Neil Hulme

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:19 am

Thank you for the info Neil, I'll certainly look things up, enjoy the rest of your Butterfly year. Goldie

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:27 am

On Safari

Matthew Oates and I have started our 2018 Knepp Purple Emperor Safari campaign in good form, which is hardly surprising given the excellent weather and unprecedented numbers of the butterfly. A full-day outing on Saturday 30 June gave us a count of 87, followed by a half-day tally of 56 on Sunday 1 July.

Numbers are now at peak and although more females will emerge, the males are probably all out now. It's great to see so many people enjoying the spectacle. There are plenty of other species showing well too, including more White Admirals than usual. In the last few days we've also seen large increases in the numbers of Comma and Purple Hairstreak, the latter best viewed in the evenings.

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:06 am

Best To Date - 388

A thorough survey (2 July) of the entire Knepp Wildland Southern Block has achieved our highest count yet; a massive 388 Purple Emperors. 66 were counted on the Green Lane transect and a total of 16 females were seen. I watched 11 'tumble downs' (when already-mated Empresses spiral down to the ground, trying to shake off amorous males), which mostly occurred in the vicinity of 'feeder trees' (those oaks hosting multiple sap bleeds, encouraging large, boisterous drinking parties). At one such tree ('Rosemary's Tree') I enjoyed a chase of nine males, spiraling tightly around my head (at c.7pm).

Earlier, beside a small wooden bridge on Green Lane, I watched six dogfights occurring simultaneously, two of which comprised three males; that's 14 emperors in view at the same time! I ran out of unsearched areas of the Southern Block long before the butterflies became less active at 8pm. Had I not taken a significant break earlier in the day, to chase White-letter Hairstreaks, I would undoubtedly have had time to move into the Middle and Northern Blocks, probably enabling a count in excess of 400 Purple Emperors. However, the route I took allowed me to observe something I've never seen before; just before 8pm I found a mating pair of hutchinsoni (summer brood) Comma. Knepp continues to amaze.

David M · Post by **David M** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 7:56 pm

388 of any species is notable, Neil, but for Purple Emperors to be about in such numbers is incredible!

Almost as incredible is that image of the mating Commas. This is behaviour rarely seen and even more impressive when it looks like an image reflected in a calm lake.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:38 pm

That is a stunning image of the Commas in cop Neil

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 8:33 am

Thanks, David and Wurzel. I love the symmetry in that Comma shot. Despite having chased butterflies for 50 years, I still get those 'wow' moments which make our hobby so compelling.
BWs, Neil

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 8:42 am

All Change

The Knepp Wildland felt very different today (4 July). Admittedly, I covered much less ground than during recent monitoring visits, but my day-count of 181 Purple Emperor was disproportionately lower. Although I saw one 'Benny Hill chase' of seven, clashes involving more than a pair were rare. The regular bundles of four, five and six or more already seem a distant memory. The head of steam has been lost; they are suddenly getting lazy. I have no doubt that there will be more fireworks to come, but they can no longer be expected. The same thing happens every season, reflecting completion of the female emergence.

However, the numbers present remain huge. Knepp has set the bar so high that we have come to know this species, at least here, as a quite common butterfly of scrub and hedgerows; a butterfly of the wider countryside. Of course the emperor will never be Common, but neither will things ever be the same again, and that is something to celebrate.

On the way back to the car I saw my fourth tumbledown of the day. She landed on some Bracken and peered down on me as I edged below her. There is still life in the season yet, but there is now an urgency to squeeze every possible moment from this momentous iris year.

Paul Burgess · Post by **Paul Burgess** » Sat Jul 07, 2018 5:43 am

Thanks for the Safari this Tuesday - it was amazing to see so many Emperors, and also the sheer numbers of so many other species. We'll certainly be back next summer! Here's a pic of the White Admiral I managed to get on my phone

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Sat Jul 07, 2018 8:42 am

Thanks for coming, Paul - hope to see you next season. If booking a safari, I would always recommend choosing the early dates; we have to ensure that emperors will be flying, taking into account that the flight season may be early/average/late. If coming on your own, keep a close eye on the BC Sussex Branch website or Purple Empire blog, to get your timing spot-on.

Nice White Admiral image - amazing what can be done with a telephone!

BWs, Neil

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Sat Jul 07, 2018 8:46 am

Beginning Of The End

Purple Emperor activity on the Knepp Wildland has now become sporadic, with afternoons and evenings being by far the best times to watch the butterfly, particularly around oaks which bleed sap. There is now very little activity on hot, sunny mornings.

However, numbers remain high and the sport can still be spectacular if you're in the right place at the right time. During a half-day safari on Thursday 5 July we managed a total of 60 emperors (and a very nice female Purple Hairstreak down low) and a more extensive search on Friday 6 July gave me a total of 81, including several empresses sitting in scrub and a middle-aged male on the ground.

