Hi Neil , hope you are well . Did you see on the Sussex BC website , the report of a Wood White at Sheffield Park . This is surely many miles from known Sussex localities for this species although last time I was there around 4/5 years ago I thought the habitat was very suitable .

Hi Neil , hope you are well . We should of course note that all these Green Hairstreaks we are seeing this year came from eggs laid last year when they were supposed to have had a terrible year . I do wonder whether they were still about whilst we were hiding from the rain indoors .

I have to say that everyone is being a bit too gloom and doom . Firstly we are in what is traditionally the June lull between the spring butterflies and the summer butterflies . The erratic seasons in recent years have blurred this somewhat . Secondly bad weather certainly affects the numbers of but...

By coincidence , I have just sold a Roman Copper coin of Clodius Albinus which had a depiction on the reverse of Aescupalapus with rod entwined with snake .

Hi Susie
Hope you are going to lead another walk round Southwater Woods this year as you did so successfully last year .

Southwater Woods today more in hope than expectation of early White Admiral and/or Silver Washed Fritillary . Only managed to see circa 20 Speckled Woods 2 Red Admiral and 2 Meadow Brown . Just as I was walking out of the woods on the way back to Southwater in the far North East area of the woods a ...

Grizzled Skipper reported on Sussex BC site at Mill Hill , Shoreham Saturday morning .

Great reports and photos as always , Padfield .
Off topic but perhaps it will make you jealous , a trip up to London today showed that the Primroses are out all along the Brighton Line , daffodils were out in Hyde Park too .

Hi Joe , Welcome to the site Depending on how mobile you are , your first site visits for the spring butterflies , Grizzled and Dingy Skippers , for example , should be Castle Hill NR at Woodingdean or a bit farther away Mill Hill at Shoreham . Beacon Hill at Rottingdean is always worth a visit a bi...

Several sightings of Commas here in Sussex in the last few days but sadly I have not seen any butterflies so far this year .

The last Clouded Yellow I saw in 2009 was at Ouse Valley NR Newhaven on November 7th . I managed to see no less than 5 species in November that year with Speckled Wood , Small White , Large White and Red Admiral in addition to Clouded Yellow . Small Copper and Common Blue were seen there in the last...

We had a discussion on here a couple of years ago as to whether an apparent decline in sightings was due to fewer butterflies or fewer opportunities to go and see them in the poorer weather . At the time of the discussion it was pointed out that a particular species ( Silver Washed Frit IIRC ) that ...

In general I think isolated 2nd brood examples are not of great significance . Much more important was the 2nd brood Dingy Skipper emergence in Sussex this year on a wide and large scale . Perhaps a bit surprising but of equal significance was the complete lack of an emergence of 2nd brood Grizzled ...

Hi Lee
Yes indeed , Lee , on looking at the area on Google Map later , the meadow was the first of a series of meadows which stretched down ( or up ) to a rear entrance into Wild Park NR . Well worth exploring in more detail next year .

I saw a single 2nd brood Orange Tip at Moulescoombe Station Brighton 3/4 weeks ago . Clearly an oddity but of no great significance . It did however make me get off the train I was on and whilst waiting for the next one I found a new to me wildflower meadow adjacent to the station with a good number...

" Historical worriors " ???

Is that a mis-spelling of historical warriors or a malopropism for hysterical worriers

Hi Mark and Lee, Thanks for the Dingy Skipper news - they're cropping up widely as second-brooders. At Mill Hill numbers are now very close to the first brood showing. Mark - I think Silver-spotted Skipper is already at Castle Hill, but as yet in very low numbers. Neil Hi Neil , Although I did not ...

Castle Hill NR Woodingdean Brighton . 11 am till 1 pm today . No hoped for Silver Spotted Skippers and disappointingly no Adonis Blues but plenty to see . Meadow Brown circa 100 Chalkhill Blue circa 50 Common Blue circa 30 ( a very low number considering the vast areas of Birds Foot Trefoil , the Co...

Dingy Goes Again My most recent search for Dingy Skipper (30th July) at Mill Hill produced a tally of 22, which is by far the most I've ever encountered during the second brood. On Sunday afternoon (31st July) Hannah, Mia and I ventured up Heyshott Escarpment and found 2 freshly-emerged Dingies. Th...

Hi Andy The Clouded Yellow was patrolling the bottom slopes right by the boundary hedge . My route today was down the footpath at the Shoreham end to the lower slopes , along the bottom , up through the pixie path and along the top near the road back to the car park again at the Shoreham end . Cheer...