Purple Emperors in Cambridgeshire

[Charles Nicol]

I visited Wistow Wood near Ramsey this week. I noticed this notice:

Have any of you seen Purple Emperors in Wistow Wood ?

Charles

[Padfield]

That site seems slightly further east than any of the black hairstreak sites in the distribution maps. Is it a well-known colony? Has the butterfly been introduced there, or is it spreading naturally? Or has Google Maps perhaps delivered me the wrong Wistow Woods?

Guy

[Trev Sawyer]

Wasn't aware that there were any PE colonies in Cambridgeshire either Charles. I wonder where the info for the notice board came from? Cambs & Essex branch of Butterfly Conservation would know if the details are correct (or whether it was a site for these two species in the not-too-distant past).

Trev

[Jack Harrison]

I have seen several clangers on nature reserve boards, eg wrongly labelled picture. I would imagine in this case, some ancient information has been handed down and reproduced without questioning.

But I could be wrong. Purple Emperor is remarkably elusive and has cropped up in previously unrecorded places, eg in the last few years in Chicksands Wood Beds. In Hertfordshire for a long time it had gone “missing” but Liz Goodyear and Andrew Middleton have done excellent research and shown that PE is actually quite widespread albeit difficult to observe. Black Hairsteak is never easy to see even in its known localities so could easily occur in Wiston/Warboys Woods.

Jack

[Padfield]

The hairstreaks, but not the emperors, are mentioned here:

http://www.wildlifebcnp.org/reserves/re ... serveid=74

Guy

[NickB]

According to the Cambs&Essex BC Butterflies of Cambridgeshire, there are old records for both Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire, mostly prior to 1900. This includes Monks, Brampton and Bevills Woods - 50 were seen in one day at Monks Wood in 1887 - as well as records for Doddington Wood, Beford Purlieus and Castor. Last record for Monks Wood was 1964.
So no idea where that reference comes from!
EDIT: ...although as Jack says maybe these old references get re-cycled as they are in the general area....

Like so many compilations of information, things do get mixed-up!
EDIT. Looking at the board, perhaps they meant Purple Hairstreak but somehow managed to add the Emperor instead, as they had already mentioned the Black Hairstreak? Seems like the sort of mistake someone unfamiliar with butterflies might make.
N

[Charles Nicol]

Thanks for those interesting replies. It did occur to me that they meant Purple Hairstreak.

It would be great to go Purple Emperor spotting in Cambridgeshire rather than schlepping over to Fermyn Woods to see them.

Charles

[NickB]

I have seen several clangers on nature reserve boards, eg wrongly labelled picture. I would imagine in this case, some ancient information has been handed down and reproduced without questioning.
But I could be wrong. Purple Emperor is remarkably elusive and has cropped up in previously unrecorded places, eg in the last few years in Chicksands Wood Beds. In Hertfordshire for a long time it had gone “missing” but Liz Goodyear and Andrew Middleton have done excellent research and shown that PE is actually quite widespread albeit difficult to observe. Black Hairsteak is never easy to see even in its known localities so could easily occur in Wiston/Warboys Woods.
Jack

...If we get a chance in June and July maybe we should check-out Warboys/Wistow Woods this year?
What about it Jack, Trevor, Charles? Worth a scout around....?
N

[Charles Nicol]

That sounds like a good plan Nick !!

Unfortunately there is limited public access to Warboys Wood which adjoins Wistow Wood. In fact Joe Public is only allowed in on Good Friday which is April 2nd .

Wistow Wood is open all the time.


Charles

[Jack Harrison]

It seems that Warboys Wood is privately owned and reserved for shooting (presumably Pheasants).

Google Earth shows Wistow to be almost continuous tree cover without many rides except in the southeast corner. That might make it difficult to see arboreal species such as Purple Emperor and Purple Hairstreak. Black Hairstreak (if it does occur) could be easier around the small open area in the southeast of the wood. I might pop along there this coming week to make a preliminary recce.

