Neil Hulme

[David M]

Wonderful image of the mating PBF pair, Neil. Usually, I can separate male from female in these images, but on this occasion I'm not at all sure.

[Goldie M]

Those are cracking shots Neil, I hope every thing goes well with the Pearls in the future. Goldie

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, all.
David: There are a couple of clues in that image. The lower butterfly is older (it's lost its fringe hairs), and as the females are grabbed almost immediately after emerging, this suggests that the male is below. Also, if you look at the eyes, the lower butterfly has the larger set - a clear indication of sex. Mate location in PBF is largely visual.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Foxy Moths

Despite seeing 33 Duke of Burgundy, more than 20 Grizzled Skipper and at least a dozen Brown Argus today (14 May), the show-stopper was this stunning pair of Fox Moths, discovered during a late afternoon visit to the northern part of Rewell Wood. About half-a-dozen males were also belting around the ride system in their search for females. I also saw 5 Drab Looper flying over stands of Wood Spurge.

[David M]

David: There are a couple of clues in that image. The lower butterfly is older (it's lost its fringe hairs), and as the females are grabbed almost immediately after emerging, this suggests that the male is below. Also, if you look at the eyes, the lower butterfly has the larger set - a clear indication of sex. Mate location in PBF is largely visual.

Fascinating, Neil. Yes, I see what you mean regarding the fringe hairs but I had no idea about the eye size being a factor.

Nice image of the Fox moths too. Not sure if I've ever seen those before.

[Neil Hulme]

Dukes And Old Hags

On Tuesday (16 May) I met Mark Avery for a walk over the slopes of Heyshott Escarpment, to talk about the conservation of Duke of Burgundy in Sussex and publication of The Butterflies of Sussex. Despite the marginal weather conditions we saw about a dozen Dukes and a supporting cast of Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper, Small Heath, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brimstone, Large White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Red Admiral, Peacock and Speckled Wood. We also looked at some of the site's more impressive orchids, including Fly, Greater Butterfly and White Helleborine.

In the afternoon I headed over to the Downs around Storrington, to look at a few Duke of Burgundy colonies. The cold snap early this spring has undoubtedly strung-out the emergence of many species, including the Duke, which is still probably a week to ten days from peak on some sites. I suspect it will still be flying in late June this year. I saw a few freshly emerged Mother Shipton moths on my travels - always a pleasure to see 'the old hag'.

[Neil Hulme]

Mill Hill Blues

As reported on the BC Sussex website by others, Adonis Blue numbers are impressive at Mill Hill this spring. During a fleeting visit this morning, the lower slopes were peppered with these jewels and I rapidly located six mating pairs within a 50 metre stretch.

It was good to catch up with Mark Bunch from Essex (thanks for your kind comments about the atlas) and to show North Yorkshire 'Dukes man' Robert Parks his first Adonis for many years. The spectacle of numerous male Adonis and Common Blues in good condition won't last long, so the site is well worth a visit in the next week. At one point I had three Painted Ladies in sight, so it does appear that we might be seeing the start of an influx.

[Neil Hulme]

Mark Avery's Blog

A very generous piece on the Dukes of Heyshott on Mark Avery's blog here http://markavery.info/2017/05/18/dukes/

[Neil Hulme]

Wet Springhead

Despite challenging conditions at Springhead Hill today (18 May), with the weather initially showing promise before collapsing into torrential rain, Robert Parks (on loan from N. Yorks.) and I managed to winkle out 7 Dukes, including a rather tatty ab. albomaculata, and a few Small Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus and Green Hairstreak. Amongst the mainly faded Dingy Skippers was an immaculate, recently hatched male. Now that we've had the much needed rain, please can we have the sun back.

[Wurzel]

That really is a neat Dingy Neil, I don't think I've ever seen one with such a clear demarkation between the brown background and the 'carpet' markings, a really lovely individual

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

Great to see you yesterday, Neil. I wasn't sure whether to risk a visit from Essex, with the weather only just suitable, but Mill Hill turned out to be a yellow and blue paradise!

[David M]

Thanks for the link, Neil. That looks a likely butterfly haunt if ever I saw one! Love the Dingy too. Now and again you come across one that has clear, bright silver set against a dusky brown background. These are so much prettier than the rapidly fading specimens that usually make up most of the numbers.

[Neil Hulme]

Busman's Holiday

Having recently become reacquainted with the Pearl-bordered Fritillaries of the New Forest, through my work for Butterfly Conservation, I returned (19 May) to look in more detail at some of the great work being conducted here by BC and the Forestry Commission. This busman's holiday was very much a 'trip down memory lane', as the previous visit had rekindled happy memories in search of New Forest butterflies with my father, 45 years ago.

