Sat June 18th Update

 This is a most promising start to the Emperor season, though the heatwave has ended (shame!) and many parts of the Purple Empire were cloudy, or even wet today.

In Sussex, I visited my old woods, now Ben Greenaway's woods, north of Knepp in the morning. Someone else saw a male there, but I didn't. White Ad males well out, a smattering of Silver-washed, and a Dark-green - the first there for decades...

At Knepp, a total of 9 males were seen by several observers. I only saw 2 but Neil managed 6. Crucially, males were only wandering through territories and not setting up shop there. Two were seen feeding on the tracks, including this one who had somehow got a hole in a forewing very early on in his life. He flew off strongly though -

It is still very early days in the season here. I still haven't seen a definite Purple Hairstreak yet and only the one Sussex Ringlet...

Good to hear of a sighting from Putney Heath in SW London today.