Neil Hulme

[Neil Hulme]

8-10 July 2022

This period saw me (and a fellow guide) leading six Purple Emperor safaris over three days at Knepp; incredibly, we saw Purple Emperors and a Large Tortoiseshell on every event, showing more than 140 people these fantastic butterflies. My own tally of Purple Emperors on 9 July (two safaris plus an evening session) was 53, reflecting the prolonged peak period for this species in 2022.

The 8 July safari was particularly good. We had not walked 100 metres before I had to shout "stop", as the two ladies walking ahead of me were about to flush a pristine male Emperor from its cowpat feast. I'm pleased that I spotted it in the nick of time, as this would prove to be my last grounding of the season. Lunar Hornet moths were again on show, courtesy of Andrew Mitchell's pheromone lures.

The female Large Tortoiseshell spent much of the time on a sap run with its wings closed, deep within its favourite Oak, making it difficult for some visitors to pick-out. Fellow guide Tom Forward and I managed to strap our walking poles together, to construct an extra-long pointer stick, which I then carefully pushed up towards the feeding butterfly (thanks to Chris Toop for the image). Another of our guests on 9 July, Alex Timmons, kindly sent me images of our group looking at the Large Tortoiseshell and a Purple Emperor, capturing the excitement of these lovely days under clear blue skies.

[David M]

So much to take in with your most recent posts, Neil. However, the Large Tortoiseshells cannot be ignored - this is an exceptionally positive development and one which I hope will contribute to this species ultimately being regarded as a breeding UK butterfly.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi David. Personally, I already recognise the Large Tortoiseshell as being back on the British list - as a breeder. I recently revisited the text I wrote on this species for The Butterflies of Sussex (2017), and I'm pleased to say that it's stood the test of time pretty well. But more recent developments have further clarified its status, with multiple cases of proven breeding. In retrospect, 2007 appears to have been a watershed moment for the Large Tortoiseshell.

I also now recognise the Long-tailed Blue as a 'regularly occurring migrant', with similar status to Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady. The watershed moment for LTB was 2013 and I don't think we'll be putting that genie back in the bottle. In my world, at least, we now have 61 species of British butterfly.

BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

13 July 2022

The Purple Emperor was still going strong at Knepp, but we were now entering that later part of the flight season when much of the activity becomes clustered around 'feeder trees', where the butterflies spend prolonged periods taking nutritious sap from bleeds and fissures in the bark of Oaks.

After leading a safari for local school children, I found a large and rather tired looking Empress on the same sap run that the Large Tortoiseshells had been visiting until recently. My car roof provided the perfect platform for photography (image by Mark Hulme).

[Neil Hulme]

16 July 2022

16 July was another double safari day for me at Knepp, with the afternoon event being billed as a general butterfly walk; the Purple Emperor had other ideas! These safaris usually mean covering a lot of ground, with only relatively short stops in one place. However, on this occasion, my group stood in a small clearing for 45 minutes, completely transfixed by the spectacular aerial battles constantly going on above our heads.

Five male Emperors were fighting for supremacy around a large Oak, often tumbling downwards, rather than the more usual up-and-away. My brother Mark, visiting from Antwerp, was there to capture this breathtaking display for posterity. I've seldom, if ever, seen the Purple Emperor put on such a good show.

I recommend clicking on the images, to appreciate how sharp these in-flight shots are - not easy to achieve!

[SarahM]

Hi Neil,

Thank you for sharing your wonderful P.E. in-flight photos. I have really enjoyed reading your tales from Knepp and have been a little of your photos. I long to get to Knepp myself one day to join one of your safaris & see HIM for myself.

Sarah.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Sarah. If you ever wish to come on a safari, booking in the autumn (soon after the 2023 dates become available) is essential; it's easier to get a Tesco delivery slot in a pandemic than book a Knepp safari! We don't call them 'Purple Emperor Safaris' until July (to avoid disappointment if the season is a very late one), so I would recommend taking a chance and going for a general 'Butterfly Safari' in the last week of June. Or you could just self-guide (see https://www.kneppsafaris.co.uk/informat ... ar-parking ) following the marked Purple Emperor route. I'm not sure where you're based, and whether it's manageable in a day, but you could consider staying at Knepp's wonderful camping/glamping site.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

20 July 2022

Purple Emperor numbers at Knepp were now beginning to show the first signs of sliding, with a combined total of just 17 individuals seen by Matthew Oates and me, while the proportion of female butterflies was rising. Of the five Empresses seen, four were hanging around a single 'feeder tree', regularly returning to take Oak sap. After each visit they would again retire to digest their sticky snacks on low vegetation nearby. Two of the females really didn't get on, so we christened them Rebekah and Coleen. Christine and Louise behaved impeccably and were in much better condition than the other two. Their constant comings and goings, often just above our heads, kept us entertained for four hours; they were still active when we dragged ourselves away at 7pm.

Earlier in the day, we spent some time watching and photographing the charismatic Downland Villa Bee-fly Villa cingulata, a species which first appeared at Knepp in 2021. In typical fashion, the females were wiping their backsides in the dirt to attach dust particles to their eggs; they later flick these weighted 'bombs' towards a living meal for their young.

[SarahM]

Thanks for your advice Neil, much appreciated. I live in Cumbria, so not a day trip!
Best wishes,
Sarah.

[Matsukaze]

Really enjoying your diary and photos Neil, though there's times it leaves me green with envy - the last time I had a decent view of an Emperor was the day of the 2010 World Cup final - and how many Large Tortoiseshells is it now you've seen in this country?

[Neil Freeman]

Just catching up on your diary Neil, some great photos of the Purple Emperors but for me that shot of the Large Tortoiseshell on the ground is the standout image, a great image of a lovely butterfly

Great photos of the clearwings too

Cheers,

Neil.

[Neil Hulme]

No problem, Sarah. I think the long journey would be worth it, and I could always give you info on other local sites if visiting.

Thanks, Neil. This late-June and July period is one I won't forget in a hurry. The fun may well continue, with Long-tailed Blue eggs now being found in Sussex.

Thanks, Matsukaze. Your question has prompted me to do a stock-take of all my UK rarities; a useful exercise, as I'm expecting these numbers to increase further this late summer/autumn.
Large Tortoiseshell (18): Isle of Wight, Woodhouse Copse & Walter's Copse (6), Littlehampton Bridge (1), Newtimber Hill (1), North Stoke (3), Portland (3), Shoreham Beach (1), Rowland Wood (1), Knepp (3)
Scarce Tortoiseshell (1): RSPB Pulborough
Queen of Spain (12): Springhead Hill (1), Chichester (8), Piddinghoe (3)
Camberwell Beauty (3): RSPB Pulborough, High Salvington, Southwater
Monarch (1): Portland
European Swallowtail (gorganus) (3): Deep Dean (Wilmington), Chichester, Steyning Rifle Range
Long-tailed Blue (124): Numerous sites in Sussex and Kent
As all are 2007 onwards, I think this says more than a little about climate warming.

BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

22 July 2022

On 22 July I headed to Deep Dean at Wilmington, to look at the last remaining population of the chalk-based Grayling in Sussex. The cool cloudy weather prevented any chance of making an accurate assessment of numbers, but counts of 158 (16.7), 114 (20.7) and 153 (23.7) by Patrick Moore (Chief Sussex Grayling Counter) and Jonathan Crawford suggest that our efforts to conserve the species in Sussex are now bearing fruits.

Despite the weather, it was clear to me that the Grayling is bouncing back strongly here; only a few years ago it was looking critically endangered in the county. I bumped into a couple of friends in this remote valley and we spent many happy hours trying (in vain) to photograph the beautiful orange hues of the forewing underside. As always, a few individuals were keen to alight on clothing. I love the variability in the cryptic patterning of their undersides. Other highlights included a cheery band of naked walkers (less-cryptic undersides).

Back in 2018, I identified what I believed to be the probable causes of the rapid and ongoing decline in this population, by comparing remote images of the valley taken in 2009 and 2015. These showed both the significant spread of Tor-grass and, probably crucially, a vast reduction in the excavations and associated chalk scree produced by rabbit activity (vital for Grayling thermoregulation). I strongly suspected that the reduction in rabbit activity was linked to the new variant of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease RHDV2 (first recognised in 2010 and widespread by 2013/14), which together with its forerunner, ‘classic RHD’, has been responsible for a 53% decline in the UK rabbit population between 1995 and 2018.

The solution appeared to be the focussed grazing of Tor-grass-dominated areas, by livestock capable of attacking it (few are), and the creation of artificial rabbit scrapes using mattocks. Tim Squire of the South Downs National Park Authority has been the key player in getting these tasks done, with excellent cooperation from the farmer. Exmoor Ponies have done a great job of munching the Tor-grass (now retreating) and the South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service has done a great job with the mattock; it’s very hard work!

Even better, Tim arranged for the re-fencing of the suitable (SE-facing) slope at nearby Ewe Dean, which means that this can now be grazed with Exmoor Ponies. As I returned down the chalk track from Deep Dean, I encountered a few Grayling all the way to Ewe Dean and the adjacent covered reservoir. Things are now looking much better for this charismatic species.

[Wurzel]

"In my world, at least, we now have 61 species of British butterfly." - if I was a 'lister' this would be terrible news - I've still to do the original 59! Do have any predictions on which species will be next? Great series of photos and great to hear about the Grayling good news

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Wurzel. I reckon the long-awaited Southern Small White must be next, although its recognition will be challenging for many.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

23 & 24 July 2022

Purple Emperors were still easy to spot at Knepp on 23 July, with my afternoon safari group enjoying plenty of action around a large Oak, where four females were working shifts on a sap run. Between us, Matthew and I managed a total of 26 individuals. However, our combined tally dropped sharply to just eight the following day, and never recovered to double figures. Sadly, the end of the Emperor season suddenly loomed into sight; today (28 July), only four individuals were seen.

With the morning of 24 July free, I went searching for male Brown Hairstreaks, finding three on just one stand of Bramble. It remains too early to say how well they'll show at Knepp this year, but Matthew's counts at master trees have been modest.

[SarahM]

No problem, Sarah. I think the long journey would be worth it, and I could always give you info on other local sites if visiting.

Thank you Neil, that is much appreciated. I'm sure the long journey would be worth it, as it was travelling to Norfolk for the Swallowtails .

[David M]

Glad to know you had a decent Emperor season, Neil, and thanks for sharing the positive news re: the Graylings.

Over to Brown Hairstreaks for a few weeks now....and presumably Long Tailed Blues shortly after?

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, David. Yes, Brown Hairstreak is now due for some attention, but I don't bother chasing the females until we're well into August, when they become much easier. Long-tailed Blue has already appeared in low numbers in the UK, but I suspect the main course is yet to be served.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

3 August 2022 - Migrant Alert!

Yesterday (2 August) I joined a few friends in East Sussex, to see if we could add to the tally of 67 Long-tailed Blue eggs they had already located in six small patches within a narrow strip of the landscape; we found no 'new' eggs. It is possible to estimate the date when hatched eggs were laid, by looking at the development stage of the host Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea flowers, as the eggs are invariably deposited on the calyx of unopened buds, or on stalks closeby. The vast majority of eggs appear to have been laid in the window 19-21 July, although a handful of 'younger' eggs may have been laid as recently as 27-29 July.

Searches of well-known Sussex localities (the species returns to the same spots year-after-year, apparently guided by landscape features such as river mouths and local high-points, and large concentrations of the pungent foodplants), including Tidemills and Brighton Racecourse (Whitehawk Hill), proved fruitless - the species has not visited these places ... yet. However, looking at the pattern seen since 2013, when everything changed for the Long-tailed Blue, we don't usually see the start of the main influx until about 7/8 August. I believe the eggs found so far (no adults observed in Sussex yet) were laid by a small advance group of butterflies, driven rapidly north by the period of 'peak heat' on 19 July, which caused Purple Hairstreaks to fall from the treetops like confetti.

This timeframe fits like a glove with the arrival of other exotic migrants, although most of the fun has been enjoyed further to the east. A quick scan of social media and Atropos Flight Arrivals (there may be other records I've missed) reveals the following (some may be repeat sightings of the same individuals):

19 July
gorganus Swallowtail, East Sussex
gorganus Swallowtail, Suffolk
20 July
gorganus Swallowtail, Kent
gorganus Swallowtail, Suffolk
21 July
gorganus Swallowtail, Kent
22 July
gorganus Swallowtail, Kent
Long-tailed Blue, Oxon
23 July
Queen of Spain x2, Kent
gorganus Swallowtail, Suffolk
gorganus Swallowtail, Kent
24 July
Queen of Spain, Essex
Queen of Spain, Kent
Long-tailed Blue, Norfolk
gorganus Swallowtail, Norfolk
26 July
gorganus Swallowtail, Kent
28 July
Queen of Spain, Kent
30 July
Queen of Spain x3, Kent
31 July
Long-tailed Blue, Kent

This pattern suggests a movement from the east, with the majority of migrants probably departing from the Dutch coast. The species involved come as no surprise, bearing in mind the current large peak in gorganus Swallowtail numbers in NL, and the abundance and spread trends seen in Queen of Spain (see @chrisvanswaay).

However, I'm still expecting further fireworks and I'm hoping that the Long-tailed Blue will be making a larger crossing w/c 8 August, or soon thereafter. Fingers crossed.