... ... ... 

And not just at Knepp (which is an unusually exposed site): Mark Joy struggled to see three today in Fermyn Woods, where his peak day count in five visits has been a mere seven.  

Some good news though: Laurence Drummond saw nine today at Hatfield Forest, which is good for Hatfield, and Ashley Whitlock saw four at Creech Walk, SE Hants.  

Advise: Don't travel long distances to see Emperors any more, it's too late...