His Imperial Majesty 18th June 2025

Today was going to be sunny and hot and after faffing around with various work related issues I deserted my desk and headed for the great outdoors. It was too nice to be sat inside but I was in a quandary as to where to go

In the end I decided on Bernwood Forest.The woods and meadows are a joy to be in at this time of year as we approach the summer solstice and there was always the off chance of an early Purple Emperor putting in an appearance, although I was not particularly concerned if I encountered one or not.That was not the prime purpose of my excursion to Bernwood. I just felt the urge to be out in the natural world and when rural Oxfordshire was looking at its best...

Rather than making for the popular and often overcrowded main car park at Bernwood I sought the small and easily overlooked car park at the other end of the woods that marks the entrance to Bernwood Meadows Nature Reserve, two traditional hay meadows that somehow  remained unimproved over the years and are now  in the care of BBOWT (Berks Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust) who have continued to manage them sympathetically and as a consequence they are a haven for wild flowers and insect life. As I hoped the tiny car park was devoid of any other cars and I was on my own, all set to wander at will in a plethora of flora and attendant insects.

Yellow and white were the predominant colours transforming the meadows into an impressionist like canvas, by means of white oxe eye daisies and yellow cats-ears, each plant a dab of bright colour spreading across the meadows in infinite number amongst the summer grasses being gently stirred by a benign summer breeze. Towards the blackthorn hedges that mark the boundaries of the two meadows the ragged purple heads of greater knapweed formed patches of alternative colour.

Not unexpectedly such a wealth of flora, untouched by any chemical, attracts huge numbers of insects of which butterflies were the most obvious.

A pleasant surprise came shortly after entering the meadows as I disturbed a large butterfly in my passing which swooped in a circle around me and returned to the knapweed head it had been nectaring on. It was a Painted Lady, somewhat frayed at the edges and looking decidedly worn but still attractively patterned in orange, black and white. They cannot survive the winter here so uniquely amongst our butterfly species they migrate south to winter in the warmth of north Africa before returning in the Spring. This, judging by its worn appearance  was the story of this individual, a returning migrant its days surely numbered but for now content to bask and feed in the sun.

Painted Lady

Male Marbled Whites were everywhere, it was impossible to ignore them fussing about, almost at ground level, their wings flickering bold black and white as they passed  through and over the grass and flowers, constantly searching for females, doubling back and fore in case they had missed a female lurking in the grass. Judging by their endless activity most were unsuccessful but one or two, with persistence would surely get lucky.

Marbled White

In direct contrast  to the boldly coloured and obvious Marbled Whites, another butterfly, the Small Heath, was the epitomy of pale brown insignificance and easily overlooked, the tiny insects hugging the similarly coloured sun parched ground as they flew from my feet.The inevitable Meadow Browns and Ringlets flounced and flopped amongst the grasses or made brief aerial excursions to examine the higher reaches of the blackthorn hedges..It was impossible not to be energised by this abundance of natural life all around me.

At the furthest end of the meadow I passed through the metal gate that grants access to the forest, still not having seen anyone and walked a familiar rutted ride, the clay dried to the hardness of iron by the sun and lack of rain.This is part of the' butterfly trail' through the wood and that eventually leads from the meadows to the main car park some way distant.

The Emperor's domain

I have encountered Purple Emperors here many times, the combination of oak and sallow that border the ride ideal for His Imperial Majesty (HIM) but not today it seemed. An occasional Silver Washed Fritillary powered past. The size of an emperor, a hyperactive ginger biscuit coloured butterfly, they hurtle along the ride forever searching, driven by genetic programming to find a female with which to mate. 

I had reached almost to the far end of the ride, when without warning there he was. A shock that caused an involuntary yelp of surprise and joy. 

A flash of regal purple. 

Could it really be? 

The butterfly had descended from an oak, uncaring, almost dismissive of my presence, to land right in front of me and commenced probing the ground with his pale yellow proboscis feeling for the desired minerals and salts. 

A male Purple Emperor, in absolutely pristine condition and probably newly hatched, possibly this very morning. 

