Fluttering Fermyn Fermale

WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY: Back in Fermyn Woods, where the odd Emperor remains. I saw one, sex uncertain, and also found a freshly laid egg. Eggs and larvae are incredibly hard to find here. There are millions of sallows, and it may be that the females lay the odd egg hither and thither, mostly thither.

There are few true Salix caprea trees here. Most of the numerous broader leaved sallows here seem to be hybrids between caprea and cinerea, and I don't think Iris particularly favours these hybrids. The taxonomy of the narrow leaved sallows here is complicated, and I can't make any sense out of it (using the BSBI Handbook for the Identification of willows and poplars). But, I've only seen one female visit a narrow leaved sallow here, high up -which means I don't know whether she laid or not - so I don't know the extent to which they use these narrow leaved sallows either.

In effect, I'm floundering - but the ratio of iris adults to the abundance of sallows must be far lower here than in the other sites I've worked, a curious thought.

The plot thickens....

Matthew

Larvae left in situ

Back in Alice Holt for the day. The season is winding down here. One freshly laid egg (blue-green) was the nearest I got to Herself, then 2 males at each of the 2 main assembly points; 3 were predictably old, worn and torn but one was in quite good nick - nice and black-looking - and cannot have been more than 4-5 days old. Looks like one or two males and a few skulky females will make it into August here.

Now the egg lay here looks to have been quite good. I also found 3 1st instar larvae, 2 of which were on the same branch and can be monitored easily (I've never had one last longer than Xmas). 2 of the 3 were skin-changing. But I also found 2 egg bases and no sign of the resultant larvae. I left the lot in situ.

Matthew

Wilts worn but not wasted

Back Emperoring again after an involuntary break. Despite recent foul and abusive weather Iris is still flying quite nicely in Savernake Forest, N Wilts. A thorough tour produced a tally of 8 males in 5 of the 8 territories I've found along the straight ridge crest ride leading to The Column. This compares to a peak count of 17. Three of these territories held pairs of squabbling males - one pair of which were very active, regularly clashing and chasing. Some males looked very worn, and two had lost much of their hindwings.

Two females were seen, egg-laying high in tall sallows. One was very worn and faded, the other in reasonable condition.

The Savernake Iris seem to have an unusually long flight season, and specialise in lingering on after other sites have apparently finished. It seems to be a 'late' sight.

Message: this season hasn't finished yet.....

Matthew

Last Of The Best?

It was with a little sadness that I descended Graffham Down on Saturday afternoon (25 July), having led a very enjoyable walk for Butterfly Conservation. In beautiful surroundings and under blue skies, we had watched a faded but still regal Emperor patrolling his now lonely territory - surely the last I will see of Him this year. I consoled myself with thoughts of betulae to come, but when the last iris has been seen the year is in decline.

Herefordshire hardly happening

Thanks ever so much to Jon for posting the important news that iris has appeared at Minsmere, presumably as the result of natural spread from the recently introduced colony at Theberton Wood. This is a really valuable piece of information. If my memory serves well there is a large area of sallow carr at the back of Minsmere, closer to Theberton. I need to visit... .

Today? I was in Haugh Wood, Hereford, which isn't Purple - the sallow leaves don't seem right (too shiny perhaps).

Matthew

Iris makes it to Minsmere

Don't know if it's of any interest but a male Purple emperor has been around for a few days from Canopy hide at Minsmere, Suffolk.

The species has never before been recorded on the site as I understand it. Given that Theberton woods are only a few miles will no doubt cause some debate about the butterflies origin..

Jon Gibbs

upper thames report 4

It is definitely not over yet; not including this amazing season, we are normally happy if we see up to 5 in an hour or two in one of our woods; on various days this July, 16 were seen in Doddershall Wood, 9 in Chinkwell Wood, and 18 in Bernwood Forest. The total sightings are approaching 250, which is more than twice as many as ever before in the UT.
Today, 5 were seen in Waterperry Wood, including one tatty female with large bits out of her wings, but she still managed to put on a very graceful 'low-level glide show' to delight us.
Question: is it so, that, on one occasion in one place you can see a lot of activity, but one day, or even one hour later, you see either nothing or far fewer?
We have at least two examples: on the 14th of July, in a small wood, where only 2 or 3 had been seen in previous years, at least 9 were seen in various parts of the wood. The wood was visited the very next day, in high winds, and only one was seen. In Bernwood Forest on July 4th, 9 were seen in very active mode along a 300m stretch of ride, while, on the way back 45 minutes later, only one was seen along this stretch.
Why?