Finishing On The Brown
Yesterday (30 August) I visited the Steyning Downland Scheme (SDS) area, primarily to make a final decision on planting locations for Cowslip and Primrose plugs, in readiness for colonisation by the Duke of Burgundy (now only a few kilometres away!). There will be a fab and fun event to get these in the ground on Sunday September 18, so any locals who would like to help out can visit the SDS website to find out more (see
http://steyningdownland.org/event/dukes-planting-day/).
Of course it would have been rude to visit this fantastic site without having a last look for the Brown Hairstreak. I managed my best count of low-level females this season, with a total of 4 seen in quick succession, all close to the lower gate on the northern flank of the Rifle Range. It was a case of quality over quantity, with one individual being in perfect condition. I suspect she hadn't even reached one of the master trees yet, and will probably still be laying eggs in late September.
The females I see are all given 'condition scores', and this batch rated 10, 8.5, 8 and 6. Apart from being a bit of fun, this has generated some interesting data this year. The usual glut of low-scoring individuals has been notably absent. I'm interpreting this to reflect the problems caused by recent over-browsing of the
Prunus, with the majority of females dispersing quite rapidly in the hunt for more suitably conditioned plants.
Later in the day, when passing through Findon Valley, I decided on a quick yomp to the top of Cissbury Ring, to catch the beautiful sunset. The reward, apart from the view, was a newly-hatched female Adonis Blue. These will be some of the last butterflies I see this year, so it was great to find a couple of corkers to close the innings.
I'm sure the blood, sweat and tears being poured over the atlas will be worth it.
