The rolling thunder review at Knepp. No lightning, but myriad rumbles and three hefty afternoon and early evening showers. Some warm sunshine in between though, from late morning.
Good to see a 3-4 day old male feeding on one of the tracks, probably the last to do so this year. Also, a little sallow searching still going on, suggesting that there are still some females to emerge - and we watched a pristine female.
Again, though, most Emperors and Empresses were feeding on oak sap. This frayed-around-the-edges male had imbibed too much sap, and fell out of the feeder tree to crash land on a ragwort flower.
Note that his tongue was not out and he was not feeding.
This day half a century ago, the first males of the season were just emerging in the woods to the north of Knepp. Fifty years on, the Emperor started here on June 15th and the season is halfway through...
I used to regard July 6th as National White Admiral Day, when camilla was well out and resplendent. Of course, with earlier emergences they're now well past peak by that day. Here's a somewhat battered male from today -
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