A very enjoyable butterflying trip to Northamptonshire with John Furse. At Fermyn Woods and Lady Wood we had 7+ Purple Emperors, including spectacular views of a male on the path for extended periods and a rather battered individual on my arm! Other butterflies included 15 White Admirals, 10 Purple Hairstreaks and a brief Silver-washed Fritillary, as well as a bonus group of 4 Crossbills, 2 Siskins, 5 Bullfinches and 5 Marsh Tits. Later, we enjoyed good views of at least 7 Red Kites in the countryside around Oundle and Kettering. A trip to Glapthorn Cow Pastures failed to produce the hoped for Black Hairstreak, but did produce 2 Silver-washed Fritillaries, including one of the scarce form 'valezina', a Purple Haistreak, 3 Bullfinches and a Red Kite. The superb pictures below were taken and kindly supplied by John Furse - thanks for a good day.
