Tues July 30th: Last Sighting at Knepp?

One torn and worn male seen flying low near Patrick's Tree at Knepp this afternoon, possibly the last of the year there. The flight season at Knepp is now in its seventh week, having commenced on June 17th. This demonstrates the extended flight season that larger populations of all butterfly species have.

Provisional transect data from Knepp indicates that this was an 'average' season there, though it would have been as good as 2023 had the weather behaved better.

Here's Patrick's Tree, it's a favoured 'feeder tree' -

Stroud Comes Out!

Delighted to see a male smashing things up (including a Common Darter dragonfly) high up over limes above the gates to Rodborough Fort, Stroud, Gloucestershire, this afternoon, SO 850040. He wasn't very visible, and this was a neckache job - 

Rodborough Fort was lived in by Tom Bainbrigge Fletcher (1878-1950) who gave Rodborough Common to the National tRust in 1937. He was an ace entomologist, a specialist in micro Lepidoptera. After serving as Naval Paymaster he was appointed - wait for it - Imperial Entomologist in India for the Raj, the best job title ever. He would be so pleased to have iris bossing things about over his gate...

Here's the map - 

There are sallows in the copse surrounding the Fort (the area is not shown as wooded on the map), but it is quite possible that males are hill-topping there, coming up from sallows lining the Stroud Canal to the north and east. Those sallows need searching for larvae...

When I moved to Gloucestershire (my father's home county) in 1992, I never dreamed that iris would follow me there. But he has, and now he's taken over my main Glos heartland...

Also today, 3 males and a female seen at Knepp, and a few more at Waterperry Wood, Bernwood Forest, Bucks/Oxon, and a very worn female on the ground at Chambers Farm Woods, Lincs.  They're still going, at least high up and very locally...

 

Cannock Chase

 After our first encounter with his Imperial Majesty on Cannock Chase on the 15th July 2021, and 3 years of endless searching with only a few distant sightings, we were graced with his presence once again on the 23rd July this year when he glided out of the Sallows and shared our company once again, long enough for us to get some pictures.... 

The Broads Outed!!!

Three million cheers! - to quote Arthur Ransome's infamous Captain Nancy Blackett (of Amazon's fame) - the Norfolk Broads have finally come out and declared themselves Purple. Liz Goodyear saw a female crossing Hoveton Little Broad today. 

This is Butterfly Sighting of the Year 2024 (the fact that Liz was taking part in a sailing race at the time is secondary)... The realisation of my dream of watching Apatura iris versus Papilio machaon britannicus (males) has taken a big step forward.

Elsewhere, four males were seen today at Knepp, W Sussex, including three together (around an oak sap feeder tree), and 2 males and a female near Bicester in Oxon.    

Fri July 26th: Closing Time...

Five rather ancient males active in the favoured territories in Savernake Forest today, notably this fellow who was in the same spot back on July 17th & 18th. He's Pecked Hind Right, though the distinct peck mark isn't visible in this photo. This counts as a 'recapture', in mark, release, recapture work - though I've no idea how old he was on the 17th. He's at least ten days old, probably >14. 

Given that two of today's males were in reasonable condition and the weather has turned fair, I might just get an August 1st Emperor out of Savernake this year...

Elsewhere, a females was seen today in Collingbourne Woods which are about three miles south of Savernake, and a male was seen today in Waterperry Wood, part of Bernwood Forest, Oxon.  

Very soon, someone will record the last Purple Emperor of 2024...

Sun July 21st: Close of Play at Knepp

Walking the Purple Emperor transect at Knepp, for the last time this year. I counted five ancient males. This chap shouldn't have been able to fly, as two-thirds of one wing side were missing, and one third of the other - 

Yet he managed to hold territory and pulverise a Purple Hairstreak. Attitude counts!

Provisional data suggests that this became an 'average' year at Knepp - but after great early season promise, with a near-record count for Week 2 of the season (in fine weather around Midsummer Day). Then, they got clobbered by a sequence of bad weather events.