Although it is sheer speculation on my part  I wondered if he was so recently emerged he required to charge his energy reserves as rapidly as possible by visiting the ground to imbibe minerals for the remaining short but highly active period of his life.

He wandered around probing the hard ground, the sun catching one wing and turning it regal purple but he was dissatisfied with what he found and was gone, back up into the oaks. I managed to catch one more magnificent flash of purple as he angled his wings in the sunslight before departing. A lucky shot but that is often the way it goes. Be grateful as this is a butterfly that spends most of its life high in the trees and only occasionally descends to feed on the ground, behaviour contributing in no little part to its allure and enigmatic reputation.

For twenty minutes I lingered at this spot but then he descended further down the ride and again commenced probing the ground, seeking the sustenance that eluded him but again he was not content and flew at head height back up the ride towards me, cruising in long power glides with an occasional casual flick of his wings to maintain speed, granting a tantalising flash of  purple on sunlit wings before I lost sight of him and it was obvious he was gone.again.

There was to be one more visit. A third and final time he settled on the ride, this time with wings closed and giving me just time enough to record the equally impressive, complex patterning of his underwings. 

Still not happy he was off once more, cruising up and down the ride searching in vain but then veering off to ascend up into the surrounding oak trees and this time I knew he was gone for good.

Always it is never enough with these encounters. An audience with this most charismatic and legendary of British butterflies is for me the ultimate  experience possible from our impoverished list of native butterflies and so much desired that any encounter inevitably leaves me reluctant to depart and wanting more.

Capricous, irritating, frustrating, unpredictable, eccentric are all adjectives that can be applied to this most majestic of insects but anyone who searches for His Excellency will tell you they will put up with all this and more for an encounter.When it does happen the sense of achievement and triumph is overwhelming. 

Bernwood Forest will soon be full of butterfly afficionados as it is a well known site for seeking the Emperor. The coming weekend in particular, predicted to be sunny and hot will see many people hoping for a glimpse of one. Luck plays a huge part in seeing one plus a little knowledge of their habits and behaviour but perhaps the great charm of seeking out HIM is the sheer unpredictability and random chance of seeing one with the knowledge that when you do find one it feels like something very special has touched you and brought you close to another wonder of our still beautiful world.

I can but quote the words of Matthew Oates, who is a self confessed fanatic when it comes to Purple Emperors and has devoted a lifetime to following and studying the Purple Emperor and probably knows more than anyone else about their lives.

'Welcome to the world of the Purple Emperor, the one the Victorian butterfly collector saluted as His Imperial Majesty (or HIM), the Emperor of the Woods and the Lord of the Forest, to name but three of many salubrious epithets.This is the one butterfly they most wanted to possess, to form the centrepiece of their precious collections.This is the one today's butterfly enthusiasts most want to experience and understand. .It is mysterious, elusive, ebullient, enthralling and highly amusing and it transports us into a world that is very different from the one we know - yet is a reality in which we feel wondrously at home'.

His Imperial Majesty  A Natural History of the Purple Emperor  Matthew Oates  2020

A Desert Wheatear at Keynsham 15th June 2025

I suppose it is serendipity that having just watched Bath Rugby Club narrowly defeat Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Rugby Final at Twickenham on Saturday news came through on Birdguides of a male Desert Wheatear being discovered at the unlikely location of Somerdale Playing Fields in Keynsham  which is very close to Bath.

The report came through too late for me to consider going to see the wheatear that same day and anyway the bird had subsequently been reported as going to roost in nettles by the wooden boundary fence surrounding the playing fields

I decided that if it was reported as still present the next day I would make the ninety minute drive to Keynsham in the hope of seeing it.

Desert Wheatears are a rare vagrant to Britain although an average of four or five turn up most years and records are thought to be increasing. Up to the end of 2023 one hundred and seventy four have been recorded in Britain.They breed in the desert and arid regions of North Africa from Morocco to the Middle East with further populations extending east as far as Mongolia and northern China. Some North African birds are resident but the majority spend the winter further south in the Sahara and Sahel regions, extending from Mauretania eastwards to Ethiopia and Somalia.

