Purple Emperor - Favourite Photo of 2012

[Vince Massimo]

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2012 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter until all 59 UK species have been covered. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas friends are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

[Wurzel]

Purple Emperor
This was probably the hardest of all of my favourite shots to choose because all of them take me back to the wonderful day in July when I got my first ever grounded shots. I had seen seen Purple Emperors at Bentley Wood during the previous two years that I have been butterflying but they have always been high up in the canopy. The same was true when I visited Alice Straits this year although I took a few shots and cropped like mad there.
But a week or two later I headed to Bentley and as soon as I arrived in the car park I had a feeling that the day was going to be a little bit special. I bumped into two gents up from Cornwall and we were joined by a few regulars of Bentley and a couple carrying dog faces in a carrier bag. The weather was perfect; sunny, warm and with hardly any wind and we soon found one parked up in a tree, missed it grounded but were deemed with a few passes and a brief settle on one chap.
Deeper in the wood we saw two blokes crouching down on the edge of the path so we headed over and they welcomed us to wait by their bait. It was worthwhile as we had two males flying around us and finally one landed on a log. A few shots in the bag it completely ignored us and walked across to the bait (a dead Rabbit that had been buried for 3 weeks and placed two days previously) and started feasting.
With people carrying poo, peeing in the middle of paths and wandering around enthralled and excited it had a real festival feel. It didn’t end there, but back at the car park there was a grounded Empress and Emperor!

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Padfield]

I have two favourite shots:


(Aurelian, in June, shortly before pupation)


(Tiberius, the day he was born)

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

I have two favourite shots

And both are amazing. I had to do a "double take" on the first - a perfect example of perfect camouflage!

Cheers,

- Pete

[MikeOxon]

I felt very privileged to be given an extended private audience with HIM in Bernwood Forest. After I had taken all the usual topside and underside shots, I tried a few more personal shots of the type that would be impossible, if amongst a group of admiring courtiers. This was my favourite:

Shabbington Wood (SP616110) - 19th July 2012
Nikon D300s with 90mm Tamron macro + 1.4X TC - 1/90s@f/11 ISO800

Mike

[Neil Hulme]

I didn't get many good Emperor shots this year. The season was very poor in Sussex and I missed the best days at Fermyn. Must do better in 2013!
Neil

[nomad]

This pristine Male Purple Emperor is ingesting on the huge limestone monument known as the column in the beautiful forest of Savernake Wiltshire.

Male Purple Emperor on the column, Savernake, Wilts. 22. July 2012

[millerd]

I failed to see one on the ground this year, but saw a couple flying around at Bernwood, one of which perched some way up in an oak and peered disdainfully down. 27th July.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

A couple of shots from Fermyn taken during a glorious day in late July when I bumped into fellow UKB member 'Tuts' and had a great day walking many miles around the woods.

Having taken loads of shots of HIM on the ground and on 'pooh' in 2011, I wanted to try and get a few shots on 'green' plus trying to get the angle to show the purple sheen on all wings.

Purple Emperor - Fermyn 24.07.2012

Purple Emperor - Fermyn 24.07.2012

Cheers,

Neil F.

[David M]

I got lucky at Bernwood Forest near Oxford in July. Only saw one individual but He enthralled His audience for at least 20 minutes, allowing close approaches.