There's a photograph of a dead female Purple Emperor on the Colchester Natural History Society Facebook page. It looks completely spent from egglaying. The observer saw it in Friday Woods. "It just fell from the sky and landed by our feet. It was dead."

Agreed - I've spent many a happy hour at Glasdrum, but never even looked for Mountain Ringlet. Shame on me and now on my list! Cheers, - Pete Glasdrum has a good Mountain Ringlet colony, but it's not a straightforward climb as there's no track above 100m and there's a steep tree belt to scramble th...

Mountain Ringlet at Glasdrum NNR 05/07/2022
Counted 47 on the transect that follows the 500m contour, and a few more on the ascent.
Also got Clouded Buff and Wood Tiger moths

I think there's every chance, particularly if you have an old railway 'corridor' nearby. I've had 2 Common Blues in my suburban front garden over the years. They were both females, probably egglaying on Birdsfoot Trefoil. Both flew off soon after I'd spotted them. So their visits were only fleeting ...

Thanks Millerd & Bugboy. Glad you agree

This one has got me puzzled. Brentwood, Essex. It's the size of a Small Heath and rested with wings closed, although it was cloudy. When in flight, it's upper wings were clearly brown (fairly dark). I think it's an unusually small Meadow Brown, but it could be an unusual or worn Small Heath. Any tho...

evidence of a migration in Essex today. I had 10+ Red Admirals, and a few worn Painted Ladies nectaring on corky-fruited water dropwort at Langdon Hills, the first high ground above the Thames terrace. Also about 50 Red Admiral and 30 Small Torts seen at a coastal site in NE Essex

Padfield, great work with the White-letter Hairstreak larvae. Not something I've ever attempted, but willing to give it a try. Thanks

Padfield, I think the cuckooflower in this particular small wood are healthy, but there are never more than about a dozen sporadic plants there anyway.
I thought it might be either indicative of the cool conditions and the inability to travel far and/or the lack of any garlic mustard yet

Brentwood, Essex today - I counted 6 Orange-tip ova on a single Cuckooflower plant (5 on another). I know Garlic Mustard can support more larvae, but I don't remember ever seeing more than 2 previously on Cuckooflower. I wondered whether others had seen this, or whether it was indicative of a local ...

What a bizarre spring so far. There was a Holly Blue in Cambridgeshire on 31st March, then another on 16th April, but no reports of any so far in the whole of Essex

'Second-gen'/autumn Orange-tip- it would be interesting to know the reason for their delayed emergence. Although this spring's days were very warm and sunny, the clear nights were cold

second-generation Orange-tip seen on transect yesterday (not by me) on Benfleet Downs, Southend-on-Sea

Hi Peter, Yes, it is a cracker.
I understand Bryan has emailed you his permission.

cheers
Rob

with thanks to Bryan Russell for his photograph of a Small Copper, ab. berviniensis photographed yesterday in his West Essex wildflower garden

Thanks very much for all your replies. Looking at the clip again, it is painfully obvious that the synchronised movement is set off by an incoming male, who then adopts similar behaviour once settled. As you say, it could be a normal defensive or territorial mechanism by each individual that has the...

I've been sent a video of some mud-puddling Green-veined Whites. Every so often, they rapidly and collectively vibrate their wings in synchronisation. Is this typical of mud-puddling behaviour and does it have an explanation?
regards
Rob

interesting to get good evidence that a species relies on sight rather than scent whilst attempting to mate

photos and observation courtesy of Lindsey Cornes, who found a continental Swallowtail caterpillar last September, as it pupated on a strawberry plant in her allotment in Kelvedon, Essex (fennel and carrot present, although no obvious feeding signs). It hatched today. Although Lindsey missed the act...

Hi David,

Thanks for your reply. Glad that you agree.

best wishes
Rob