A walk from Bernwood Forest to Waterperry Wood and back from 1000-1300 resulted in five Purple Emperors which is good for here. At 1030 a male was along the track by Bernwood Meadows Reserve, a very ragged, worn individual with hardly any purple iridescence on its torn wings. It grounded on several occasions but was dissatisfied with what it found and soon moved back up to the surrounding oaks. Fifteen minutes later another, less worn individual flew up the track from further down but never stopped.
A male was cruising a sallow and oak conglomeration by the track through Waterperry Wood but soon disappeared.
Walking back through Hell Coppice we encountered a female flying slowly at head height and settling but forever restless on oak leaves in the low and mid storey of a large oak which she was reluctant to leave.She was in a terrible state and I was amazed she could fly looking at the state of her wings or what was left of them, but she managed quite well thank you and without any apparent problem. While watching her a male cruised above the crown of the same oak but thankfully did not spot her. I am almost embarrassed to publish a pic of her but this is easily the most worn Emperor or Empress I have ever seen.
Could the season be coming to an end here?
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