Hi Lee , Yes it was a spendid day at Southwater , many thanks for your great company . I would agree that the Small T we saw was the same as the one pictured by Vince . There was also of course the deformed SWF and the diminutive Meadow Brown aberration to note . On my walk from Southwater town to t...

Yes the Marbled Fritillary has been seen now at Finemere for the last 3 years at least . Whether this is the result of 1 original introduction or repeated releases would be very interesting .

Not this year Crispin , around 10-15 years ago . It was present for a few days and even got a mention ib the Evening argus at the time .

Camberwell Beauties to get over to Sussex from France occassionally . I saw one in Newhaven 2 years ago and some years ago , now , there was one in Woodingdean present for several days .

A complete circuit walked around the outer ditch of Cissbury Ring yesterday afternoon produced 14 species , 1 each of Brimstone , Large White , Speckled Wood , Painted Lady and Green Hairstreak 2 Brown Argus 3 each Small White and Adonis Blue 4 Grizzled Skipper 6 Wall Brown 8 Small Copper 12-14 Smal...

Reports on the Sussex BBCS website point to there having been an influx of Red Admirals in the past couple of days .

Hi Neil I was at Mill Hill on Thursday so I must have seen you but not realised it was you and your relatives . I visited Ouse Estuary NR on Saturday , Peacock , Small T , Comma , Large W , Green V White and possibly Small W seen . When if at all would you expect any Clouded Yellows to emerge ? Chee...

Ouse Estuary NR lunch time today , lovely sunny and quite warm - still able to see 5 species in my half hour visit .

1 each Red Admiral , Speckled Wood and Painted Lady , 2 Small Whites and 7 Clouded Yellows including 1 helice female .

Sussex Kipper reports on the Sussex branch site of Butterfly Conservation of the emergence of a brood of the Queen of Spain Fritillary near Chichester . I am sure he will give a more detailed report on here in due course . A stupendous end to a wonderful butterfly year here in Sussex .

Third brood Wall Browns are emerging at Ouse Estuary NR Newhaven , 1 seen Thursday and 2 on Friday . A new hatching of Clouded Yellows also with 5/6 seen on Thursday ( sunny ) but just 2 on Friday ( cloudy ) .

The colony of Clouded Yellows at Ouse Estuary Nature reserve is on a plateau artificially built up from building waste . 2 years ago it was completely devoid of vegetation - as can be seen by looking at the Google Map of the site taken a couple of years ago . Now there is no grass but many wild plan...

As has been posted on here by myself and Sussex Kipper , a breeding colony of Clouded Yellows has established itself at the Ouse Estuary Nature Reserve here in Sussex this year . Sussex Kipper has witnessed both a newly emerged female and newly laid eggs . It would appear that an immigrant laid eggs...

We have had very little rain here on the Sussex coast . Today has been typical of our weather , a bit of rain overnight , bit windy , sunny and cloudy spells in about equal proportions . Butterflies all flying

Single examples of Ringlet and Essex Skipper have been recorded on site by other lepidopterists . There has been a hatch of Small Tortoiseshells this week , 5 fresh specimens seen by me this lunchtime . The Clouded Yellows still going strong on the central plateau section though one example seems to...

This site has been receiving more attention from other butterfly enthusiasts - see the Sussex Branch site of Butterfly Conservation . The Clouded Yellow colony has now been filmed and proof has been obtained both of a female emerging on site and other females egg laying . Wall Browns are rapidly inc...

Was at Beacon Hill Rottingdean nr Brighton last Friday afternoon , Cloudy , had been raining , cool . I would estimate around 2,000 Painted Ladies on the Hill mostly in pristine condition . Meadow Browns , Gatekeepers and 1 Common Blue were also seen though unlike the Painteds reluctant to fly .

I can now add Gatekkeeper , Green Veined White , Brown Argus and Clouded Yellow to species seen here . Second brood Wall Browns are now flying and a 2nd brood Holly Blue has been seen . The central barren area seems to particularly attractive to Clouded Yellows which I am sure are locally bred . My ...

Between 8 and 11 Clouded Yellows today at Ouse Estuary Nature Reserve . I am sure these are all UK born .

Hi Steve , another welcome from another West Sussexer .

Felix makes some interesting comments on the heat absorption and hence preference of shade of the valesina form . Could it be that in a bad summer such as last year , this would put them at an advantage over the normal variety and hence more likely for males to find them for mating . The following y...