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Purple Emperor - Favourite Photo of 2020

Week 13

Well 2021 hasn’t started too well has it! Strange to think that it’s looking like a complete butterfly year could be spent whilst under some form of Restriction be it the Rule of 6 with Social Distancing up to a Full Lockdown . Oh well things do have to get worse before they can get better so let’s hope this is the worst that we’re experiencing now. Stay safe UKBers!

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.

Just a reminder - it might be a good idea to start selecting your Overall Favourite Butterfly Photo of 2020 now as we’re starting to draw to the grand finale.


Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Not a vintage year for me last year. Several trips to bookham gave me just a single treetop sighting, but I did manage to get to Chiddingfold one day and after a few hours stumbled across a grounded male who I had to myself for a while, the weather wasn't particularly good but this is the best effort at getting the 'purple' I managed.

Purple Emperors seemed harder work than usual in 2020, but spending most of the end of June down at Chiddingfold meant there were some decent sightings, as well as the opportunity to chat with a wide variety of like-minded folk. At least knots of folk crowding the poor insects were out of the question, and this plus their relative scarcity meant we all spread out rather more. My own best sightings were consequently made when no one else was around. Very much worth the daily commute down the A3!

Dave

Great shots of a stunningly fresh individual on the 26th Dave, and interesting to see the wear on the same butterfly in Paul’s photo a few days later (I presume). I think we were all taking turns with the same few in Chiddingfold around that time - but I certainly didn’t manage anything as good as those shots. Perhaps next season we could compare photos and see how many different individuals we record over the flight period.

Cheers,

Ben

Great shots Dave especially the one on the 25th which seems to have especially pronounced white pupils on the hind wing eyespots which are normally absent or very feint
I was fortunate to have a reasonable number of sightings this year especially this one in Alice Holt that Mike Gibbons found. Very fresh and kept molesting both of us even opening up its wings on my finger to give a fabulous view.

Lovely open-winged shot, Andy.

The most pleasing part of the encounter was being completely alone in its company David

Seems as though incorrect photos loading. Oh well , I don’t suppose anyone wants to log in to my Leyton Orient account

Andy02 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 18, 2021 1:15 pm The most pleasing part of the encounter was being completely alone in its company David

Yes. That is possibly the finest treasure that UK butterflying can bestow on an individual.

Dave, your male from the 26th is a corker!

Mark, fantastic shot on your finger too.

I saw a few iris this year, West Wood in Winchester held a few single sightings and I photographed a few grounded males at Alice Holt. This was my favourite image from that day. Next year I will visit a few more local woods to see if I can confirm they are purple.
In November, I had the privilege of spending a freezing cold day with Matthew Oates, and he showed me a few of the hibernating larvae he is following. This is Margaret. She was active at 1-degree Celsius; you can see the frost still on her.

Managed to see this species myself for the first time in half a decade this year.

A long trip to Fermyn on a gorgeous, hot midsummer day was disappointing in the sense that I only came across two individuals, but the second one obliged by flying up and down the ride near the western entrance and allowed close approaches when settled:

I've photographed a large number of emperors over the years, but this image is one of my all-time favourites. It was taken, unsurprisingly, on the Knepp Wildland. I had driven along the main hard track quite early on a sunny morning, laying my belachan soup baits. By the time I'd laid my last bait and was making the return journey, this male had descended for a salty drink and been flushed by a group of visitors. Luckily, it decided to sulk on some trackside brambles. I was out of the car in a shot and managed to grab a couple of images before an over-eager enthusiast allowed a swinging camera strap to send it up into the oaks. More at viewtopic.php?p=160321#p160321

Absolutely vibrant, Neil.

Bet you muttered a few expletives under your breath when it was disturbed.