My apologies for not posting this earlier but at the time I was requested not to report it as the sighting was in one of the main breeding areas for Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and the sighting was at a time when many pupae would have been in the area that could have been damaged with additional foo...

An early morning hunt on Friday morning for roosting Dark Green Fritillaries came up trumps with a stunning aberrant form which I am reliably informed by the Sussex recorder is an ab. cadmeis Lemp. The under-side was normal, although covered in dew, but when he opened his wings he was superb. After ...

A great morning at High and Over today with my first butterflies of the year when I had 2 Peacock flying around, both were different to the one I had on December 31st Better still though, was my largest ever count of Wall Brown larvae with 50 found quite quickly, beating my previous highest count fr...

The final day of 2020 and the ground was crisp and white with a heavy frost. However, the sun was beaming down and with the wind being from the North I perhaps stupidly thought I might see a butterfly on my local patch that would be sheltered from the wind. A Wall Brown larva was found first, the pr...

In answer to Crispin, last week I had my largest December count of Wall Brown larvae. 10 in about 15-20 minutes. The 3rd brood was particularly large in the area and due to the mild weather we have in the South these days there seems to be no problem with the larvae growing enough to survive the Win...

The one with less clear markings is due to it being a female. In fact it looks rather fresh.

A quick check of the Ivy today and I found a near fully grown Holly Blue larva complete with an Ant in attendance. One of the photos I managed in the shaded area also shows an old ova, whether it is the ova from this particular larva is not known but I would guess probably not. Feeding damage is als...

In Deep Dene today checking out the Grayling I came across a Small Copper ab. schmidtii. Not easy getting photos as it was continuously being disturbed by the countless Mecyna flavalis and Chalkhill Blues.

Two Large Tortoiseshell found yesterday in East Sussex. One was found early morning near Beachy Head by a local birder and then I found what seems to be a female on the South Downs near Seaford in the afternoon. This one was seen nectaring on Bramble and hung around for 2-3 hours. It was less than a...

Hopefully many of you saw my report of the Wall Brown pupating in the garden back in early April. The larvae completed the pupation on April 7th and by carefully watching it over the following month I can now report that the butterfly emerged on May 8th, so a pupation period of 31 days, 2 more days ...

2 years ago Pete asked me if I had any photos of a Wall larvae in the stage where it prepares to pupate. Of course I hadn't, but it gave me the excuse to try rearing a single one at home as I thought that would be the only way I could help Pete out. Strangely, that year I did actually find 2 in my n...

I've just had a Large Tortoiseshell just around the corner from my house in Seaford. Quite a good exercise walk today!!

I have found fewer Wall Brown larvae than usual this year and this is probably due to the bad weather coming in the Autumn destroying many of the 3rd brood pupae before they could hatch. Of the 18 I have found most are approaching the time to pupate and today I struggled to find just 2. This one was...

It really felt like Spring yesterday here in Seaford. With thoughts of the odd butterfly being on the wing I ventured to High and Over to carry on hunting for Wall larvae, unfortunately there were no butterflies flying around, but I did get my highest count of larvae so far this year with 11 Wall la...

I found this guy that had presumably just emerged in the middle of a path. Amazingly 2 walkers with a dog and a jogger had just walked and run past the spot before I got there so it was lucky it hadn't been flattened by them. It gradually climbed up the grass and spread its wings and I luckily manag...

As Pete has put in the link to my shot that is being used in his book I thought I would re-tell the story. I came across this individual while I was looking for Wall Brown larva and I was at the bottom of a very steep slope. As the Small Heath landed near me it left its wings open for just a second ...

At last I had my first Clouded Yellow of the year yesterday whilst on a 'birding' walk with Matt in Cuckmere Haven. What was a little more interesting though was the Small Copper ab. radiata on the Fleabane. We also saw a White Stork that probably came from the Knepp Estate, a bird that almost certa...

Many thanks for the great comments concerning the Gynandromorph Chalkhill Blue. I did manage one other shot of the butterfly that I will attach here. It basically shows why the insect opened its wings as it rejects the advances of a male fluttering over it. I got the one shot that just shows only th...

A very hot day spent looking for Grayling at Deep Dene today. Unfortunately it was so hot the Grayling were sheltering out of sight. Just 3 seen. 2 males that gave me the trouser and shoe visits and a female that quickly landed in the shadow of a small Wayfarer bush. However, all was not lost as I c...