They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting to get a different result. Well today was going to be my fourth visit to Abbotts Wood in search of the Purple Emperor, surely I will not be going insane, the time is right the weather has been perfect over the last few days, would today be the day? I hoped so as I left home and drove the short distance to the wood car park. I was a little later this morning and once again it had clouded over after leaving home in sunshine. The heat of the last few days had gone, but the temperature was still around the low twenties.
From the car park I walked down the familiar path, but once again there was a lack of butterflies. As I approached the right hand bend I saw a Silver-washed Fritillary high amongst the sallow leaves where it settled, well out of sight. A little further on I had a very small butterfly flitting around a young oak, it never settled, but I was convinced it was a Purple Hairstreak.
An encouraging start, but it wasn't until I reached the area by the ben that I managed to get a good view of a butterfly. A Ringlet in the grass.
The Broad-leaved Helleborines found on Monday were developing, but still someway off flowering yet.
Turning right there was a White Admiral nectaring on the emerging bramble flowers.
I walked all the way to the assembly point, on the way I met some people who said they had seen in flight Purple Emperor but not on the ground. It was now almost 100 percent cloud cover and the wind had picked up, not ideal conditions. In the grass there were a few Meadow Browns, but this Spotted Longhorn Beetle caught my eye. This is quite large but well marked beetle, with yellow and black markings.
The larvae live in rotten wood and emerge as adults in May, they are a common beetle in the south of the country and are found in hedgerows and woodland margins.
Finally the clouds began to break and with the sun coming out it warmed up and this seemed to activate some butterflies, two White Admirals dueled above me a Comma appeared and after flying back and forth it settled on the path
A Golden-ringed Dragonfly appeared and flew up and down the ride, but never settled. The cloud was returning, but there were signs of a longer break in the western sky.
I decided to walk back to the car and have my lunch, Coming back the skies were clearing and this Large Skipper showed very well.
As I walked I kept checking any strange shape on the path ahead of me. There was a leaf, some pieces of mud and a Red Admiral, but as I approached the assembly point I picked up another triangle, that looked a little more interesting. As I got closer I could see it was the Purple Emperor, at last I edged closer and took this record, which was clever as shortly after it was buzzed by a Red Admiral and was off, flying around me, then out along the path and away.
The spot it was settled on was an area that had been baited over the previous days and the Red Admiral after settling on the path, then went to same patch. I decided to stay close in case the Purple Emperor returned.
The Red Admiral stayed and I decided to walk along the path. Once again a shape on the path was interested and as I got closer it flew at me. It came past me at knee high showing the purple sheen as it passed. It then came back and I turned to chase it. Another person was in front of me and she stopped as it past her, then we both walked after it. It settled on the path and I managed this awful shot.
But it was up and joined by another and at one point there were two flying around before one disappeared, while the other flew along the path and away.
We walked back to the assembly point in the hope that it was there but it wasn't, The Red Admiral was though.
I decided to wait and was then joined by the Golden-ringed Dragonfly, which after testing lots of grass stems decided to settle on a dead twig.
A chance to photograph with a lovely black background.
The Golden-ringed is the longest dragonfly found in the UK and one of the most impressive in my opinion.
A walk up the path didn't relocate the Purple Emperor, but there was the chance to photograph yet another Beautiful Demoiselle.
Clouds were returning and afternoons are not usually a good time for the Emperors on the ground, so I decided to head back to the car. A Large Skipper on a bracken leaf.
Then at the Vase clearing there was another Comma, first showing the white mark that gives the butterfly its name.
Then spread out on the bracken leaf.
Just before the car park there was another White Admiral, tucked in the leaves.
Well it was nice to know I was not going insane, I had finally managed to see the Purple Emperor. Now it was about getting some better images. The forecast for the next few days looks good, so once again fingers crossed.
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