I have seen six Desert Wheatears of both sexes and all ages in Britain, the last almost ten years ago but all have been in autumn or exceptionally, one that was overwintering on a beach in northeast Scotland, so this bird's arrival in mid June, the latest ever Spring record in Britain was truly notable.There has in fact been only one other June record and that was way back on the 2nd of June 1906 when another male was found dead below the Pentland Skerries Lighthouse on Orkney

Maybe it was the hot and humid night that banished sleep from me at 4am or perhaps it was the familiar Blackbird's languid contralto song from my neighbour's cherry tree that came to me through the open bedroom window but whatever it was I set about the process of  joining body and soul into a cohesive whole.

As I lay on my bed wondering about the wheatear and thinking news about it would not be forthcoming for some time, half an hour later I was startled by a ping on my phone alerting me to a message from one of the birding WhatsApp Groups I am a member of, relaying news that at 4.34am this very morning a fellow early riser had found the wheatear was still present on its favourite fence by the playing fields..

There was definitely no chance now of further horizontal contemplation and in fifteeen minutes I was out of the door and driving westward into what promised to be a pleasant and warm day. At such an early hour the rural roads I took were deserted apart from the usual suicidal Wood Pigeons at the roadsides.Why do they wait so long before flying from oncoming cars, causing anxious moments as I become convinced I will collide with one.

My otherwise uneventful journey ended in what looked to be a landscaped development of recently built houses packed into a warren of small closes and cramped cul de sacs that offered very little scope to park. A large car park lay adjacent to the playing fields but I managed to find a parking place in one of the surrounding roads and saved myself a parking fee.

At 6.30am on a Sunday the place was predictably silent as doubtless all the residents were still enjoying a lie in. I soon found the footpath that sloped down from the housing to the extensive area of playing fields on one side of the path and grassland on the other and I could see several birders already standing by the fence line.

Joining them, the wheatear was pointed out to me perched on the metal frame of one of the goals at the edge of the playing fields.This was my first view of the bird but it soon moved to the wooden railing/fencc that ran behind the goals and secured the playing fields from the outside world.

The wheatear would utilise the frames of the goals or the wooden railings as elevated perches from which to sally forth  to seize prey from the grass of the playing field, often flying quite some distance to seize whatever it had seen.It rarely remained on the grass for more than a few seconds before seeking the comparative safety of the goal frames or wooden railing.

It showed a marked preference for one particular corner of the playing field conveniently near the path and I stationed myself there although it could move quite a long way along the fenceline but I knew to be patient as it always gravitated back to this particular corner.

Other birders followed it to wherever it moved but I have long adopted the principle that it is best to wait for the bird to come to you rather than the other way around and this is what I did with a more than acceptable outcome.

During my time with the wheatear there were never more than twenty or so people present and as usual it was nice to meet up with some familiar faces and pass some time with them

This individual was a first summer male told by its worn wing and tail feathers, more brown than black and which in an older bird would be fresher and blacker .Otherwise it was a pleasing combination of sandy buff upperparts, paler underparts and a black face, chin and wings.When it flew it exposed a conspicuously large area of white on its rump and an all black/brown tail.

For two hours I watched as the bird alternated between feeding and preening.Judging by its hyperactive feeding behaviour and frequent bouts of feather maintenance I sensed it was keen to depart and would probably leave in the following night.

Update

It was not seen the next day 

Gannets at Bempton Cliffs 11th June 2025

Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire is the site of the only mainland Gannet colony in England and is rightly renowned as one of the RSPB's premier reserves, being immensely popular with birders, photographers and the general public alike as it offers, from March to September, the spectacle of a wealth of breeding seabirds in a beautiful, one could say awesome setting of huge cliffs which reach 330 feet above the North Sea at their highest and stretch for six miles although the reserve itself is much smaller in extent.