We've been monitoring Emperors along a 2km single-species transect route at Knepp for nine years. 2024 was definitely better than 2016, 2019 and 2021, but had the fine weather held it might have been as good as 2023 (our second-best year, after the annus mirabilis of 2018). 

Another bout of rain is forecast for Thursday. That will almost certainly end Knepp's season for the year...

Elsewhere, a few Emperors are still going in the more northern parts of the Empire, and at other 'late' sites such as Savernake. The race is on for the last Emperor of the year, though I doubt that will be in August.  

Early signs are that the 'egg lay' is very poor, but more of than anon... 

Sherwood (2)

 A couple of females on Friday 

Tidying up the Blog

 As blog administrator, there's a bit of overdue tidying up which I need to do. 

We currently have over eighty registered authors, of whom, in all honesty, only about half a dozen are active. 

So, once the iris flight season is well and truly over, I'll run a purge of anyone who hasn't posted in the last couple of years. 

If you'd rather you were left on and haven't posted in that time, either post in the next few weeks, or send me an email to let me know you want to stay on board. 

There'll be no change if you want to read the blog, just if you want to post. 

Unfortunately, this year I missed the flight season in the UK due to commitments elsewhere.  

I did, however, manage a quick visit to the Balkans in June, where both ilia and metis seemed more common than iris this year. 

Fortunately I managed to have the camera ready when this briefly popped up.

.

Going Over Fast...

It looks as though our beloved Emperors are going over fast in central southern and south-east England, and may be virtually over in places like Alice Holt Forest, E Hants (especially the males).

Too many adverse weather events... 

They seem to be lingering better in the northern fringes of the Empire - e.g. some good sightings in Heart of England Forest, Warwicks, on July 17th.

I've just spent two days in Savernake Forest, N Wilts, which is normally considered a 'late' site, often producing early August sightings and even the last national sighting of the year. There, I struggled to see five males in a thorough search of the main territories along Three Oak Hills Drive today, though two of them were in quite good condition (NB I saw none at The Column, where everyone goes, but which is only a secondary territory).

I dread to think how bad the 'egg lay' is. Larvae are going to be very hard to find this autumn...

Here's Himself on territory in Savernake's 'Dead Beech Glade' territory today - 

 

Derbyshire Comes Out!

Congrats to Derbyshire for coming out and declaring itself Purple! The correct, Heslopian terminology would, of course, be declaring itself in purpuratum...

A 2-4 day old male was photographed feeding on a driveway in the village of Bretby on July 8th, and reported to Ken Orpe of BC E Mids. Here he is, photo by Sarah Simpkins -

Bretby is to the east of Burton on Trent and is close to the parts of the National Forest that look eminently Purple (the area around Foremark Reservoir and Ticknall looks highly suitable, with sizeable sallow jungles).   

Welcome to the fold, Derbyshire!  

BC E Mids has been running a Sallows for the Purple Emperor project, joint with S Derbys District Council and others.  To date, 600 sallow whips have been planted at over 35 sites, mainly in the south of the county. 

Come on Herefordshire, Devon, Somerset, Shropshire, and others!!! In Purpuratum Docens Mortior...

St Swithin...

At Knepp, the Emperor season is fast fading. I struggled to see six on Sat 13th, before heading home for a while. Neil also struggled to see six at Knepp on Sun 14th, in perfect weather. 

Many territories are now unoccupied there. Males have now stopped sallow searching and are inactive before noon. Surprisingly few females have been seen, and I'm wondering whether many emerged during bad weather and quickly perished... The egg lay isn't going to be high. The Knepp season will be over by July 21st-23rd. 

