Back at Knepp today. It took some time to find where the Emperors were - few males were on territory (a bit windy, but even many sheltered territories were empty) and only a few were sallow searching (very soon, they'll stop doing this altogether, and take the mornings off).
It turned out that most males and many females were busy feeding on the oak sap trees. They are desperate for sustenance in this heat. Here's today's best photo, showing five feeding together -
This is the first time I've managed more than four in a feeding vista. At one point at saw seven on that short bough length. They are forever being disturbed by fascist hornets when feeding on sap.
Also good to see Purple Hairstreak (in excellent numbers this season) feeding on brambles and ragwort flowers, something they only do in heatwave conditions -
Other news. Great to hear of a Emperor in the New Forest, a female at Broomy Plain last week. There are very, very few recent records from The Forest, but do people look there?
Great Emperor seasons are judged by Emperors turning up in unexpected places off piste, like Broomy Plain...
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