Approximately half a million seabirds come to the cliffs to breed, the largest in size being the Northern Gannets of which there were almost 12,500 pairs in 2015 but maybe less now due to the avian flu epidemic of two years ago. Given the right conditions with onshore winds the Gannets can come very close to the RSPB's specially constructed clifftop viewpoints which allow unforgettable views. One can stand for hours just watching the continuous activity of the Gannets circling around and coming close in to inspect the cliffs and it can seem that they are also inspecting the many human visitors standing on the viewpoints gawping at their majestic presence just metres away.

Gannets are impressive birds, bulky with an almost six foot wing span and infinitely graceful as they fly with supreme mastery on the wind. although they struggle to retain that quality when on land. Today many were coming to the cliff to tear at the thick clifftop  grass which they carry away to construct their nests on ledges on the cliff face.

The physical activity is not the only thing that is constant as the birds keep up a continuous pulsing growling sound that is almost soothing and which probably relates to its rhythmic quality.

The always popular viewpoints can get very crowded even in mid week and at times it is impossible to get a position in which to be able to photo the seabirds especially the Gannets but with patience a space will eventually become available on the railing and you dive in to secure it.

Staple Newk Viewpoint probably the best of the several viewpoints from which to observe the Gannets

Below are some images of the Gannets that I managed to take from Staple Newk Viewpoint last Wednesday.

Some of the Gannets checking out the clifftop and their fellow Gannets stood
in the grass below and maybe also checking out us, stood on the viewpoint
watching and admiring them

An unusual pairing of what appeared to be an adult male bird (right) with an immature female. I kept an eye on them for the hour I spent on the viewpoint and they never separated and looked to have formed a pair bond although they would not breed for at least another three years.Perhaps they were just rehearsing for the real thing in the years to come?

Two Gannets demonstrating their innate flying skills in the wind

This was the sight that greeted you when you stood on the viewpoint. Gannets were coming to collect nest material from the clifftop almost next to us.Many other Gannets flew past inspecting the birds settled in the  grass some of which, although appearing to be adults were only four years old or less and unlikely to breed this year

It is unusual for Gannets to return to their colony until they are at least four years old but every year there are exceptions and a very small proportion of young birds will appear.This bird is in its second calendar year and less than a year old, moulting from its brown juvenile plumage into the all white plumage of an adult which takes five years to achieve

An adult Gannet collecting nest material from the cliff just left of the viewpoint.They
forcefully tear at the vegetation with their formidable bills until they feel they have
enough material and then launch themselves from the cliff and fly off to their nest site

Lizard Orchids in Oxfordshire 6th June 2025

One of the most impressive and largest of our native orchids is the Lizard Orchid which can grow up to a metre in height.They are only found in southeast England and in my home county of Oxfordshire, which must be approaching its northerly limit, I know of only two locations where it grows, one of which I visited today.

It is for me an annual and much anticipated  pilgrimage to a scruffy and unremarkable verge, literally feet from a well used road, where two plants have faithfully appeared each year to the delight of us orchidophiles. They are now protected by two stout wooden posts, one either side of them to prevent any inadvertant mowing by the council. Their chosen location is typical of this sun loving orchid which grows widely on roadsides in Europe as well as on chalk grassland, sand dunes, old quarries and in England seems also to have a predilection for golf courses

There are two plants growing close together and on my visit today they were leaning in the  stiff breeze and almost in full flower. I always worry about their apparent vulnerability but hiding in plain sight seems to be their salvation and they go un-noticed, the road having virtually no foot traffic apart from visits from orchid enthusiasts..

The name comes from the fact the individual flowers, of which there can be up to eighty in each untidy looking spike, can with a bit of imagination resemble a lizard. As the flower bud opens, the lip uncurls like a watch spring and twists as it does so.

The petals and upper sepals form a grey green hood, the supposed head of the lizard, while the two outer lobes of the purplish brown lip look like hind legs and the much longer central lobe a twisted tail.

An individual flower showing the head, legs and  twisted
central lobe resembling the tail of a lizard

The flower itself is pale and greenish with pink spots and stripes, the obvious long, ribbon like tail tinged green and purple.The flowers smell strongly of goats and the foul scent attracts many insects but due to the structure of the flower only bees of a moderate size can act as pollinators. 