Here's a female from last Saturday at Knepp, behaving just like a male - it is female, she laid an egg 20 minutes before this photo was taken:

And here's a male, doing likewise -

Elsewhere, I'm beginning to breathe sighs of relief that south Gloucestershire, where I live, is still Purple. The region was only recently colonised (perhaps in the 2018 annus mirabilis) and was clobbered by a severe outbreak of Willow Rust last Aug and Sept - most of the broad-leaved sallows that dominate the district dropped most of their leaves. The good news is that Glos is still purple. Here's a photo (not mine) of one feeding on owl pellets (!!!) in a barn near Cheltenham on July 11th - 

Great to hear of a sighting at Saltwells NNR just SW of Dudley in the West Midlands (W of Brum).  

Generally, numbers do not seem great, but that may simply be due to poor flight season weather - this is an old-fashioned July. 

Today is St Swithun / Swithin's Day, and it's rained most of the day. Last year, we had a fully-fledged gale on St Swithin / -un. Personally, I think St Swithun/-in should be defrocked...

Four of five reasonable days are forecast. My guess is that they will reveal Emperors and Empresses in reasonable numbers in the later-emerging localities...

Fri July 12th : More Grot...

At Knepp, heavy rain around dawn, then a day of lumbering dark clouds, slowly moving down from the north. A few glimmers around 2pm, then more grot... The few patches of blue sky that appeared, had infilled by the time they arrived.

I managed just four Purple Emperors at Knepp, all in good or reasonable condition, but hardly anything was flying - even the Ringlets and Meadow Browns. It was too cool.

Also, Purple Emperors seem to need a UV level of 5 to become active. Today, it was mostly around 2.

Good news from elsewhere: 2 males were behaving badly near Sapperton (of Daneway Banks fame) back in my home parish. That's important news, as most of the sallows in that district dropped many their leaves last August or Sept due to a massive outbreak of Melampsora Willow Rust - and I'd feared that the iris population, which was only discovered in 2020, had been lost.

Also, good news from Savernake, where a pristine male was photographed down on a ride, and three were seen in the favoured Dead Beech Glade (halfway up Three Oak Hills Drive) - 

Also, great to hear that a gang of Emperophiles from BC West Mids have just turned the butterfly up in BC'S Monkwood Reserve, Worcs.

PS  Other bloggers most welcome here! It's not my personal blog. We'd particularly welcome news from counties that don't get mentioned here - e.g. Kent, Norfolk, Lincs...  I seldom have time to trawl around the various websites to find news from elsewhere...

Anyone There?

Apart from Mr O's daily updates from Knepp there has been a distinct lack of tales from others around the Purple Empire. I visited Fermyn on the 8th in the company of JW and we had a pretty good day. If you would like to read my account check out https://blhphotoblog.wordpress.com/2024/07/10/purple-reign/ Learn more about the Emperor who forgot Himself for a moment.

Thurs July 11th: Decimated at Knepp...

Succinctly, as I'm worn out...  Knepp's magnificent Emperors have been clobbered at peak season, by foul & abusive weather. It's an exposed site, and the numpties insist in roosting in treetop sprays - rather than on the sheltered side of oak limbs... Also, I suspect that many / some simply get borne away on windy sunny days, like yesterday - part of their distribution strategy.

Today, I walked the Knepp PE transect. It takes >2 hours and covers 2km. I expected 20-25, down from 45 last week, but saw only 8.

The good news is that PEs are still emerging at Knepp in low numbers - a few females and perhaps even the odd late male. But I suspect that the Knepp flight season wont last much beyond July 21st (they've already been out for 24 days).

Also, and crucially, very soon they will stop flying at Knepp during the mornings and become afternoon butterflies.

Here's a battered survivor, photoed today -

Elsewhere, the season is less far advanced. Males are still coming down to feed on the rides in Fermyn Woods, Northants. 

Everywhere needs a spell of settled fine weather, and doesn't need another wet or windy spell... 

 

Tues 'July' 9th: Rain didn't stop play...

