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Hi all,

I'm visiting Fermyn Woods this weekend (6/7th July) hoping to see Purple Emperor, although that seems a bit optimistic now, given how late everything is emerging this year. Can anyone give any tips on where to park and where in the wood to look for PE? I am somewhat disabled (arthritis in right ankle) so anything that reduces the amount of walking is a bonus.

While I am in the area I will also try Glapthorn Cow Pasture for Black Hairstreak. Has anyone seen any there this year? Again, tips on parking and where to look would be appreciated.

Best wishes
John W

Hi John

For Fermyn park at SP 9647 8590 opposite the gliding club, the ride running south from here, right through Fermyn, is excellent for Purple Emperors when the sun is shining. I fear, though, that you will be too early this weekend but......

For Glapthorn the only parking is in the track opposite the entrance to the reserve, which is in the south east corner. Black Hairstreak have certainly been seen there this year.

Best of luck
Phil

Purple Emperor have been seen this weeks in bucks so you might be lucky

If you go back from track opp gliding club to the Oundle - Corby road, turn left to Lower Benefield & in village at bottom of hill is a sharp right turn to a "gated/ cattle grid" road that is a short cut to very near Glapthorne Cow Pasture wood. After woods entry, 3rd track on right off main path is usually good spot. Hope you find both. Eric

PhiliB wrote:Hi John

For Fermyn park at SP 9647 8590 opposite the gliding club, the ride running south from here, right through Fermyn, is excellent for Purple Em perors when the sun is shining.

And don't stop when you get to the far edge of the wood. Keep going to Lady Wood, where I've had better luck with PEs. Timing is important to, in my limited experience. Aim to be there in the morning if you want a better chance of them coming down to ground level.

Also keep an eye out for White Letters on the ride through Fermyn. There's an elm on the junction with a path on the left where I saw them.

Good luck. I hope they're out for you. Maybe this warm weather will bring them out in numbers!

On my last visit to Fermyn there is another short track close to the main ride, a couple of hundred yards along to the right from the main ride everyone is mentioning, when facing the wood from the road.
You can park at the end of this track. People informed me they had seen 10+ PEs along this short stretch of track in the morning. In the afternoon I saw 3 or 4 including one perched in a tree quite close to the ground which was pleasant for photographing.

Good luck.

Paul Wetton wrote:there is another short track close to the main ride

just to clarify Paul's post, the track he mentions is parallel to, and to the West of, the main ride that is opposite the gliding club. There is a gravel clearing a couple of hundred meters or so along the track from the road, where I have found PE on the ground in previous years and, on the Western edge of this clearing, there is a large tree, which hosts a good colony of Purple Hairstreaks. Again, I have been fortunate to photograph these at low level around this tree.

Mike

Just to say thank you for all the helpful replies If I do see a Purple Emperor on the ground I will post the photo here! So far I've only seen them flying around the tops of trees.

John W

John W wrote:If I do see a Purple Emperor on the ground I will post the photo here!

Keep a look-out for White-letter Hairstreak too - there are good places along the main ride and Pauline's diary refers to them being on the wing.

Mike

Well thanks to the excellent directions I made it to Glapthorn Cow Pasture this afternoon at about 3.30. It was a long wait with a few other enthusiasts at the hot-spot but eventually we were rewarded by a Black Hairstreak at about 5pm nectaring on bramble. It was neither a perfect specimen nor the perfect photo but I'm very happy having seen my first one! John W