Neil Hulme

[Neil Hulme]

Start Of Summer

Today (1 June) I performed my first butterfly survey of the year on the Knepp Castle Estate Wildland. I always consider my first Meadow Brown of the season to mark the official start of summer, and half-a-dozen were seen flopping around the meadows and hedgerows. Other species included Large Skipper, Large White, Green-veined White, Small Tortoiseshell (early summer brood), Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Holly Blue and Common Blue. Also seen were a good number of Beautiful Demoiselles.

[Wurzel]

The blue triangles really stand out on that Small Tort Neil

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Good to see the new brood of Torties emerging, Neil. Looks like we're a little ahead of the game in the UK at the moment.

[Neil Hulme]

Bentley Revival

Bearing in mind the very low ebb that Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary had slumped to at Bentley Wood Eastern Clearing last year, I had been encouraged by my sighting of both male and female butterflies way back on 19 May.

A follow-up visit on Saturday 3 June gave cause for greater optimism, as the majority of the seven individual males and two females I saw were in excellent condition and had clearly emerged over the previous day or two.

As others have observed, there is a period at the start of the SPBF flight season during which nectar sources are quite restricted (Bugle is usually 'going over' by this time), but this species is quite mobile and there are stands of Wood Spurge to supplement the Ragged-robin which tends to grow in the more central parts of the breeding area. However, the Bramble which is now flowering will be more than sufficient to service the needs of particularly the females, through the second half of the species' flight season.

[trevor]

Good to see a pair of SPBF in the midst of providing offspring for next season.
Of course any found in East Sussex next year will be cause for celebration,
as they will have made it on their own.

Exciting times ahead ( and in a few weeks time ! ).
Trevor.

PS. There's still time to rebuild your JCB.

[Neil Hulme]

Farewell To The Duke

Yesterday (5 June) I paid my annual visit to watch another Duke of Burgundy season slip away. Having taken so many photographs over the years, these are now the only occasions when I point my camera at anything other than pristine individuals, but the resultant images tell a story. A search over a wide area of the Downs near Storrington revealed a total of just four males. In a traditional display of defiance these bleached and ragged fragments of butterflies were dutifully beating the living daylights out of freshly emerged Large Skippers. The Sussex Duke had a rather average season in 2017, and far inferior to its 2016 annus mirabilis.

I later headed to a site near Madehurst, where I photographed my first Frog and white-form Bee Orchids of the year. I hope there will be more to come over the next few weeks.

[Allan.W.]

Hello Neil.
Stunning White Bee orchids there Neil ! ,never seen those before ,was lucky enough to find around 30(normal Bee,s) ,on an arable field edge last weekend , made my morning ! Regards Allan.W.

[Wurzel]

Good to hear that the Dukes are still slugging it out with anything that moves fiesty little buggers

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

This is a time of year I recognise....that moment when you lament the passing of the Duke of Burgundy, Neil.

Yes, it's all but over for another year, but I doubt if there are many (perhaps any) who are contributing so positively to its future prospects than you are.

Like the annual demise of the Orange Tip, it is a bittersweet moment...but it will be back to delight us all next spring.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, all; particularly for your kind words, David.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Caterpillar Hunt

A visit to Springhead Hill yesterday (7 June) confirmed that we are firmly in the 'June Gap', when spring species have either disappeared or are on the wane, but the delights of summer are yet to appear in force; a good time to go hunting for caterpillars.

I soon located a medium sized Emperor Moth on Bramble, a small Vapourer Moth on Dogwood, and a very large number of Brimstone larvae on Purging Buckthorn.

I later moved on to Abbot's Wood, where FC Ranger Stuart Sutton had located a male Silver-washed Fritillary. 7 June is the earliest I have ever seen this species.

[David M]

I later moved on to Abbot's Wood, where FC Ranger Stuart Sutton had located a male Silver-washed Fritillary. 7 June is the earliest I have ever seen this species.

Dark Greens are barely out yet.....and I have today heard the first High Browns have only just been spotted on the Welsh site, so SWF is quite a shock!

[Neil Hulme]

Fritillaries for the Future Update - Job Done!

Firstly, I would like to reiterate my thanks - see report http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/news/#50 - to the dedicated captive-breeding team of volunteers Theresa Lux and Gary Norman, working under the guidance of Mike Mullis. After a long journey, during which many setbacks were suffered and overcome, yesterday (11 June) saw the successful completion of the first part of a programme to reinstate the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (SPBF) to Sussex.

More than 400 SPBF have been released, as either final instar larvae or adults, into carefully prepared habitat networks at both the BC reserves in Sussex (Park Corner Heath & Rowland Wood) and FC Abbot's Wood. These reintroductions form part of a strategic, landscape-scale project targeting sites where sustainable management plans are in place.

I would like to thank our members for heeding the request for restraint in pursuing the butterflies too enthusiastically in this first season, and for allowing them to go about their business unhindered.

On 26 May an event was held to celebrate the project, attended by former reserve managers and volunteers who had served 'above and beyond the call of duty' in the past. Needless to say, this was a very happy day that put smiles on many faces. I feel that we have done everything possible to resurrect the fortunes of this species in Sussex, but only time will be the judge.

Male

Female

Pairing

ab. transversa + ab. consuta

Theresa and Gary at work

Release event

Communal roost

[bugboy]

Congratulations one and all ! What's next then, project polychloros ?

[Wurzel]

Fantastic work Neil and all other involved

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andy Wilson]

I've had the pleasure of observing and photographing Small Pearls at both Park Corner Heath and Abbots Wood in the last couple of weeks. Thank you Neil and all the team for the fantastic job you have done. It looks like it's been a reasonably good flight period for them, so I sincerely hope they have done what comes naturally and "gone forth and multiplied" for next year. With luck, I'll be back and so will they!

[peterc]

Well done to Neil and the team. Terrific effort and good to see that the SPbF is doing well. One day I will get down there and see for myself

ATB

Peter

[David M]

Excellent work, Neil. You and your team have worked wonders and it's so satisfying to see the butterflies repaying you...including that unusual ab.!



I now fully expect you to move on to Emperor-related activities!

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, all. We've given them every possible chance. I'm very happy with the way things have gone, but it's up to Mother Nature now.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

BC Reserves, White-letters And Emperors

On Wednesday (14 June) I spent the morning looking around our Park Corner Heath and Rowland Wood reserves with Dr Dan Hoare. We were there to look at Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary breeding habitat, but also saw 6 Silver-washed Fritillary, 2 White Admiral and a Dark Green Fritillary.

In the afternoon we visited Littlehampton Golf Course, where Dan showed why he's BC's Head of Regions by finding a White-letter Hairstreak pupa on an English Elm. This only took 10 minutes, so he's now retired on an average find-rate of one White-letter Hairstreak pupa every 10 minutes. Adults started emerging here on 13 June, when I recorded just one. When I arrived this afternoon Colin Knight had kindly lined one up for me. The main course is still a few days away yet.

Other news from the front line - Matthew Oates today (15 June) saw the first 3 Purple Emperor of the Sussex season at Knepp. Expect more.