Incredibly, the two Purple Emperor safari groups that ventured out at Knepp in driving drizzle this afternoon both saw Emperors! The butterflies sprang instantly into action in the oak tops whenever a glimmer appeared, prompted into action by the Purple Hairstreak. One group saw six, the other nine. That's how numerous PE is at Knepp, and could be elsewhere if there was more sallow...

The forecast for Thurs is for sunshine and light winds. If it proves correct, the Emperors will go utterly berserk then. Throw a sicky and go Emperoring...

PS How come the French left back is wearing purple football boots?

 

Mon July 8th: More Doom & Gloom, with more forecast...

Today was dire, at least at Knepp: Stygian gloom with just a few glimmers around lunchtime, then spits and spots under increasingly leaden skies. The day's ambition was to rain... 

I did well to see 5 males, who jumped into action the moment a glimmer appeared. 

Purple Emperors are starting to struggle. They're accruing lost time. The females should be busy pumping out eggs, but they're sitting in the thickets waiting for it to brighten, trying to warm up - and the forecast for tomorrow is little better. 

Already it looks as though 2024 will not be a high egg lay year; in fact, it may see a very poor egg lay. That may not be utterly disastrous in the longer run as titmice, Great Tit especially, home in on hibernating larvae when larval numbers are high, but they don't when numbers are low. Swings and roundabouts...

But at least we haven't had a gale (we had one on St Swithun's Day last year, July 15th, which wrote off the 2023 PE season...). The numpties roost in treetop sprays and get shredded by gales, especially nocturnal gales. 

Males have stopped coming down to feed on the tracks at Knepp for the year, and soon they will start taking the mornings off there, and becoming afternoon butterflies.

Elsewhere, good to hear that six males were seen down on the rides in Fermyn Woods this morning, where the season is later.  

 

Sun July 7th: Hey ho, the wind and the rain...

Really difficult Emperoring weather, with cloud, hefty showers and a really irritating wind. It's the wind that does the damage, shredding Emperors at roost in treetop sprays...

At Knepp, numbers remain remarkably high, but activity is being greatly reduced by poor weather. The butterfly is now at peak season here but is struggling to get going - suffering the equivalent of the dreaded 40mph sign on a variable speed limit motorway.

In windy weather, look for Emperors on the sheltered, leeward side, only - even if it's in the shade. That's where they'll be. They hate wind. 

Tomorrow, Monday, is supposed to be calmer and brighter. If it is, they'll go berserk, making up for lost time...

White Admiral seems to be just about fully out now but Silver-washed Fritillary is far from well out (I've only seen males) - 

 

Thurs July 4th: Vote Purple!

 General election day, with the Purple Emperor butterfly poised to take over running the country... I can think of nothing less suitable to run the country...

Rather too windy today, especially for territorial activity.  

I arrived in Savernake just in time to see a male hanging from his pupal case. This was 'Scar', who was found as a third instar larva last autumn and was followed all the way through. He hibernated in this scar, hence the name -

He greened up early, in late winter, and began feeding at the end of March, but then developed slowly as he was on the north-facing side of the sallow. He travelled just 3m to pupate.  Here's his pupal case -

Unfortunately, a gust of wind dislodged him, so he landed on this mossy trunk -

Eventually this happened - 

He was last seen beating up a Purple Hairstreak high up in the treetops.

PE is probably just getting going properly in Savernake, but it was hard to judge from such a windy day.

Elsewhere, more excellence in Abbots Wood Inclosure, Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire.

Wed July 3rd: Cloud & Drizzle

Very little play today, anywhere.  Knepp had just a few short bright spells; Gloucestershire had drizzle all morning, then windblown cloud - before it cleared in the evening...

But sunny spells and bright cloud in East Hampshire brought sallow-searching males out in excellent numbers in the southern part of Alice Holt Forest, with six being seen in a vista and a total of 20 apparent individuals in 20 minutes (per Ashley Whitlock, BC Hants). This is the most seen in a vista and a short time in Alice since the 2009-10 era in Straits Inclosure (then the FC felled most of the ride-side sallows...).

