On 08/08/2013 19:27, sacha wrote:
On 2013-08-07 14:39:07 +0000, echinosum said:

;989363 Wrote:
From the size and the sheen I'd guess that it was a Purple Emperor
male,
it's the right time of year and it does frequent oak trees.

The only thing that is wrong is the area of the country, as it tends not
to be found further west than Hampshire. 'UK Butterflies - Purple
Emperor - Apatura iris' (http://tinyurl.com/l72on8j)

Have a look through http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk to see what catches
your fancy.

Nothing else seems to match the description. I went out today, hoping to
see it again but that didn't happen. I'll try again tomorrow, if the
weather holds. The forecast isn't great.



I feel quite honoured to have seen two or three Jersey Tiger Moths in
the garden this week. I don't think they're rare, but usually have a
much more southern distribution.

Apart from the usual whites (not to be sneezed at these days), we have
quite a few gatekeepers in the garden, too.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay