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Collection 1
Iris at Theberton, Suffolk. Introduced in the 90's to this location. Photograph Jonathan Piers Tyler
Neil Hulme, Derek Longhurst and Matthew Oates succumbing to "Emperor's Neck"! Arundel 17/5/08
Derek's picture of a Chequered Skipper. (I know, but it's his new macro lens, and it wasn't the flight season for iris. He likes the picture, OK?)
On the 6th July 2007 at c.14:00 hrs,
Matthew (Oates) and I watched a female iris indulge in a frenetic bout of egg laying, close to the Dogbarking Master Trees in Southwater Woods, West Sussex. The first photograph shows the egg, soon after Matthew located it; the second, taken a few days later, illustrates the development of the plum-coloured banding. I had watched similar activity on the 5th July 2006, almost to the minute. However, on that occasion I had failed to locate eggs, despite having persuaded a female accomplice to partially disrobe, in order to mark the visited sallows.
Neil Hulme
‘Almost the ultimate experience…
Apatura iris ab. Lugenda (or semi-iole). Hampshire. 1980. Matthew Oates. Matthew has encountered 8 Purple Emperor aberrations in England, to date.’
‘Purple Emperor is not the only creature with master trees.
This is Henry the Nightjar’s favourite perching tree in Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire, but then, the nightjar is an utterly insane species…. ‘MO
Collection 2
View from the Emperor's lofty seat.
Taken from 20m up in a cherry picker. The venue is Goose Green Old Car Park, Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire. Picture credit Matthew Oates (MO)
Filming Apatura iris in cop
– without a good zoom lens; so, with due reverence to Health & Safety and a risk assessment the size of Peterborough, Britain’s wobbliest scaffolding tower was constructed, and the 6’9” x 17 stone Oliver Bancroft set up upon it. The pairing lasted 3hrs 45 mins, the tower slightly less. (MO)
Fishy Business
On 10th July 2007 a 20lb salmon was hauled 40’ up into the crown of a mighty oak in the name of Art, and as a bait for iris. It was still in situ in early October. This was Oliver Bancroft’s own personal Purple fantasy… . ‘Ridiculous, the waste sad time, stretching before and after.’ (TS Eliot)
(MO)
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Collection 3
Iris and Andy Wyldes in Mutual Admiration
Fermyn Wood, July 8th 2007 (Doug Goddard, DG)
Male iris at low level perch between sallow searching
Fermyn Wood, July 14th 2007 (DG)
Mating pair in the canopy
Fermyn Wood, Fermyn wood, July 14th 2007 (DG)
Males disputing territory in a canopy gap
Fermyn Wood, July 18th 2007 (DG)
Males disputing territory in a canopy gap
Fermyn Wood, July 18th 2007 (DG)
Collection 4
Another view of the Emperor's outlook from the cherry picker in Alice Holt Forest (MO)
The blushful Belachan
Apatura iris visiting a belachan bait. Fermyn Wood, Northants, 10th July 2007. Note Health & Safety notice. 2 minutes later a Springer spaniel gobbled up the lot, and promptly collapsed. (MO)
A Rose by any other Name?
Forget Belachan, iris is equally attracted to the word VILE written on a small piece of cardboard… Fermyn Wood, Northants, 10th July 2007. (MO)
Blessed are the feet
… male iris on Matthew Oates’s left foot, Fermyn Woods, Northants, 14th July 2007. The shoe is now preserved in a glass cabinet in The Natural History Museum. (MO)
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Collection 5
MO in Fermyn 22/7/07
Andy Wyldes (AW)
Purple Emperor in Fermyn, 8th July 2007 (AW)
Purple Emperor in Fermyn, 7th July 2007 (AW)
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Collection 6
Doug Goddard in Fermyn, 8th July 2007
Cherry Picker + Barry Briton & Colin Wiskin GGOCP 21.7.06.
Pictures (MO)
Cherry Picker at GGOCP 21.7.06.
(MO)
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