Tomorrow is forecast to be bright and breezy. The Emperors may be seeking to make up for lost time...

Vote Purple early, then go Emperoring...

 

Tues July 2nd: Plagued by Cloud, and Willow Rust

Doings within the Purple Empire were thwarted by mindless cloud today. However -

At Knepp: Males are still emerging (just) and coming down to the tracks to feed (just).

In Alice Holt: Congrats to Mark Tutton for filming a male sallow searching for female pupae. We see quite a bit of this at Knepp - the males don't just search for emerged females, but suss out female pupae too...  

I was on light duties (park & view) locally in Gloucestershire today. It's early days there still, but my fears that last year's severe outbreak of Melampsora Willow Rust has knocked the butterfly right back are starting to be realised. 

Willow Rust particularly afflicts broad-leaved sallows, and is rampant again this summer, seemingly everywhere. At Knepp, the females can lay on the abundant narrow-leaved sallows instead, but in the Stroud to Cirencester area 90% of the sallows are broad-leaved, narrow-leaveds are rare. This time last year they looked like this -  

No female with any sense is going to lay on that!  

More predation observed today in Alice Holt, presumably by thuggish Hobbies - bits of a male found on the ride...

Oates Crashes Out, and the Weather too...

Apols for the lack of postings, but I've had to retreat home, suffering from a severe attack of osteoarthritis of the knee (medical term for something crippling) - at the zenith of a surprisingly good Purple Emperor season.  Can hardly stand, let alone walk - though I can cycle almost ad lib (non weight-bearing): I've done most of the Knepp Emperor season on my trusty ebike.

I'll be back in the saddle ASAP - as soon as NSAID (pills) and gym work (the real answer) kick in. The annoying thing is that I'd got the condition so well under control that I'd got off the NHS operation waiting list and was looking forward to my 20th Mountain Ringlet expedition - then caught a nasty virus (almost certainly in the gym), with arthritis kicking in afterwards, in my 'good' knee...

Worse, the jet stream has jumped south, and the weather has deteriorated...

At Knepp on Sun June 30th: Emperor males were sallow searching frenetically, in numbers, indicating a big emergence of females. Here's Herself drying her wings, having crawled off her pupal case -

She may not get mated until the following day.  

Also, importantly, the oaks are starting to produce the tiny sap bubbles that Emperors love above all other substances (sugar-rich, and probably fermenting). Here's a male feeding on one tiny bleed last Sunday (on Patrick's Tree, for those who know Knepp) -

Once the females are all out and mated, the males will cease to come down to the feed on the tracks at Knepp. A shame, as experiences like this will cease for the year (Neil Hulme, in paradise 24/6/24) -

Emperorial behaviour will worsen as the sugars and alcohol from the oak sap kick in...

Elsewhere, congrats to Mark Tutton for observing Apatura iris in cop in Abbots Wood Inclosure, Alice Holt Forest, yesterday, July 1st. The male found the female over a sallow jungle, by 'sallow searching'; she led him up into the top of a nearby 80' tall oak, and they joined at 1.45pm. Then - wait for it - they mated for over five hours, establishing a new mating duration record!!!  Gentlemen of England, we are outdone - by an insect...  

Also, we have to report two Hobby attacks. At 11.35 on Sun 30th, a fascist Hobby viciously turned on an innocent Emperor who had done the decent thing, and had flown out of the Knepp oak canopy to intercept the intruder - fragments of purple wings gently fluttered down. Then, yesterday, July 1st, the same thing was observed at Bookham's famous Hill Farm Territory by Rob Hill. 

One is armed only with a dazzling iridescence, faultless bravado, and an ego the size of the universe, the other is a vicious predator of insects.  As Filch so aptly puts it in Harry Potter: 'I want to see some punishment...'