Jilted by an Empress

With all the goings on in Fermyn, I've been neglecting my local woods of late (Broxbourne NNR in Hertfordshire). The last few days I've stayed local and have been tracking a large Empress high in the Sallows. Unfortunately she is a bit of a diva and just will not come down. After last nights rains I thought these would be perfect conditions to tempt her down onto the moist track today. I arrived, full of hope, at the west car park at 8.45am to see an Emperor wheeling low over the car park surface. Could this be her? Not bothering to park, I jumped from the car, camera in hand, only to find this was a male. However, it was impossible to ignore as it grounded allowing a few early shots, before investigating my car and settling on the number plate then tyres of another. After having it's fill of the ethanol compounds of the tyres, it spiralled around me and gave me a right trousering. Time was getting on, I had a blind date with an Empress. Despite several circuits of the wood and some baitings it was clear that she had blown me out. Story of my life 😄 Ah well, there's always tomorrow

 

Purple Emperor in Southampton.

 Chris Piatkiewicz writes on the Hampshire BC website that he saw a female Purple Emperor on a walk near Weston Shore, Southampton. He states that this is the first time he has seen a Purple Emperor in Southampton. I know Royal Victoria Country Park and Westwood Nature Reserve are nearby which is where it may of originated from. An excellent record.

Tues July 20th

 Fellow fan's of BB's Brendon Chase will remember the sentence, 'July dragged on in sullen heat...'.  It does indeed...

Not many of us were out in the woods today. I'm still hors de combat and others took a Purple week's holiday last week (the entire country should close down during the Emperor season, obviously...) and were at work today.

Good to hear of new sites being discovered today in the Lincs Lime Woods NNR, and to the north of Thetford Chase in Norfolk, and between Norwich and Dereham - congrats to Toby Ludlow and Andrew Middleton for those findings. The message is simple, look and thou shalt find - only don't look during the main heat of the afternoon.     

Most of us are finding the Emperors quiescent from about 1pm in this extreme heat, or even earlier. A BC Hants branch field meeting at West Wood, Winchester, saw 7 males and a female, but the butterfly then conked out at midday. A nice evening flight at Knepp, after a major afternoon conk out. 

Thunderstorms drifting SE over East Midlands region in the evening.

I'm hoping to get back out tomorrow...

19th July... Oates Limps Home...

I left Knepp at dawn and spent the day crashed out at home... 

Back at Knepp, Neil saw about 55 Emperors, including a fresh male down on horse dung in the morning. Males are still emerging there. Both sexes were heat suppressed for quite a while, but became nicely active when a bank of thin cloud came over in mid-afternoon. 

Elsewhere, Dennis and friends saw a good ten individuals in just under two hours at Chambers Farm Wood this morning. Later, they searched unsuccessfully in Southrey Wood, another of the famous Lincs lime woods.  

A few more sightings in Sherwood Forest, but a small select gang failed to find the butterfly just over the border in south Yorkshire - it's important that Yorkshire declares itself Purple before Lancashire does... 

A female was seen on Martin Down NNR in extreme west Hants, indicating once more that this is a butterfly of scrubland rather than woodland...  Eight were seen in 4 hours at West Wood, Winchester, which is good for there.  

Tale of two Woods

 Tale of two Woods.

Saturday and I took a trip over to Fermyn for the first time in a couple of years.  Yes it was hot, very hot.  Made my way over to Souther Wood and got buzzed at 8.30am but HIM would not come to ground just sat on a leaf taking the mick.  Through the morning I had ten sightings in various spots but groundings were only for seconds.  Found one interested in a bit of moss and coaxed it onto my finger where it took a liking to the sweat (questionable tastes Derek?).  The last seen had spent apparently over an hour on it's favourite meal, we'll call him Richard the Turd.  Sadly no open wing shots. 

My first grounded Norfolk Emperor

Today (Monday) and I decided to stick closer to home (30 mins as opposed to 2 and a half hours) and check out Foxley Wood in Nth Norfolk where Iris has been recorded for the last two years.  What have I been missing!  From the first car park and along the main ride a total of thirteen sightings.  Several sallow searching and one on the deck to give me my first Norfolk Emperor photo, with wings open as an added bonus.  Thanks Iris.

Hmmm love the taste of humans!

Foxley Wood beauty!

Questionable tastes

 July 18^th 2021

From Alexander Henderson

After the heat of the day had eased, at ten past seven this evening, an emperor came down to the floor at Savernake. The various offerings of dried banana skins, belachan, etc., were roundly ignored as His Majesty alighted on an altogether superior dining experience; a squirrel carcass. 

Sun July 18th: Hotter Still...

 A lot of us found today too hot. The Emperor certainly did, and started to conk out around 2.30 (apart from the odd pair of sparring males).

At Knepp, one was seen flying low across a scrubby field at 7am, begging the question of what else was going on then...  

I was only out for part of the day as my left knee is playing up badly (needs a replacement kneecap).  Two males visited Operation Wallacea's marquees and portaloos midmorning (environmental science students). I walked the main PE transect from 12.30, and totalled just 18 - a poor count, fractionally up on Friday. I managed to get nearly all of it done before they conked. One nearly settled on top of a sow wallowing in the edge of a pond! 

Elsewhere, a very encouraging report from Savernake where three were seen down on the rides and a bundle of six was seen in flight. I thought they were going to be good in Sav this year. 

Another very positive report from Bernwood Forest, of about 25 on the wind there.

Good to hear reports on individuals from three spots in the Kentish High Weald, including a garden in Goudhurst.