Thanks Buggy and David. Apologies for the long delay in replying - too much to do at the start of a new term ...
Since returning to Switzerland I have been able to relocate just two of my purple emperor caterpillars. There is a presumption the others are dead but it is not necessarily so. Both of those I have found (Giles and Angel) are second instar still (or were a couple of days ago, when I last checked). This means Angel has been in this instar for almost a month.
I live about 1km as the butterfly flies from the forest. Every year I see the odd female - even a male sometimes - up here but have never found eggs on the sallow in my garden. This year, however, someone did lay. A few days ago I spotted the characteristic feeding signs on a low leaf and looking closer saw where the egg had been:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/irisleafgarden3sep2017a.jpg)
(the egg base is shown with the red arrow)
I couldn't find the caterpillar (I think it has perished) or any more evidence on other sprays, but much of the tree is difficult to get at. Maybe next spring I'll find an
iris cat in my garden. I would be surprised if the female laid only one egg, unless she was disturbed.
Every year I find brown hairstreak eggs on some local blackthorn - a tiny, isolated patch - but had never seen an adult there until this year. As I passed it a few days ago I disturbed a female, who immediately flew high into a tree and then drifted off down the hill. I got only a record shot of her from a distance before she disappeared:
That's my only brown hairstreak so far this year. It is normally a September/October insect, though, and there is still plenty of time. I didn't see if she had laid any eggs.
Still on the local scene, I found my first white admiral hibernaculum of the year today. Normally I don't find these until later in the year (and there are still plenty of caterpillars sitting around on their poo sticks):
From the right angle it was just possible to make out the spiny little person inside:
Otherwise, it has been mostly cloudy or raining recently, with a welcome break yesterday. I took the morning to go to the valley, where plenty of species are still flying. Notably, southern white admirals are still about in very good numbers. The first one I saw was enjoying the hops:
Others were nectaring on hemp agrimony and other flowers:
Other species flying included rosy grizzled skipper, dingy skipper, small white, southern small white, wood white, clouded yellow, Berger’s clouded yellow, common blue, Chapman’s blue, Adonis blue, chalkhill blue , turquoise blue, northern brown argus, brown argus, Queen of Spain fritillary, dark green fritillary, spotted fritillary, speckled wood, wall, small heath, meadow brown, tree grayling and dryad.
Here are a few piccies:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/mannii3sep2017b.jpg)
(southern small white)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/onopordi3sep2017a.jpg)
(rosy grizzled skipper)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/dorylas3sep2017a.jpg)
(turquoise blue)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/artaxerxes3sep2017a.jpg)
(northern brown argus)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/agestis3sep2017a.jpg)
(brown argus)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/coridon3sep2017a.jpg)
(chalkhill blue)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/bellargus3sep2017a.jpg)
(Adonis blue)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2017/statilinus3sep2017a.jpg)
(tree grayling)
I had very limited time - I hope a visit in the next week or so will turn up more. I wasn't able to visit my cardinal site to see how they are doing.
Guy