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Purple Emperor - Favourite Photo of 2021

Week 13

Well we’re on the downward stretch now as we’re actually into the new year and so instead of saying ‘next year/next season’ we can say ‘this year/this season’.

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 and stay safe

Wurzel

i did not get many Iris pics this year...

this is from Lilford Wood near Fermyn Woods

2021 was a phenomenal year for the Purple Emperor in Lincolnshire. It turned up at many "new" locations in the centre of the county, found its way back to the Lincolnshire wolds, and maintained its presence further south in Lincolnshire. There was no shortage of action out at Chambers Farm Wood, where these two shots were taken. It was nice to get an underside shot with some green background, rather than the usual gravel, dirt track or dog poo setting!

petesmith wrote: ↑Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:48 am2021 was a phenomenal year for the Purple Emperor in Lincolnshire. It turned up at many "new" locations in the centre of the county, found its way back to the Lincolnshire wolds, and maintained its presence further south in Lincolnshire. There was no shortage of action out at Chambers Farm Wood, where these two shots were taken. It was nice to get an underside shot with some green background, rather than the usual gravel, dirt track or dog poo setting!

That's encouraging news, Pete. Shame they can't move westward into my neck of the woods!

Agree regarding the green background. It seems quite out of place given the subject of the image. As you say, it's usually rock, gravel, dirt or faecal matter filling the screen.

Just a serious of rather similar looking long distance tree top shots for me last year, of which this is one!

My favourite photograph of Purple Emperor resulted from a chance encounter whilst looking for Purple Hairstreak and was a nice bonus on a good day. I noticed an Emperor flying towards me and land on a sap run an Oak. A bit too high and shaded for good photographs, but very nice to watch them apparently oblivious to my presence.

I only saw two Purple Emperors in 2021 and this grounded male at Oversley Wood provided my best photos of this species to date.
However, the second one, a surprise sighting at Snitterfield Bushes a week later has equal standing in my mind due to the fact that I was not expecting to see it there. I have since been informed that there have been a few previous sightings from Snitterfield but not many (single figures over a few years) and not on the ground.
Cheers,

Neil.

Not the best of photos but, as it's the first time I saw this species, it's a memorable one for me. This was in Bernwood Forest.

The annual Purple Festival in Chiddingfold Woods was rather later in 2021 than usual and was a bit more tricky than it has been as well. Nevertheless, patience paid off and on 14th July I was lucky enough to have an Emperor to myself for a while. The downside was its choice of substrate, though the attraction that this mineral source had for it meant that I was able to leave the butterfly, walk a ways up the path and gather other afficionados - and it was still there twenty minutes later. Dave

On a whim I travelled to Savernake Forest in late July and managed to track down several Emperors, including at least four which were grounded:

Both these shots are of males despite no purple showing on the one that looks as if it is perched next to a lake! The one atop the oak was one of four in aerial combat around 6pm. Both Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire.