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Hi all

Are the Purple Emperors out in Fermyn Woods Yet.

Hi Nomad,
I was there on Tuesday(30.6.15.) along with a few other people and nobody had seen any Purple Emperors or White Admirals or White Letters, plenty seen this time last year but as a lot of people are saying the summer b/f's are late this year???
I'm going again tomorrow(Friday) and I will put a report out when I get back asap.
Russ

Hi Russ. Thank you. Please let me know what you find today, I was thinking of going this Saturday, but yes this is a later season.

Peter.

nomad wrote:Hi Russ. Thank you. Please let me know what you find today, I was thinking of going this Saturday, but yes this is a later season.

Peter.

i shall have a look today

Charles

Best of luck Charles

nomad wrote:Best of luck Charles

i arrived at 11am and stayed until 1:30 pm... no sign of the PEs... i did see a White Admiral and the other usual suspects

I must say this is our experience at Botany Bay.Day after day for the last ten days or so,we have trudged through the woods ever hopeful.Nothing yet on the P.E. front but plenty of white admirals and Silver washed.Perhaps they know that thunderstorms are imminent.
P.J.U.

Hi Nomad, We arrived at 9.00am and left at 1pm, we didn't see any P/Emperors at all; not that many people about but the only guy that had actually seen 1 and only 1, twice if you get my drift was Simon a local guy. He did show me the photo's with date and time, 1st sighting at 10am and then again at 11.45am. It had come down onto the track both times.
Very hot day again today 26c.
Plenty of White Admirals flying/coming down onto the track, 10+, also quite a few S/W Frits but not landing

Russ

Hi Charles, I don't think I saw you today? We were the ones on bicycles, trying not to fall off?

Russ

That's for the update Charles, Russ and Paul. Strange that no (one) PE are on the wing after all this hot weather, still plenty of time although at the end of next week I shall be in Corsica followed by Holland It looks like I shall be Essex way tomorrow for WLH.

LancsRover wrote:Hi Nomad, We arrived at 9.00am and left at 1pm, we didn't see any P/Emperors at all; not that many people about but the only guy that had actually seen 1 and only 1, twice if you get my drift was Simon a local guy. He did show me the photo's with date and time, 1st sighting at 10am and then again at 11.45am. It had come down onto the track both times.
Very hot day again today 26c.
Plenty of White Admirals flying/coming down onto the track, 10+, also quite a few S/W Frits but not landing

Russ

Hi Charles, I don't think I saw you today? We were the ones on bicycles, trying not to fall off?

Russ

i was on the other path ( Stephen Oak Riding )... only pedestrians there

The annual question: Anyone know if PEs are out in numbers at Fermyn yet? Worth a trip on Saturday morning?

dilettante wrote:The annual question: Anyone know if PEs are out in numbers at Fermyn yet? Worth a trip on Saturday morning?

It hasn't really got going at Fermyn yet Paddy, Rosalyn & I were there yesterday morning and only saw 2, one of which did come down to ground for about 5 minutes.
Talking to other people, and there were quite a few, it appears that only 2 more Iris were spotted, aside from the couple I saw.
The weather was sunny for the most part.
One of the wardens at Fermyn suggested that we give it another 2 weeks! I think another week should be about right.
It doesn't look as though it is going to be a great year for Iris, going by reports from the southern hot spots.

All the best

Phil

Thanks Phil. I can't do next weekend, but possibly the 23rd - hope it's still going then!

Hi I arrived at Fermyn on Thursday 7th July and it did not look promising. One male Purple Emperor had been seen on the ground very early on in the day, the observers were leaving as we were arriving. We did have to wait for a bit of late morning sun to see one cruise past us. Eventually one did come down, later we saw another 2 males down, the latest being at 14.45. There were definitely 5 seen at least. On Friday we were into the 20s with numbers increasing yet again on Saturday, including the female I mentioned in my diary. The weather has been hampering their 'normal' start up times, but they seem to adjust their track visiting to later in the day when it is warmer with a bit of sun. I saw 4 males down together on Saturday, but another chap saw 6 down in one spot on Sunday. With the weather we are having so far it could be a prolonged season, but I do hear that a heatwave could be on the way for next weekend. It will be interesting to see what the numbers are then.

Mike

I was at Fermyn on Monday 12th and there were a few purple emperor about, most of which looked quite worn already. That said, there was at least one fresh individual about (photos here http://thrintoftpatch.blogspot.co.uk/)

I also saw silver-washed frit, white admiral and white-letter hairstreak.

Regards, Chris

I was at Fermyn yesterday morning and I also thought they were rather worn. Saw five (all males) including one that appears to have a curious walk.

i spent a lovely day at Fermyn yesterday ( Thursday 14th July ) ... plenty of Emperor action until i left at 2pm.

here are some pics of the wildlife:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/captainca ... 8205864394