27th June - Tugley Wood, Surrey

If last week was about the annual pilgrimage to the Gosport disused car park, today was about our annual staring at Oak and Sallow leaves event in the hope of seeing the much adored Purple Emperor.  All week the forecast had jumped about but the underlying message was it wasn't going to be good.  We arranged to meet at the later time of 9:00 at a location we hadn't tried before, over the border in Surrey, Tugley Wood close to Chiddingfold, where good sightings had been reported in the week.  The weather though through the week was nothing like that we experienced as we arrived.  Gone were the blue skies, unbroken sunshine and temperatures upward of thirty degrees, replaced with drizzle, a strong wind and overcast skies.  Undeterred, with a dry spell we set off along the bridleway, but very quickly the rain returned, but this was light and not a problem.

Along the side of the bridleway there were plenty of Common Spotted Orchids sprouting above the bracken fronds.  A bit of a surprise but a welcome one was a single Ringlet bobbing and weaving its way through the bracken.  The cameras were all covered up though so no pictures.  We continued the walk into the strangely named Botany Bay that took us to a car park that was closed.  It was grey damp but at the same time humid, the temperature reminded me of Monteverde in Cost Rica, but without the many butterflies you would see there.

We turned back, hoping that the walk back would see the weather start to improve, we were wrong it took a decidedly turn for the worst, so much so that we stopped on a bridge over a stream to shelter from the rain.  We waited here for probably up to forty five minutes as the rain became heavier, in that time there was a attempt to unblock a drainage hole (unsuccessful), viewing drone footage of a Great White and surfers and, probably the most bizarre, watching a Meadow Brown fly up in the leaves of a tree.  As the rain began to ease we decided to walk on, returning to the car park to take an early lunch.  As we did so the rain stopped and a few gaps in the cloud allowed the sun to peak through.  Uplifted by this rush of radiation we set off back along the bridleway and we found the Ringlet in the same spot as we had seen it during the morning rain.  As we followed it as it wound its way through the bracken in an attempt to get a picture when it stopped, I stopped when I noticed a dark shape on a bracken frond.  I hadn't expected it as there had been little sunshine, but then taking in what radiation there was sat a White Admiral.  So at 12:30 we took our first photographs of the day.

The White Admiral is a woodland butterfly and a delight to watch as it literally glides along forest and woodland rides, flying from tree to forest floor and back up with only a few effortless wing beats. 

When settled, the adults are unmistakable, with their black uppersides intersected by prominent white bars.

The undersides of this butterfly are, however, in complete contrast to the black-and-white uppersides, and are surely one of the most beautiful of all species found in the British Isles.

The distribution of this species in the early 1900s had declined to the point that it was restricted to southern England. However, there seems to have been a reversal of fortunes, with the butterfly reaching its former distribution that extends as far north as Lincolnshire. One explanation is that global warming has allowed the species to thrive at sites that had become too cool. Another is that the cessation of coppicing, that has been detrimental to so many woodland butterflies, has benefited this species which requires Honeysuckle growing in shady woodland for the successful development of its larvae.

A little further along the ride we finally managed to get a photograph of the Ringlet as it settled on the Bracken.

Then a little further along another sitting with its wings wide open.

With it now dry it was possible to appreciate the many Common Spotted Orchids along the ride.  Several were going over and were past their best, however one or two were quite spectacular.

Another White Admiral had us scrambling off the path and down into the bracken.  We never managed to get a good view of the White Admiral but did come across this Silver-washed Fritillary.

The beautiful tangerine colour standing out amongst the lush green of the bramble and bracken

It was a mixture of settling on the broad bramble leaves to warm up and then nectaring on the bramble flowers

This then gave the opportunity to see the lovely silver washed under side that gives the butterfly its name.

And to finish a lovely portrait against a black background

Seeing these two specialist woodland butterflies gave us hope we may yet be able to save the day and get some views of the real star, the Purple Emperor.  Those seen in the week were seen at an open area where the main path meets another coming from the right.  There was a few Oak trees with Sallow below them.  As we arrived another White Admiral appeared and then promptly flew up and away into the woodland.  It was then a case of assuming the Purple Emperor pose, stand still and stare at the trees.  We wandered a part with Ian heading down towards the stream.  I could see him pointing to the tops of the pine trees.  I could see a butterfly cruising the top and I quickly ran to where he was.  We watched, what only could be a Purple Emperor, cruising the tops of the trees, then it just disappeared.  We stood, we waited, we wandered up and down the ride, we got very frustrated.  Young Buzzards called from somewhere deep in the wood, a Hobby flew over and in the distance a Song Thrush sang.  I became interested in the Cow Parsley looking for some more black and white opportunities again.

And a Field Mouse-Ear.

In the end we decided to walk to the end of the bridleway again in the hope of finding something, the wood is also known for Wood Whites but our luck was out there as well.  There were plenty more Ringlet and Meadow Browns but aside from a very vocal Blackcap, very little else.

Walking back to where we had seen the Purple Emperor earlier we came across another White Admiral.  Initially it teased with the wings half up

Then it showed the under side

But it didn't stay long and was gone.  I walked on and came across a butterfly that flew straight at me from off the ground.  At first I thought it was the White Admiral, but the way it flew was more forceful and direct.  It flew around me then I lost it.  I had called Ina nd he picked it up on a leaf in a hazel tree.

Like me he thought it was the White Admiral, but I could see a different underside, this was a Purple Emperor, maybe a female and it had been sitting on the ground!  Then as quickly as we found it the butterfly was gone, across the path and into the trees and lost.  We stood, we waited and we stared at the trees but nothing.  Then we picked up one again high along the tops of the pines, we saw it follow the line of the trees and then cross to a large tall Oak which it flew around and disappeared, then appeared again over the pines and this time was able to follow it with binoculars and see it was a male.  

And that was that!  We never saw it again so had to be content with yet again a brief view in the trees.

The skies darkened and there was a few more drops of rain.  With little chance of the sunshine returning we decided that was going to be the best we would get and made our way back to the cars.  A frustrating day but we did manage to see the Emperor, if albeit, again a very distant view.  However when you consider the weather we should have been satisfied with what we did manage to see, but then when it comes to Purple Emperors I always want the perfect encounter.