Always rare and scarce in Britain, they were considered extinct in 1900 but were rediscovered in 1920 in Kent, subsequently expanding their range as far north as Yorkshire but retreating again after 1930. Another range expansion commenced in 1990, reaching west to Somerset and Gloucestershire, east to Cambridgeshire and Suffolk and north to Linconshire. Now the main populations of this orchid in Britain are found on golf courses and amongst sand dunes at Sandwich Bay, both in Kent and where they can be found in their hundreds if not thousands.There is also another large colony on Newmarket Racecourse in Cambridgeshire.

I duly took my photos and enjoyed some time with these spectacular orchids, crouching beside them, entirely alone apart from fast moving cars which due to the close proximity of the orchids to the roadside had to be carefully watched for. 

Despite their height they can be surprisingly
inconspicuous amongst tall grasses and other
vegetation

Standing up I looked across the road and to my immense pleasure there was another Lizard Orchid, almost overwhelmed amongst the thankfully unmown vergeside flora, and again growing right at the edge of the road.This specimen  was less advanced and not as tall as the two on the opposite side of the road and its flowers were only now beginning to open from the base upwards.

It is always a thrill to make such an unexpected and welcome discovery and much enthused I walked quite a distance along both sides of the road looking to see if I could find any more orchids.

I didn't, so the orchid's reputation for being rare and scarce remained intact, especially here in Oxfordshire

Sanderlings in Spring at Farmoor

Sanderlings are my favourite wader species especially when they appear in their full summer plumage of spangled black and chestnut upperparts and orange faces. They are also often very confiding, running on black twinkling legs along the water's edge of the reservoir or stopping to look at you quizzically and dare I say it can only be described as endearing.

The opportunity to see them in breeding plumage at my local Farmoor reservoir is limited to just a few weeks at the end of May and beginning of June .This year has been a good one for Sanderling passage with a steady stream of birds passing through and spending a day by  the causeway before heading north.

Here below are some images of Sanderlings, all taken at Farmoor Reservoir. Note the variety of plumage with some heavily coloured and strongly marked whilst others are at the other extreme, more white and grey than chestnut with minimal strong markings. Others come in all colour grades between and not one bird is the same as another.

A pale Sanderling with little chestnut colouring or strong patterning and possibly less than a year old

An exceptionally strongly coloured and patterned Sanderling that is probably at least two years old

A group of Sanderlings and one Dunlin showing the variations in the Sanderlings plumage 

By photographing birds on an almost daily basis and comparing the plumage of each individual it is apparent that birds are passing through daily and rarely remain for longer than a day.

Sanderlings breed right across the Arctic from Canada to Siberia but European birds mainly breed in Greenland and Siberia and winter on the coasts of southern Europe and Africa, sometimes as far as South Africa.

Confirmation of Greenland being the ultimate destination for some came a few years ago in May 2021 when a Sanderling with coloured rings on its legs spent a day beside the causeway.

The colours and combination of the rings enabled it to be identified as having been ringed as a chick in Greenland in July 2020. The fact it arrived at Farmoor would make sense as it would be crossing middle England and heading northwest perhaps towards Iceland where it might stop before flying to northeast Greenland, its place of birth. It would be equally fascinating to know where it had come from - the southern or eastern coast of England or maybe much further south?

Sanderlings live on average for seven years although there is a record of one almost eighteen years old. For a bird that undertakes a round trip migration of from 6000- 20,000 miles annually this is remarkable considering all the dangers and hazards it faces.

I  have always wondered why there is such individual variation in the plumage of the Sanderlings that stop off at the reservoir on their northward migration. One suggestion is that birds commencing their moult to summer plumage as they leave their winter homes arrest that moult while they migrate before completing the transition to full breeding plumage.on their breeding areas

Another theory is that as they do not breed until two years old, the paler birds that arrive at the reservoir each Spring are only in their second calendar year i.e. less than a year old and therefore unlikely to breed and consequently less likely to adopt full breeding colours until the year after. This would agree with my suspicion that the more colourful the plumage is, the older the individual. .

I should say I am happy to be corrected on the above if anyone has an alternative suggestion.