male PE taken in Straits Enclosure, Alice Holt Forest on 3rd July 2008 with a Fuji Finepix

I'm really pleased with this, I especially like the way the colour of the proboscis stands out against the background

I've just downloaded a very handy little weather gadget from the Met Office - it's available for Firefox or Vista (this is the link to the Firefox one) http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/gadgets/firefox.html It gives you a Met Office button on the bottom status bar (on Firefox anyway, not sure a...

right, I had a terrible time with the Kodak bridge last week at Alice Holt. I found it awkward to take close-up photos and too cumbersome for me as a camera-virgin. So I tried my mum's little compace and got some fabbo pics of a male PE settled on the floor (the self-same one that walked up my right...

camera at home (boyfriend's kit!) - I'll bring it in tomorrow. It's not the best photo in the world, and it looks a bit odd as the wasp was on the window at the time so it appears to be floating in the ether still, it's better than the godawful skipper photos I took in Sraights Inclosure last week :...

I want to ID a parasitoid wasp that was hanging about in my sitting room last night

I've had a quick hunt around the interweb but can't find any really good sites for id'ing it. Wouldn't mind knowing what it was... I got some photos which should help

ha ha!

I didn't phrase that very well, did I! reminds me of the song about "sitting on top of Lord Hereford's Knob"

anyway, in all seriousness, I think it's called Lollover Hill

Cogley Wood was where I was heading this weekend, though due to time constraints I may not be able to get there. I know Great Breach/Breech Wood and Copley Wood, it was place that Heslop visited frequently I believe, though I don't know whether for PE's. I might just head out there this weekend for ...

I sat in my lounge and looked over to Exmoor yesterday - normally I can see the headland near Lynmouth but the weather was so bloody awful I couldn't see further than Minehead!

Watersmeet to Lynmouth is a favourite walk of mine, might try to get out there in a couple of weeks

My first was in Bentley Wood, about three years ago. Right at the end of the day, when we'd given up hope, a large female appeared through a hole in the canopy. I'm off this Saturday (weather permitting) to scope out a possible (and I use the word in the loosest of senses) PE site close(ish) to me.....

Two-page spread in the back of the accompanying mag featuring some common UK butterflies and interview with Clive Farrell.

And we should all keep an eye on this: http://www.thepurpleempire.com/whatsnew.html where Annie's true identity is revealed :) I'm Spartacus :lol: it's funny how you start to see PE's everywhere, if only in your head. I had to drive to a local town this morning, and their "welcome to..." ...

I would just like to point out that Matthew's health and safety notes may need a little updating - on depositing the paste he wrote "vile" on a little card and placed it in front of the suppurating ooze. Unfortunately, the side facing the pile proclaimed, in cheery cherry red, "Coca C...

I was lucky enough to visit Alice Holt Forest with Matthew Oates to look for Purple Emperors yesterday. We started off at one area (I can't remember the name!!) where, after an hour of looking we saw our first male, high in the canopy. Matthew put some belachan out but to no avail. Moving further do...

Jack - when you raised this topic yesterday I looked hard on the internet for any comments on forums etc against the use of these sonic devices, but could not find anything. What surprises me is that one company says they're ideal for deterring other dogs when you're out walking your own dog - I don...

and if someone parks inconsiderately behind you (as happened to me at Collard Hill the other day) you could just wedge some belachan behind their radiator grill...

I'm still surprised it's not rated as "weapons grade"

There's a wonderful story in my Grandfather's papers about one summer he was staying at a hotel for the PE season when somebody mentioned, loudly, the similarity of one of his facial features to that of a local "Ripper" style murderer who was still on the loose - so he promptly went out un...

Bryan, ...seems so obvious when you give the answer! and illustrates why I stick to the Sun's Quick Crossword and not the Times Cryptic

I'm off to Alice Holt Forest tomorrow for Purple Emperors and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!! Plus with my newly-borrowed camera I can get photos of butterflies for the first time ever.

Jack, Berrow Dunes have almost the same problem as those detailed in your number 5. - it's a well known spot for unnauthorised nudism, and while I'm no prude and I've visited proper nudist beaches in the past, it certainly puts you off your stride to crest a dune and come face to face with a chap pr...

My lovely boyfriend has lent me his Kodak P880 bridge camera for the week to see how I get on with the world of digital photography - here goes!