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Purple Emperor- Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 13

Well here we go, the first Favourite Post of 2019, a belated Happy New year

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

A season where I had several 'first' with HIM:

My first larvae, 'Padfield', seen here munching on his final skin My first views of males cavorting around a master trees and my first sight of an Emperess, at Chiddingfold

this hungry chap was in the car park near the Gliding Club at Fermyn Woods

Three photos from an extremely hot (32C) but rewarding weekend at Fermyn Wood:
Fermyn Wood, June 30 2018, 9.44am
Fermyn Wood, June 30 2018, 9.45am
Fermyn Wood, July 1 2018, 11.05am

It was so hot that I had to shade the third one for about 15 minutes before it finally opened its wings!

Cheers
John W

I'm honoured, Buggy! I wonder if you unknowingly saw Padfield again during the flight season ...

My own favourite is probably also of larvae. There are three in this shot, all on the same bush:



It was taken on 24th May. All are 5th instar.

Guy

07.07.18. After seeing reports of Purple Emperor at Monks Wood for the first time in decades I thought it was worth a punt having a look around Aversely a small wood on the outskirts of the village. It was a scorching hot day and being a lowland dweller now the trek up the incline to get there was a bit wearing. Having reached the main ride I welcomed the shade and as I approached the junction at the end i gazed about me and a large black butterfly flew up from a nearby bush and settled way up high in a tree, oh how frustrating, I have seen White Admiral in the wood many times but never in this location so I settled myself on a bench to wait it out. After some 20 minutes I thought I had imagined the whole thing but i had a sudden thought, there is Sallow by the pond just a few feet away and another bench I could continue my vigil. In fact I had barely sat down when another large black butterfly flew right under my nose, absolutely sure this time I had found my quarry I grabbed my camera in the hope of getting evidence. I had several fly by's, at one point 2 flew across the pond chased by a third, but nothing was landing near me in fact steadfastly staying at the far side if the pond and I only had my macro lens with me. At last one settled on the debris of the rather depleted water, could I get the evidence I desperately wanted? Well I gave it a go and until I got it on the computer I couldn't tell if I had manged to capture it at all. So here it is, a rather ropey pic of a Purple Emperor, and I did get some nice ones at Fermyn before this little adventure, but it is my favourite for all that.

My contribution is this freshly emerged Emperor seen in the Doubs ,France it was in company with two Lesser purple Emperors, unfortunately I was too close to the insect to move to a more advantageous position in the hope to getting a full purple wing shot.
Photo taken on the 15-06-2018
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/p68 ... #hbb853741 Butterflies of the Doubs.

Rosalyn wrote:..At last one settled on the debris of the rather depleted water, could I get the evidence I desperately wanted? Well I gave it a go and until I got it on the computer I couldn't tell if I had manged to capture it at all. So here it is, a rather ropey pic of a Purple Emperor...

I struggled to see it at first, Rosalyn, but my eyes suddenly picked it up on the leaf floating on the water. That's a most unusual place for any butterfly to settle, let alone an Emperor!

That is a cropped photograph David, I put it in the centre so you had a fighting chance of spotting it. I doesn't help that I'm not focusing on it, I only had a vague idea where it had landed. I believe I am the only one that ever saw them as it was well into the flight period.

The sunshine and heat of the last week of June saw me down at Chiddingfold on three different days, and all were rewarded with sightings of HIM. Photos were tricky because of the bright sunshine, especially with it reflecting off the ground and keeping the butterflies from opening up as much as they might otherwise have done. They also frequently landed in dappled shade, an absolute nightmare. I found one wandering well down in the grass at the side of the ride, somewhat unusual. Dave

Nice work, Dave. This is one species I need to devote more time to!

I was lucky enough to be down south at the right time of year to drop in on Bentley Wood on the 28th June. A few wonderful Purple Emperor sightings, including the first time I've managed to get a photo that really showed off the amazing yellow proboscis.
However, this day will live forever in infamy, as the day when several photographers got amazing photos of an Emperor licking minerals from the wing-mirror of my car whilst I was elsewhere! I never did see any of those pictures appearing online anywhere, either.

Purple Emperor

Finally I’m able to post some decent images for this species and by my reckoning I’ve also broken the three year cycle that I was running on! It was great to be able to paw through various images umming and arring over which would constitute my fave. It was actually a close thing as when His Nibbs first came down a Johnny-come-lately sauntered over from the car park, took up prime position and wasn’t very accommodating when others tried to get any shots. After listening to him for a bit the reason for his unusual and selfish behaviour soon became clear (normally it’s a case of ‘after you’ ‘no after you’…and sometimes the butterfly buggers off while the butterflier is deliberating over who should go first); he was a birder/twitcher, one of the sharpened elbow brigade. In the end I went for this shot from later in the morning when I had the main track all to myself. The reason for my choice is that t’s a twofer and something I’ve not seen before. The first Purp was taking salts from something icky that was on the small log when a second dive bombed in and started hassling the first. Brill!
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Mine is from Fermyn Woods, or more exactly from the southern end of the Lady Wood complex. I went there in late June to catch up with Purple Emperors having missed them for the past couple of years.
It was a scorching hot day and although most of the grounded ones I saw would sit there with their wings tightly closed, I did manage to get my first 'four wing purple' shot by shading the one individual with my shadow.
Cheers,

Neil.

Knockout image, Neil. Well worth the trip for that alone!