I digress here a little, but I think this little story bears repeating. As a young lad at primary school, probably aged about eight, we were asked to write an essay about “things people do in the countryside”. I wrote that a common country activity was “Peasant Shooting”. My teacher was in stitches when she read my essay and confusingly said something about Italians doing that sort of thing but not the English; it was a simple spelling mistake that I remember to this day with amusement.

Jack

[Trev Sawyer]

I could be up for a trip there with the "Cambridge posse" if it goes ahead.

PS... talking about pheasants. I took a very distant shot of a pheasant on Friday in Cambridge. When I enlarged the photo, I noticed it appears to have an extra top beak!? I got a couple of different views and both show the same thing. What do you think?... PS: I went back today to try to get a closer shot, but it wasn't around. I am determined to get a better one as it looks most peculiar.



Trev

[NickB]

If we look in June for Black Hairstreak we can have a look for suitable breeding territory for PE's at the same time.......could tack it on to a trip to Brampton or Monks Wood for BH (at least we know those sites!)...
Weekends for those who work - well me at least (sigh) - 12th/13th or 19th/20th June I would guess should catch BH this year?
What do you lot reckon?
N
...Now THAT is a weird bird!
I saw a black & white blackbird (!) today on way to work - no camera - but will check-it out with camera. Nothing so deformed as that beast!

[Trev Sawyer]

Yep... I saw a "white" blackbird a few weeks ago too: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3869
They are apparently quite common. Now you've seen one, you will probably spot another.

Trev

[Charles Nicol]

Weekends for those who work - well me at least (sigh) - 12th/13th or 19th/20th June I would guess should catch BH this year?
!

Saturdays are good for me Nick.

I am loth to go to Brampton Woods after my car was ransacked in the car park

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

I could be up for a trip there with the "Cambridge posse" if it goes ahead.

PS... talking about pheasants. I took a very distant shot of a pheasant on Friday in Cambridge. When I enlarged the photo, I noticed it appears to have an extra top beak!? I got a couple of different views and both show the same thing. What do you think?... PS: I went back today to try to get a closer shot, but it wasn't around. I am determined to get a better one as it looks most peculiar.



Trev

the only other report i can find of this phenomenononon is at http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/in ... opic=79302

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

Went to the Wood yesterday to see if the Emperors were there.... if they were they saw me coming & hid

i did see a Purple Hairstreak sitting at the top of an Oak Tree. Also a Hawkmoth zoomed past.

Charles



PS Emperors have just been sighted in Cambs by Roger Orbell... at Bedford Purlieus ( nothing to do with Bedford ).

[millerd]

I just spotted this on the Cambs/Essex BC site:
"Friday 9th July
Bedford Purlieus (TL040996) A Purple Emperor (IN CAMBS) on southern ride while watching White-letter Hairstreak on thistles. Plus White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary. Roger Orbell"
Worth a look by anyone in the vicinity if they don't usually pop up in Cambridgeshire?

Dave

[Charles Nicol]

I just spotted this on the Cambs/Essex BC site:
"Friday 9th July
Bedford Purlieus (TL040996) A Purple Emperor (IN CAMBS) on southern ride while watching White-letter Hairstreak on thistles. Plus White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary. Roger Orbell"
Worth a look by anyone in the vicinity if they don't usually pop up in Cambridgeshire?

Dave

i suspect that twitchers will be flooding into Bedford Purlieus this weekend !!

Charles

[millerd]

Looking at the map, this isn't all that far from Fermyn Woods as the crow (or perhaps the Purple Emperor) flies.

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

When I was recently in Bedford Purlieus, I asked if Purple Emperors had ever been recorded there. When told no, I expressed mild surprise. Surely it was only a matter of time before someone saw one? BP is a large wood and PEs could easily have existed undetected for many years. (Compare Chicksands Wood, Beds where they were seen in 2009 for the first time)

Jack