As the Knepp Purple Emperor season moves into its later stages, the Brown Hairstreak flight is already starting.

David M · Post by **David M** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 9:50 pm

Neil Hulme wrote:
As the Knepp Purple Emperor season moves into its later stages, the Brown Hairstreak flight is already starting.

That's quite something! I didn't realise things were SO far advanced right now in the UK.

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:33 am

Hi David
It will still be a few days before I go looking for Brown Hairstreak (and Grayling and Silver-spotted Skipper), but this is remarkably early; no peace for the wicked!

BWs, Neil

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:37 am

Still Going Strong ... Just!

Matthew Oates and I led another two Knepp Safaris to see the Purple Emperor over the weekend, seeing 34 on Saturday (7 July) and 37 on Sunday (8 July). Most of the males are now looking tired, and activity is largely restricted to afternoons and evenings. On Sunday we managed to get very close to a male emperor on a head-height sap bleed; he had only three legs and one foot in the grave, but provided us with the opportunity for images of some interesting behavioral activity. A 'tumbledown' female (rejecting a male's advances) also allowed us to get very close, as she sat quietly on Bramble flowers until the coast was clear. Plenty of others butterflies were also present, including Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Purple Hairstreak and golden skippers.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 1:07 pm

Brown Hairstreaks already

Are things in danger of peaking too soon - are we going to 'run out' of butterflies by September - or could there be subsequent broods?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

essexbuzzard · Post by **essexbuzzard** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:00 pm

I would expect extra broods of some species Wurzel, if last year is anything to go by. As long as the caterpillar foodplants don’t shrivel. Neil, Brown Hairstreaks in early July is remarkable, even by modern standards!

David M · Post by **David M** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:48 pm

It seems incredible that Purple Emperors are on the wane barely a week into July. In other years they haven't really got going till now.

The next 'event' will be the emergence of many of the late summer brooded butterflies - Whites, Common Blues, Brown Argus, nymphalids, etc. There could be colossal numbers if this warm spell holds.

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:12 am

Thanks, all.
Wurzel, I don't think we'll run out of butterflies. As others have said, we'll inevitably get some Brucie Bonus extra broods, and hopefully some exotics. But will the school holidays trigger a collapse in the weather?
BWs, Neil

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:15 am

Last Orders For The Emperor

Yesterday (12 July) Matthew Oates and I led the last of the 2018 Knepp Purple Emperor safaris, finishing the season in style. We saw a total of 27 emperors, including two 'tumbledowns', in which both female and male spiral down to the ground. Of the many observed on sap bleeds, we were surprised to see a freshly emerged female, which should still be egg-laying in two weeks time. However, it will be very difficult to see Purple Emperors beyond mid next week. Among the wealth of other fauna and flora, we found this funky pink hopper, showing how not to do camouflage.

David M · Post by **David M** » Fri Jul 13, 2018 9:05 pm

It's quite something to think that the PE season will be effectively over by mid-July, Neil. Several times recently they have been at their peak during this period. One hopes that their flight season has been successful and that populations will receive a boost next year as a result.

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Fri Jul 20, 2018 7:43 am

Last Of The Chalk Grayling

Yesterday (19 July) I spent six hours covering almost every square metre of Deep Dene (Windover Hill, Wilmington), in an attempt to accurately determine the numbers of Grayling present, and to see if there are any potentially negative changes in the habitat since I was last here a few years back (there are).

As many will be aware, we have serious concerns about the long-term survival of this unique chalk-based population, so collecting as much data as possible is the first step in any remedy. Thanks to all those who have already been reporting from the site, but it is important that survey visits are spread throughout the flight season, particularly through early and mid August, so please hold some effort in reserve!

Timing is important; during this early, male-dominated stage of the flight season, the butterflies become far less active from c.11.30 am onward, and are almost 'invisible' by early afternoon as they shelter from the heat. During my visit I recorded 24 Grayling, only two of which were females. At 9.00 am I witnessed an impressive chase of five males, which tend to glide down the slope in search of females, before returning to the upper level near the gorse-line; they are very mobile, making counting tricky. I enjoyed a total of seven trouserings throughout the day, as the males sought salts from my jeans. I expect numbers to peak 7 - 10 days from now.

It took me some while to reach Deep Dene, as there was so much of interest to see during the climb up Windover Hill. Highlights included some very fresh Wall, some rather older Dark Green Fritillary, and large (but not huge) numbers of Chalk Hill Blue, many of which were drying-off their recently unfurled wings. During my visit I also saw six Silver-spotted Skipper (including a mating pair) and two second brood Dingy Skipper. As always with this site, the wildflowers and views were breathtaking.