FRi July 16th

Briefly, as I didn't finish until 8pm (when the Emperor was still flying...)

Redid the Knepp PE transect (too windy and cloudy yesterday) but only got 16, including 3 females. Par would have been 22. I probably should have started half an hour earlier as they became heat suppressed from 2.30.

Crucially, a lot of territories only have single occupants this year, and there's little other aerial biodiversity flying around the oak tops - so males are not very active. So I may have under-recorded.

At least 4 males feeding down on the ground at Knepp today, the first from 9 to 10am, the last at 6.30pm.

Female seen egg laying at 11.15, laying 4 eggs in 2 broad-leaved sallows. 

Very poor year for Purple Hairsreak here - oaks damaged by late frosts.

Elsewhere, good to hear of one seen down on a ride at Dene Park, Kent today - We hardly hear from Kent...  Also, several seen at Bentley Wood, Wilts, today. 

Best of all, PEs have been seen in Leics and Rutland these last two days, including at Bardon Hill and in Coalville Meadows - been seen at 7 Leics & Ruts Wildlife Trust reserves these last three years!

The butterfly will be at peak everywhere this weekend. To the woods, the lot of you: get trousered. NB the A43 is closed at Silverstone. NB PEs likely to conk out between 2.30 and 5.30 in the forecast heat, but will put on good evening flights if calm. Enjoy...