A visit to the astonishing Knepp Estate “Wildlands” in Sussex with Fuzz, in search of the Purple Emperor, and other wildlife.
We rode to Knepp along the A272, stopping at Midhurst on the way up, and Petersfield on the return journey.
The weather wasn’t great by any stretch, but we sighted the very first Purple Emperor specimen reported from Knepp this season, so were very happy with that. Other sightings included Purple Hairstreak, probable White Letter Hairstreak, White Admiral, Dark Green Fritillary, Comma, Red Admiral and of course, the White Storks.
We also met some very interesting people such as the Knepp volunteers, and other naturalists paying a visit, plus author and Purple Emperor obsessive Matthew Oates, and also Neil Hulme.