Thanks, Mark, sadly, I believe that the Turtle Dove population has really crashed over the last few years.
You should get along to Mill Hill, it’s a real treat to see those butterflies.
It was well worth the trip down there, Dave, and yes, some of those butterflies must be like old friends to you
It must have been a real giveaway, Trevor, and I agree with you, what a fantastic sight to finish the season with
Thanks, Wurzel, those Painted Ladies were stunning, my photos just don’t do them justice.
It didn’t take long to reach Cissbury, which is only ten miles from Mill Hill. There were plenty of Joggers, dog walkers and cyclists already there. We climbed up the path onto the hillfort and set off around the perimeter ditch in a clockwise direction. We soon found some Small Coppers, with one female being particularly striking.
We did a complete circuit of the fort, which, given it’s size took a while. Most of the butterflies appeared to be around the southern side, which was more sheltered and contained some Ragwort, which the Coppers and some Common Blues were nectaring on. There were also good numbers of Wall Browns and a handful of Clouded Yellows.
It was not easy to get these shots of the Male Wall and was the only opportunity of the day.
This also was the only chance of a shot of a male Clouded Yellow, which took flight just after the photo was taken.
Numbers wise we counted about 30 Small Coppers, 12 Walls and three Clouded Yellows. The Walls and Clouded Yellows were very difficult to get shots of as they rarely stopped, and when they did it was not for long. Many of the Small Coppers appeared quite worn, but there were a few fresher individuals. We only walked the perimeter, not venturing onto the hillfort itself, due mainly to it’s massive size and the limited time available to us. Therefore our numbers only account for the perimeter