I then moved on to Bentley Wood Eastern Clearing in the hope, rather than expectation, of seeing Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. It was encouraging to find both a male and female, and from their interactive behaviour it was clear that these two had already got to know each other rather well.

[bugboy]

Excellant to see the SPBF are still there after last year's worries. I wonder if these are the offspring of last year's pairing we saw

[trevor]

Let's hope SPBF numbers pick up , both naturally and with a helping hand.
I've not seen one since 2012. Enviable shots too.

Best wishes,
Trevor.

[PhilBJohnson]

Thanks, all, for your comments.
I do have to be a little cautious about discussing issues such as the specifics of site management in areas outside my remit, or expressing views on complex and debatable themes such as genetic mixing, as I need to ensure that my personal views, and those of Butterfly Conservation, cannot be confused. Always happy to discuss on a one-to-one basis, but while I'm an employee I need to use social media carefully.
BWs, Neil

Hi Neil,
Being a lower profile member of Butterfly Conservation, I don't have a big problem in expressing my views publicly.
I went for a guided walk around Chambers Farm Wood in Lincolnshire recently led by a team member of the Forestry Commission who seemed concerned about a recent appearance of the Purple Emperor there.
In the past I think commercial forestry has had a tendency to overlook or not fully understand the importance of the Spring Flowering ground flora, some of which our vulnerable UK species depend on.
One of concerns in Chambers Farm Wood is the use of Lawson Cypress. It is the Commercially grown hybrids I particularly have a problem with as they offer such little habitat value other than the evergreen,light blocking dense foliage properties that might help a few species in preference to others. I don't a agree with everything which was said about that tree on Wikipedia (including it reaching a height of 60 meters or metres ).
Using Course Fishing as an example, generations of Cyprus carpio (Common Carp) have been selected so that the fastest growing heaviest individuals are bred to pass on that trait to a future generation.
I see no reason why butterflies cannot be scientifically bred so that the strongest flying individuals pass on that characteristic to a future generation within a species group where that has been a big problem in relatively recent history.

Kind Regards,

Philip

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Philip,
Thanks for your thoughts. I can't really comment on Chambers Farm Wood, as I don't know the site.
The genetics issue would require a full-blown essay to even scratch the surface!
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Late May Catch-Up

Things have been so frenetic recently, as my BC (Heritage Lottery Fund-supported) Fritillaries for the Future project reaches its most important few weeks, that I haven't had time to post much. There's some very exciting news to come, when the dust settles.

An overcast and wet day has allowed me a little time to look back over the late May period. Pearl-bordered Fritillary has had a much better year in Sussex, particularly at Abbot's Wood. Although peak counts never exceeded 60, due to the protracted emergence resulting from the cold spell we experienced, the species is still flying in good numbers nearly six weeks after the first emergence. Amongst them was a heavily marked ab. transversa.

On 23 May I led a group from the Arun to Adur Farmer's Group on a tour of the Downs near Storrington, to discuss management for the Duke of Burgundy. This species has had a much more modest season after last year's fireworks, but still did quite well on most sites. The big disappointment was Heyshott Escarpment, where numbers crashed. The culprits were the large numbers of crows which ripped the moss beds to shreds over the winter, clearly focussing on searching-out overwintering pupae. Other species were also affected badly here. While the butterflies were having a hard time, the fabulous Heyshott orchids provided some compensation, including a beautiful Fly Orchid var. ochroleuca.

On 25 May we held the book launch for 'The Butterflies of Sussex' at Brighton & Hove's wonderful Booth Museum of Natural History (image by Nick Linazasoro). We were honoured by the attendance of over 100 guests, including Mark Avery http://markavery.info/blog/ and Sir Charlie and Lady Issy Burrell from the Knepp Castle Estate and its Wildland Project https://www.kneppsafaris.co.uk/. Unfortunately, Matthew Oates couldn't attend, as he was getting his knee fixed, hopefully with sufficient time to recover ahead of the Purple Emperor season - which may come early this year.

The sunshine should return tomorrow, and the work on reinstating fritillaries to Sussex will be back in full swing.

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots as ever Neil, hopefully the Duke will bounce back next year Thanks also for the heads up about His Nibbs possibly making an earlier entrance this year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Wurzel. I reckon HIM will be out well before the longest day, possibly mid June.
BWs, Neil