Sunday, June 15, 2025

Sunday June 15th: More Beginnings

Wonderful to see my first Emperor of 2025 today at Knepp: 2 males, squabbling (and eviscerating an early Purple Hairstreak) half way down Green Lane (the oak canopy gap just N of Green Lane Pond, for those who know Knepp, it's a Primary Territory).  Here's His Bossiness - 

However, the early part of the afternoon was cloudy, and a trifle windy, and I had to finish early to meet Knepp's lovely volunteers. Tomorrow should see the first decent emergence of the year here...

Emperors have also been seen in Alice Holt Forest, Hants/Surrey border, and at Havering Country Park (NE edge of Gtr London), by Laurence Drummond.  

Here's the data for the first Emperors at Knepp -

2014        18th June            2020        13th June

2015        30th June            2021        2nd July

2016        27th June            2022        16th June

2017        15th June            2023        20th June

2018        17th June            2024        17th June

2019        25th June            2025        15th June

So, mid-June is new-normal!  

More anon...




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