It's the high summer and across the land the same refrain - "To The Woods". Purple Emperors were on the wing at Ditton Park Wood from at least the 6th July and a few more were searching the sallows in the sunlight on the 7th. The following weekend I headed, in cloud, to Fermyn. Not the best display of Emperors with only a couple of groundings in a full day out but, thanks to Toby Ludlow, I did see my first ever Abb - aberration, an almost Black Emperor which did a couple of low fly pasts but didn't settle. Toby had seen 3 together a couple of days before, after 50 years of searching. I felt a bit of a charlatan having only spent the last 8 years committing to keeping each year Purple. Below is the best shot of the grounded male of the day and I have nicked a photograph of one of the abbs taken by John Wiltshire and posted on The Purple Empire.
Silver Washed Fritillary, White Admirals and Purple Hairstreaks provided diversion between the Emperoring which produced just over 20 sightings during the day.
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