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Purple Emperor - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 13

So we have reached 12th night…I would have realised that it was due anyway as on Friday I saw my first Easter Egg displays in Exeter!

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I was fortunate enough to spend time close up and personal with a couple of this species at Hatfield Forest. But my numbers overall were not high as I spent much of the time working out where the most likely spots were for the congregation trees and particular willows that I might catch a female ovipositing - frustratingly such information does not seem to be shared which makes searching for them harder than it needs to be. Despite such frustrations, I was happy with these two.

Firstly, a male that I chased after along a ride as he settled on the ground several times before flying a little further on. Although I could see the purple sheen, I just could not get the right angle of his wings in the sun to get a happy snap showing full purple wings - the best I could get was disappointing;
On the other hand this female was very amenable and I spent a good 20 minutes with her as she was puddling - if only she was in her prime it would have been perfect, and very, very lucky:

Yes, this really was the best photo i got all year.

Take at Great Holland Pits on the 29th of June as it did a fly past .

Hopefully do better this year

The upperside gets all the glory so here's a couple of unders, and not a pile of poo in sight!

bugboy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2025 9:44 pm...and not a pile of poo in sight!

That alone is worth a bonus point!

This is only the second pairing of Purple Emperor that I have witnessed.
A female flew out of some Sallows with a male flying directly behind and she led him to the top of an Oak, some 20+metres up, where they paired within a couple of minutes. They stayed coupled for over five and a half hours!
I was fortunate to point out the butterflies to a passing birder who had a spotting scope with him and I was able to take this photo with my phone using the scope at 60x magnification.
If you look at the top of the frame you can see a voyeuristic Purple Hairstreak looking on.
By no means the best photo in the world but very opportune.

Back to the last week of June and Chiddingfold Forest. I realised I wouldn't repeat the luck I had in 2023 (seven Emperors all to myself during one morning ), but they still put on a decent display despite not entirely perfect weather. Here are some highlights. Dave