Long Hot Summer of '76, 50 years on: No 1

'If you could walk through Paradise, as if in a dream, and be handed a flower as proof that you were truly there; and if, on waking, you found that flower in your hand - Aye! and what then?'  

(ST Coleridge, paraphrased and modernised, and probably in a Class A illegal state of mind...).

Perhaps those of us who butterflyed through 1976 can answer that...

This is a precursor of a number of posts on this Blog, detailing the butterfly explosion of 1976. Watch this space...

  

 

Masters of the Cryptic Arts

Most Emperor larvae master the cryptic arts whilst in hibernation, displaying chameleon-like capability. 

Here's 'Hermione', s/he was out on sync with her/his background when s/he entered hibernation in early November. This photo was taken on Nov 13th, showing her/him/it/Us/Preciousss as a mottled grey-green larva:-

Here's the same larva on Jan 10th 2026, now perfectly matching the stem background -

Conversely, 'Harry' (photoed 10/1/26) hasn't quite got it right -

  

Happy New Year

from Britain's premier butterfly. 

Here's a 'pillar hibernating in the frozen wastes of Gloucestershire on January 6th - 

 And here's another close by. See if you can spot him...