Tues July 30th: Last Sighting at Knepp?

One torn and worn male seen flying low near Patrick's Tree at Knepp this afternoon, possibly the last of the year there. The flight season at Knepp is now in its seventh week, having commenced on June 17th. This demonstrates the extended flight season that larger populations of all butterfly species have.

Provisional transect data from Knepp indicates that this was an 'average' season there, though it would have been as good as 2023 had the weather behaved better.

Here's Patrick's Tree, it's a favoured 'feeder tree' -

Stroud Comes Out!

Delighted to see a male smashing things up (including a Common Darter dragonfly) high up over limes above the gates to Rodborough Fort, Stroud, Gloucestershire, this afternoon, SO 850040. He wasn't very visible, and this was a neckache job - 

Rodborough Fort was lived in by Tom Bainbrigge Fletcher (1878-1950) who gave Rodborough Common to the National tRust in 1937. He was an ace entomologist, a specialist in micro Lepidoptera. After serving as Naval Paymaster he was appointed - wait for it - Imperial Entomologist in India for the Raj, the best job title ever. He would be so pleased to have iris bossing things about over his gate...

Here's the map - 

There are sallows in the copse surrounding the Fort (the area is not shown as wooded on the map), but it is quite possible that males are hill-topping there, coming up from sallows lining the Stroud Canal to the north and east. Those sallows need searching for larvae...

When I moved to Gloucestershire (my father's home county) in 1992, I never dreamed that iris would follow me there. But he has, and now he's taken over my main Glos heartland...

Also today, 3 males and a female seen at Knepp, and a few more at Waterperry Wood, Bernwood Forest, Bucks/Oxon, and a very worn female on the ground at Chambers Farm Woods, Lincs.  They're still going, at least high up and very locally...

 

Cannock Chase

 After our first encounter with his Imperial Majesty on Cannock Chase on the 15th July 2021, and 3 years of endless searching with only a few distant sightings, we were graced with his presence once again on the 23rd July this year when he glided out of the Sallows and shared our company once again, long enough for us to get some pictures.... 

The Broads Outed!!!

Three million cheers! - to quote Arthur Ransome's infamous Captain Nancy Blackett (of Amazon's fame) - the Norfolk Broads have finally come out and declared themselves Purple. Liz Goodyear saw a female crossing Hoveton Little Broad today. 

This is Butterfly Sighting of the Year 2024 (the fact that Liz was taking part in a sailing race at the time is secondary)... The realisation of my dream of watching Apatura iris versus Papilio machaon britannicus (males) has taken a big step forward.

Elsewhere, four males were seen today at Knepp, W Sussex, including three together (around an oak sap feeder tree), and 2 males and a female near Bicester in Oxon.    

Fri July 26th: Closing Time...

Five rather ancient males active in the favoured territories in Savernake Forest today, notably this fellow who was in the same spot back on July 17th & 18th. He's Pecked Hind Right, though the distinct peck mark isn't visible in this photo. This counts as a 'recapture', in mark, release, recapture work - though I've no idea how old he was on the 17th. He's at least ten days old, probably >14. 

Given that two of today's males were in reasonable condition and the weather has turned fair, I might just get an August 1st Emperor out of Savernake this year...

Elsewhere, a females was seen today in Collingbourne Woods which are about three miles south of Savernake, and a male was seen today in Waterperry Wood, part of Bernwood Forest, Oxon.  

Very soon, someone will record the last Purple Emperor of 2024...

Sun July 21st: Close of Play at Knepp

Walking the Purple Emperor transect at Knepp, for the last time this year. I counted five ancient males. This chap shouldn't have been able to fly, as two-thirds of one wing side were missing, and one third of the other - 

Yet he managed to hold territory and pulverise a Purple Hairstreak. Attitude counts!

Provisional data suggests that this became an 'average' year at Knepp - but after great early season promise, with a near-record count for Week 2 of the season (in fine weather around Midsummer Day). Then, they got clobbered by a sequence of bad weather events.

We've been monitoring Emperors along a 2km single-species transect route at Knepp for nine years. 2024 was definitely better than 2016, 2019 and 2021, but had the fine weather held it might have been as good as 2023 (our second-best year, after the annus mirabilis of 2018). 

Another bout of rain is forecast for Thursday. That will almost certainly end Knepp's season for the year...

Elsewhere, a few Emperors are still going in the more northern parts of the Empire, and at other 'late' sites such as Savernake. The race is on for the last Emperor of the year, though I doubt that will be in August.  

Early signs are that the 'egg lay' is very poor, but more of than anon... 

Sherwood (2)

 A couple of females on Friday