Purple Emperors

[Paulcrook]

May be a silly question but what time do Purple Emperors get up in the morning?

I am wondering if it worth going to try to find them before work, ie 7.30 - 8.15ish or after work at say 6pm. I think I have one this year but flying at the top of an oak and would rather like to see one a bit closer.

Any one any advice on this one.

Thanks
Paul

[Jack Harrison]

They don't normally become active until 0900 earliest so suggest forget idea of looking before work. After work might be better.

Alternatively, wait until the weekend. They should still be flying then although perhaps getting a little tatty.

Recent blogs give some ideas as to times of day but perhaps most authoritative is:
http://www.thepurpleempire.com/Time%20of%20Day.html

But even that isn't "gospel" and like all natural events, rules are there to be broken! I had close up views of one on the ground at about 1315 hours last Sunday - that isn't supposed to happen.

Jack

[Lee Hurrell]

I also disturbed one on the ground at 1625 on Friday at Botany Bay.

Could have kicked myself!

Cheers

Lee

[Gruditch]

I always find its the same, if you get there at 9am, someone will say they have had a PE on the ground for half an hour. I have seen them on a couple of occasions active before 9am, but we were in the middle of mini heat waves, ( 30c later in the day ) at the time.

Like Lee, and Jack, I've had a bit of luck later in the day too. I found a male on a sap run at 2.30pm a couple of years back.

Regards Gruditch

[Bill S]

At this time of year I frequently pop into Bentley Wood on my way to and from work, and this morning, for the first time in about 3 or 4 years of trying to see one close up, there was a PE on the ground in the car park at 09:00. It stayed there for about another hour or so, with everyone who turned up in the mean time getting photos. In the end it was moved for its own safety because, sat between 2 cars with a space in between and not looking like it was going to move at all, we didn't want it squashed by a car parking on it. Happy days although not the most photogenic of opportunities.

Cheers

Bill

PS - Am I correct in thinking this was a female, same individual in both shots.

[Paulcrook]

Thanks for all the replies. I went to Alice Holt at 6pm this evening and had a very succesful 20 minutes or so. One of the photos I took is I think of a Purple Emperor, although to make sure I have added it on to the id forum. I am attaching a slightly different photo (ie even worse than the other one) here just to ask if anyone can confirm it is indeed a Purple Emperor.

Once again, thanks for the help and sorry about the standard of the photos.

Paul

[geniculata]

hi bill,

had i thought to i would have asked your name!
i was the one with the straw hat that found the emperor in the car park, it was good to meet you!
unfortunately i like you had thought that it would not move on its own and as there was enough people watching over it left for a walk down the ride for others to have a look and take pics only later hearing that it had been put on an oak branch out of harms way and of coarse a better photo oppotunity.

ive got a near identical pic find attached

gary.

[Pete Eeles]

Am I correct in thinking this was a female, same individual in both shots.

Based on the wing shape and size of abdomen, I'll stick my neck out and say this is a male. You saw no purple?

Cheers,

- Pete

[geniculata]

ah yes,

i did speak to one of the people who had seen it fly away and they said they had seen a flash of some purple, so you may well be right .
whilst i was veiwing it it only briefly flicked its wings once when a camera got alittle close and it being in the total shade, had shown no sign of purple.
gary.

[Padfield]

It's definitely a male. And I notice it has the same rust-coloured costa and apices (visible in the upperside picture) as Paul's recent find, albeit not quite so marked.

Guy

(And Paul Crook - your picture is indeed a purple emperor - I don't think anyone has given the confirmation you asked for, so here it is!)

[Bill S]

hi bill,

had i thought to i would have asked your name!
i was the one with the straw hat that found the emperor in the car park, it was good to meet you!
unfortunately i like you had thought that it would not move on its own and as there was enough people watching over it left for a walk down the ride for others to have a look and take pics only later hearing that it had been put on an oak branch out of harms way and of coarse a better photo oppotunity.

ive got a near identical pic find attached

gary.

Hi Gary

Arha it was good to meet you too, I was the one with the Manfrotto 190 if you hadn't guessed.

Actually I thought it was going to move on its own but at the time when everyone started to thin out of the car park it was still there and obviously vulnerable. It was coaxed onto a leaf but took to the wing immediately, first settling on a silver car then moving to a low-ish oak branch. There was a hint (and I mean hint) of purple/blue but nothing like the vibrant purple I was expecting, which is why I thought it might be a female. This was the first time I've seen one up close so wasn't sure what to expect. If the angle of light/viewing angle is critical to seeing the vivid purple, then it could well have been a male.

Bill