Fri July 11th: Doings in Gloucestershire

This is the first female I've ever seen in Gloucestershire, and she was in my own parish too - 

She was one of two females, and a male, seen feeding this hot afternoon on a classic diseased oak feeder tree, along the lane between Sapperton and Frampton Mansell, above the River Frome valley (near Daneway Banks on the butterflying map) -

Interesting, no males have been active on the nearby lime trees territories lately - nationally, they seem to have forsaken the territories for feeder trees in this heat.

Best of all, I can reveal that a magnificent male has visited The Daneway Inn pub at the foot of Daneway Banks large blue reserve - and smashed things up there.

There is only one Lord of the Butterflies, and He does not share power...

Back to Knepp tomorrow...

 

 The North, update

Leicestershire has recorded sightings in nine known habitats, and they have discovered two new sites: Queen Elisabeth Jubilee Wood, and Bradgate Park.

In Nottinghamshire, Cotgrave forest has shown well and is still the best site in this county. 

There may well be a bigger population in Sherwood forest/Clumber park, but they are spread over a huge area. Only a few sightings have been recorded, although 10 eggs were found along one ride recently. A new site is a wood just east of Bolsover. As usual, Wellow Wood always produces a few sightings; the most interesting has been in a pig pen on the western edge of the wood where three were seen, which eventually flew up to the edge of the wood.

Stephen Mather's [Nottinghamshire recorder] distribution map showed 5 sites at the end of June.

Apatura iris on Banana...

People are forever baiting for Emperors with bananas, despite the paucity of records of the butterfly actually visiting banana baits - and on the rare occasions that Emperors do visit bananas, it seems to be more for the additives (sugar, molasses, rum, water, shrimp paste, human xxxxx, etc.) than the actual banana. 

I know of only two records of Apatura iris visiting pure bananas in Brexit Britain, both involving females. 

Neil Hulme is even more scathing about the practice than me, and habitually removes banana baits. 

Nonetheless, here's a male feeding on a very dry banana skin beneath Patrick's Tree (a classic oak sap 'feeder tree') at Knepp, photoed by David Land on July 5th (with thanks to David for the photo) - 

The male had been feeding on oak sap in the tree above, but then descended to the track in search of moisture - but the track was very dry, and devoid of cowpats. Hence the brief banana visitation.  

Please note that Emperors have long stopped descending to the tracks to feed for the year, though you might just find a dying male down.  They only do it during the first few (3-4 days) of their lives.  

Onward!

July 7th. Back in Savernake...

Struggled to count 12 males in territories along Three Oak Hills Drive in Savernake this afternoon. They weren't very active, perhaps because it was actually too calm (a bit of breeze disturbs them into flight). They are just past peak now in Savernake.

Good to be shown a trio of hatched pupal cases. All 11 pupae found by UV torching in Savernake successfully hatched. The pupal cases can last for months, depending on storminess, and they continue to flouresce under UV light. 

Also good to see the first eggs of the year. The 'egg lay' should be very good indeed - 

Incidentally, we have a record of an egg being found on the leaf underside in Savernake! That's a first, nationally, and backs up my sighting last week of a female seemingly laying on a leaf underside, but too high up in a sallow in Sav. Think trolley, off; think shopping trolley upside down in some concreted urban culvert, in Swindon where the  shadows lie...

There are 1st instar larvae in Savernake Forest too, already.

Elsewhere, Patrick's Tree is still producing the goods at Knepp.  

Thurs 10th Update. Succumbed to exhaustion and heatstroke. Failed to get out. Reduced to counting butts in my garden (30 year record counts of Comma and Peacock). Very interesting to see Ladybirds Stop Play at Lords...  

 

Foxley Empresses. A really good morning (9th) over at Foxley Wood in my home County of Norfolk. An Emperor glided past as I left the car park. I stood and watched as another came by landing in a tree above my head. This one then flew down and onto a small Oak opposite. A look through the bins revealed another on what turned out to be a tiny sap bleed. Within half an hour four Emperors had gathered plus a couple of Red Ads, four Commas and several Speckled Woods. I walked the main ride and had two well worn males come down. Returning to the car and the Empresses were still active three hours after first seeing them. Good to show others this delightfull sight.

Tues July 8th: OMG, they're going over!

Yes, incredibly, the Knepp Purple Emperor season is very much on the wane, already. 

I did the Knepp PE transect today. I expected to see 25-30, but struggled to count 11 in perfect weather conditions (last week's count was a record 80).  

They've plummeted.

However, it's clear that males aren't occupying territories much in this heat, so I probably under-recorded. 

Also, both sexes are clustering around 'feeder trees' producing oak sap, and there are few of those along the transect route this year.  

One tree in particular is proving immensely attractive, with 2-6 adults (both sexes) ever present. There are 51 people in this photo, admiring Emperors getting plastered on Patrick's Tree -

Also, Empresses have the habit of going shading in hot weather, often for long periods. Here's a middle-aged female who went shading in a bramble bush for over an hour today -

My advice is don't travel long distances to visit Knepp this year, and don't come at all after the coming weekend, they'll be over. If you do come, visit Patrick's Tree, along the White Route (but note that it doesn't function in a SW wind).

Mon July 7th: Windy Sunshine...

A useful drop of rain here in Sussex, yesterday afternoon and again around dawn. Then a few hours of grot. Then windswept sunshine.

The first Purple Emperor of the day appeared with the first glimmer, at 11.07, around the most favoured feeder tree, 'Patrick's Tree'. Prior to then, I'd only seen singletons of Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Purple Hairstreak.

Patrick's Tree was on top form, with 2-6 Emperors and Empresses (mainly Empresses) ever present. The highlight was this near-pristine female basking low down on the main trunk -

Elsewhere, the butterfly was hard to find. I've got a strong feeling that the Purple Emperor is very much on the wane here, but I'll find out tomorrow, in better weather (too windy today), when I walk Week 4 of the Knepp PE transect (a 2 mile long single species count with a mighty big recording box, established in 2014. It's Kosher).  

The Knepp season may tail off fast in the coming heatwave...