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APPENDIX: Details of Purple Emperor Sightings in the UTB area during 2006

 

 

DATE

OBSERVER

 

LOCATION

MICRO-LOCATION

 

 

NUMBER SEEN AND SEX

TIME

WEATHER CONDITIONS

BEHAVIOUR

25/6/06

Duncan Stubbs

Black Park

TQ010840

1 m

11.30

 

On path

25/6/06

Wendy & Mick Campbell

Piddington Wood

Territory SP 629161

1 probable sighting high up

 

 

High up over the central Ash tree of the "vista" . It must have been 100' up and looked too big to be a Red Admiral. The shape of the wings and flight pattern looked right for PE

29/6/06

?

Whitecross Green Wood

 

1

 

 

 

29/6/06

Dave Wilton

Finemere Wood

Southern edge in Finemere Meadows

1 m

 

 

On the ground close to the wood edge in an area where there is a lot of bare earth.  It was disturbed by my passage, took off and did three or four large lazy circles around me at grass-top height and then shot off up into the wood canopy. 

29/6/ 06

John Ward-Smith

Little Hazes, private

Edge of wood, with scattered mature oaks. The site is south facing, close to M4 and lake at Felix Farm Trout Fishery

1 m

fleeting but clear sighting at 11.45 am. Total episode lasted approx 30 secs

Fine and sunny temp 22C

Single specimen flew out briefly from one side of an oak tree, flew round the back and then reappeared on the other side of the tree, at a height of between 4 and 5 metres (12 to 15 ft) from the ground. I was about 8 to 10 metres (25 to 30 feet) from tree.

30/6/06

Wendy & Mick Campbell

Oakley Wood

 

SP611117; tree tops near the gate in the Oakley Car Park

1

13.30, for 20 minutes

 

One definite sighting of a PE high up in the trees. It flew down from the Oak tree and disappeared.

30/6/06

Wendy & Mick Campbell

Piddington Wood & Little Wood (private)

 

1

11.15 to 13.30.

45 mins at Piddington territory

 

Spent 45 minutes at the "PE Vista". After 15 minutes Mick saw a male PE flying towards us. It was about 20' above our heads and close enough to see the purple sheen. We watched it complete a circuit of the "vista" and then it headed back to the footpath and disappeared.

30/6/06

Dennis Dell

Finemere Wood

Narrow ride SP718220

1

12.00

 

Flying swiftly at low trajectory southwards along ride leading  northwards from turning circle

30/.6/.06

G.Elcombe

Bernwood

SP 612 103  Hell Coppice

1 m

11.00

Sunny

Perched on shrub, c 1 mtr above ground then skimming at low level up and down ride for c. 5 minutes

1/7/06

?

Whitecross Green Wood

 

1

 

 

 

1/7/06

Graham Taylor

Wytham Woods (Singing Way) (permit required)

SP467075

1 m

Observed for at least 10 mins around 11:00, and for around 1 min at 14:30.

Hot with unbroken sunshine.

Male alighting repeatedly on track, possibly for salts, and skimming fast up and down ride in sunny clearing. Opening wings occasionally on the ground. Perched once on the lower boughs of a beech with wings open. Woodland in the immediate vicinity is mainly beech with ash, sycamore, oak and wych elm mixed in.

1/7/06

Christopher Prideaux

Doddershall Wood, private

Main north-south ride;

2

 

 

Down at  muddy puddle

1/7/06

Graham Taylor

Wytham Woods

SP466088

SP467075

2

Fleeting glimpse at 13:45.

Hot with unbroken sunshine, but flying in shade.

Flying fast and direct through shady woodland at about head height. Woodland in the immediate vicinity is mainly sycamore with some mature ash and oak mixed in.

2/7/06

?

