Mon July 5th

 The first decent emergence of the year today, by all accounts (doubtless because I had to take the day off).

First Emperors of the year were seen today in Alice Holt Forest, E Hants, and at Whiteley Pastures in south Hants. These are the first records for Hants for 2021.

Also, Northants kicked off, with close encounters in Fermyn Woods and Salcey Forest. Note that there are a lot of forestry operations taking place in Lady and Souther Woods (Fermyn) this summer.

Significantly, the first sightings of the year were also made today in Chambers Farm Wood in Lincs, and also near Kings Lynn in Norfolk.

Emperors were also seen in Waterperry Wood, Bernwood Forest, on the Bucks / Oxon border today too.

Tomorrow, though, sounds very worrying. The last thing this butterfly needs is a gale... ... ...

Sun July 4th

Very little progress today, due to an extensive blanket of cloud over much of the Empire, and heavy showers. 

Knepp produced only a lone sallow-searching male and another male resettling high in an oak top, but the weather from 2pm was awful. I was in a copse at the N end of the Knepp estate during the best weather of the day, just before 1pm, but none was seen there.

Rob Hill watched 3 males sparring at Bookham.

None seen in Alice Holt or in S Hants - and no records from Hampshire yet this season.

None in Bernwood.  

Worried about high winds forecast for Tuesday...

Male Courtship Displays?

Hi all, We are very interested in the fine details of Apatura courtship, with the attached youtube clip being the only one that I have so far been able to find which details any possible male displays in front of a female: We are extremely interested to try and verify the male wing beat frequency by comparing this clip to any others that maybe out there? If anyone therefore please has any personal clips of such displays, or alternatively knows of the location of any other similar clips please can they let me know in the comments below. Enjoy the up-coming season. Mark

Progress...

Far too cloudy and showery at Knepp today. The sun came out at 4pm but with it came a cooling wind, which hindered or even prevented any flight. I doubt any pupae hatched here today.

However, the first Emperors of the year were seen in Oxfordshire, by Wendy and Mick Campbell, and there's a very interesting record from a wood near Worcester. It looks as though Worcestershire is being recolonised from the burgeoning population in SW Warwickshire. 

No records yet from several SE counties: Hants, Berks, Bucks and especially Kent.  

At present seven counties are showing purple so far this season...

 

Kick Off!

 Delighted to report that battling males were seen at the Hill Farm territory on Bookham Commons, Surrey, today and in the Buckhurst Hill part of Epping Forest. The Home Secretary has been informed and is speeding back to Whitehall from the Straits of Dover, where she'd been dealing with a Painted Lady invasion. 

Also, at last Knepp kicked off, with a male on territory at Green Lane Pond [for those who know the site] and another seen near Hammer Pond. Here's the Green Lane male. 

He'd arrived early at the party, found that the others were still down the pub, and had made himself a coffee and was reading a smutty book on the stairs... 

Note that I am not expecting a sizeable emergence at Knepp this year, where many sallows wilted in a severe drought last early August. It may be a year of Quality rather than Quantity...

Also, just heard that one was seen in Havering Country Park, Essex, today, and a male was photographed in Oversley Wood, Warwicks. But none seen in Bernwood Forest. 

Tomorrow's looking good, in the more south-eastern parts of the Empire, so to the woods, the lot of you, and Enjoy...

Minimal Progress

A lot of Purple people out looking for Emperors today, in several counties. An intensive search took place at Knepp, in very good weather. The only one seen anywhere was a 'probable' seen at a distance, twice, at Bookham Common, Surrey, by Colin Kemp. Colin may be being a little cautious about this sighting.

At Knepp, still no hairstreaks [Purple and White-letter], both of which should appear before the Emperor; and we still haven't seen any White Admirals there this year [only a small colony present], though it's well out in woods 2 miles to the north.

Ben Greenaway is following a few pupae through in the wild near Knepp. None is showing through yet, though they may be late developers and some are female.

This year is outside my box so I really don't know when the butterfly is going to start properly... It may be imminent, but I just don't know...

It may be a year of quality rather than quantity... ... ...

Floods at Knepp

 Very heavy rain at Knepp. Many of the paths are heavily puddled or quagmired, plus a lot of sog and bog... 

A glowering day, with incipient brightness around lunchtime for a while, then as dull as Hades.   

Inpsired by the announcement on the BC website that the Emperor emerged in Sussex on the 23rd a number of people are visiting Knepp TOO EARLY.  IT'S NOT OUT...  

Watch this space...