The Purple Emperor - Finally

Wednesday 27th June.  I parked the car in a Farmers yard and walked down the edge of an Oilseed Rape field towards the Woodland that I visit quite regularly during the Spring and Summer. I knew it was going to be a good day when I observed a Hare which came running towards me up the same path. I was able to take a few long range shots as it was nibbling at the base of the rape plants on its frequent stops as it approached me. 

Sadly it did see me and ran back the other way.

I went into the woodland and at one location I photographed a male Silver-washed Fritillary butterfly as it frequently came to the same patch of Bramble bushes. I made the decision to return there at the end of my walk and use another camera on the end of a long lens (mainly for technical interest sake).

I returned later to this spot which was a narrow walk between tall trees with bushes either side.

I took a few shots of the Silver-washed and hoped that a White Admiral butterfly may also put in an appearance. 

It did so subsequently and I took a few shots of that. 

I was quite happy that I had bagged both of these species as it was early in their Flight time.

Later a White Admiral (or so I thought initially) flew down from behind me and landed in the shade on some bramble leaves about two metres in front of me. It was in quite deep shade, but I moved to take a few shots of it.  Suddenly, I think I said something like," Oh! no it .......... isn't "(as the realisation hit me) that it was actually a male Purple Emperor. 

You have to consider that this was the first time I had seen this species up close. Sure I had seen it flying around the tops of tall trees in the same woodland once before a couple of years ago, but never this close. 

The only downside was that of all the shots I took, I couldn't quite get the iridescent purple shining fully on its wings in the sun. (But who cares)

At one stage it was disturbed by a Silver-washed, but thankfully landed again about ten metres away on the ground.

Eventually it took off and flew way up in the top of the tall trees.