Whitecross Green Wood

 

1

 

 

 

2/7/06

Giles Alder

Warburg reserve

SU72028782

1

12.30

30 degrees

Flying fast around wildlife garden and around roof top

2/7/06

Dave Wilton

Rushbeds Wood

SP666158; ash canopy gap at edge of wood

1 m

1.75 hrs; seen for 20 minutes from 15.55

33 degrees

Patrolling gap and perching

3/7/06

Dave Wilton

Finemere Wood

SP721216

1 m

15.00 to 17.30

 

After walking through the gate at the entrance to the wood this was the first butterfly I saw.  It was orbiting the ride cross-roads by the sign board and then landed on the sallow on the SW corner of the junction, at about 10ft up, and proceeded to sun itself for about five minutes. .  When it took off it headed north up the main ride and I lost it from sight.

3/7/06

A Parker

Black Park

TQ010840

1

 

 

 

3/7/06

Dennis Dell

Greatsea Wood, private

 highest point in wood

2

 

 

Two flying together leisurely over tops of Oaks

3/7/06

Andy Reynolds

Yorks Wood

SP61205

1m

11.00

 

Flying down, up and down the ride before I lost him. Landed on the ride two or three times, settling for no more than a minute or so.

3/7/06

H & T Hall

Rushbeds Wood

SP666158

1m

11.00 am

 

At around 11.00am we came upon a butterfly sunning itself on the ground. On studying the photo when we arrived home, it was a male Purple Emperor.

3/7/06

Dennis Dell

Finemere Wood

SP719218

1

11 to 12

 

Flying across intermediate territory [widely spaced mature Oaks]

3/7/06

Dick Lister

Amersham Field Centre, Mop End

SU929969

Around the centre building particularly the dustbins and adjacent area

1,

Sex uncertain

About 9.45 am.

Observed for about 7 or 8 minutes

Very hot and sunny

Noticed from window and went out to investigate. It rather lazily flew around, settled on a plank by the dustbins and then on a plastic bag containing dog poo. It then settled on a nearby wooden gate.  Observed for several minutes and time to get an insect book from the centre and make a very skimpy sketch of the underside of the wing.  It then flew away – not seen during the rest of the day.

3/7/06

D Ferguson

Finemere Wood

main ride (SP720217)

1m

 

Sunny

Flew NW low across ride

 

 

 

Circle (SP718219)

1m

 

 

Flew low S across W side of circle

 

 

 

main track outside wood

(SP721216)

1m

 

 

Resting on track. Flew off W.

 

4/7/06

Niall Lusby

Warburg reserve

Bottom Track SU717879

1

 

31 degrees

Flying at head height along track in valley bottom

4/7/06

Dennis Dell

Finemere Wood

SP718218

3

4.15 to 6.30

30 degrees

Flying and perching fairly low on Oaks just south of turning circle; observed for 15 minutes

4/7/06

Alan Showler

Downley

SU842946; grassy bank, above road, backed by trees

1 f

3 pm

Very hot

Coming down and landing on grass in the shade, probably seeking moisture; not flying strongly: affected by the heat?

4/7/06

Mick Campbell

Hell Coppice and Oakley Wood

Oak trees lining field edge at SP612106.

SP611117; tree tops near the gate in the Oakley Car Park

2m, 1f

5 to 6 pm

Hot & sunny

200 yards north of Hell coppice old car park along the track to the location where big Oak trees line the edge of a field. One large female Iris seen there. It landed briefly quite low down in an oak tree, about 30' up 

Oakley car park:  2 male Iris in the usual oak trees near the gate. A brief period of combat, then they glided about 25' above the edge of the track & then across it & disappeared.

4/7/06

D Ferguson

Wendover Woods

wide dry ride bounded by mature beech

(SP883076)

1m

11.40 for 10 mins. In the wood for 2.5 hrs

Sunny

Flew low SW along track landing 3 times, resting for c1-3 mins each time. Disappeared E into garden of Picket Piece.

5/7/06

O.T.Lewis

Wytham Woods

(permit required)

Singing Way/ The Plantation. Wide gravel ride SP466074

1 m

10.30 for 15 minutes

Sunny intervals, calm ~20C

Settling on moist gravel ride and probing with proboscis

6/7/06

Dennis Dell

Finemere Woods

At turning circle [SP718219] and at northern edge [SP715222]

3

3.45 to 5.45

24 degrees, cloud and sun no wind