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Hi all,
I am taking a friend to the Beaulieu Motor Museum in early August (first week) for a Birthday present and to make it a more memorable weekend I wonder if on the way home to the South West we might stop at a reliable Purple Emperor site to try and get my first ever photo of this outstanding species. I realise it would be rather late in the season and not sure if there are any suitable sites around the Beaulieu area. Any suggestions would be welcome with thanks.

Hi Dave
August is almost certainly too late unfortunately. They have already been on the wing for a few days in Hants and I would expect them to peak this coming weekend.
There have been no regularly reports from the New Forest for a good number of years now so the closest reliable sites would be Bentley Wood on the Hants Wilts border, Garston Wood in Dorset, West Wood near Winchester or Whitely Pastures near Fareham. Sadly none of these are particularly close to Beaulieu!
Kind Regards
Mark

Hi Mark,
and so many thanks for your advice and information, seems like I will have to wait another year when I plan to make them my target species as I cant travel to any of the well known sites this summer. I did manage to get my first ever Glanville's this year in Dorset even though they were probably releases it was amazing to see them in the wild and at random on Compton Down so I will have to regard them as my big highlight of this year.
Thanks again,
Dave.