Neil Hulme

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Jenks,
An 8 figure grid reference gives you a 10m square, whereas a 6 figure reference gives you a 100m square. The 6 figure reference for this area is SZ150910. You will find that there is a semi-circular embayment to the promenade here, with inset benches. If you scramble up the bank there is a small 'green' between the beach and residential area - you may find the CYs here, as well as over the slopes. Good luck!
Neil

[Jack Harrison]

Grid refs are normally two letters followed by 6 digits. That defines a 100 x 100 metre square. Adding two extra digits defines a 10 x 10 metres square. The Kipper was being (pedantically!) precise.

So if you come across such an 9-digit ref, you won’t go far wrong by knocking off the 4th and 8th digits to convert to a six-digit ref.
So SZ15079104 becomes SZ150910

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Sorry Neil, we crossed in the post. (At least we said the same thing).

Jack

[Piers]

So if you come across such an 9-digit ref

...you're going to get horribly lost, Jack..!
Felix.

[Jack Harrison]

Not my day for typos is it? Of course a 9-digit ref might define a strip 1 metre x 10 metres (or would it? – maybe I’d better shut up)

Jack

[jenks]

Thanks both. I never knew that, despite having an A level in Geography ! Or, I`d forgotten with the passage of years. Bournemouth this weekend.

[Jack Harrison]

jenks:

I`d forgotten with the passage of years.

When you get to my age, you can't count up to 8 correctly even though BSc in mathematics 1960

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

So if you come across such an 9-digit ref

...you're going to get horribly lost, Jack..!
Felix.

You'd be OK in ireland

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

A politically incorrect poster said about 9 digit map referencec:

You'd be OK in ireland

Now now! There could be trouble for comments like those I got big stick for a spoof Irish Pilots’ Exam that I published some years ago on a pilots’ website. But I’ll risk repeating a few of the questions here.

1. You wish to fly from A to B (marked on the question paper). Using the pencil and ruler provided, draw the shortest route from A to B. Extra paper is available if required (ask your invigilator if needed).

2. The circular instrument usually known as the Artificial Horizon (now technically called the ADI but you don’t need to know what ADI stands for) is often coloured coded in two segments, blue and brown. When in level flight would you expect the brown segment to be at the top or the blue segment to be at the top?

3. The undercarriage selection lever has two positions, UP (retract) DOWN (lower).
Which position would you select prior to landing? FAILURE TO ANSWER CORRECTLY WILL REQUIRE A RETAKE OF THE ENTIRE PAPER.

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

Actually, crossed wires

"So if you come across such an 9-digit ref ..." threw me. I was simply thinking that a grid ref with an odd number of characters is valid - but only in Ireland where they have single-letter grid squares!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

Amazing what a simple typo can do! Just because I hit the 9 key instead of the 8 key we risk a diplomatic incident!

Jack

[Michaeljf]

Amazing what a simple typo can do! Just because I hit the 9 key instead of the 8 key we risk a diplomatic incident! Jack

At least this time we've left out the Welsh and East-Anglians

[Neil Hulme]

Autumn Feeding Frenzy

Yesterday (21st September) I took advantage of the lovely weather to make a trip over to East Sussex. In Friston Forest, on one of the main tracks, I came across a dozen Commas busily feasting on the ripe and fermenting blackberries on a single stand of bramble. They made such a beautiful sight that when I checked my watch I'd been standing by the bush for an hour! In situations like this time can just melt away. They were so engrossed (and probably a little inebriated) that they allowed me to pick them up, and at one point I had three sitting on my fingers.

As I cycled around the woods I saw half a dozen Brimstones (mainly females), all searching for a pre-hibernation feed. With much of the nectar now gone, they were having to travel quite some distance before finding a late thistle or the last dregs of 'pink' in hemp agrimony.

But the highlight for me was on the way out of the woods, when I found five majestic Red Admirals fuelling-up on ivy flowers beside a cottage in West Dean. One of them posed nicely for the camera, creating an image that is quintessentially 'autumn'.

[Jack Harrison]

The unfortunate “9” typo that I made needed decisive action to avoid the possibility of a repeat.

http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac85 ... 1285156936

Jack

[David M]

They were so engrossed (and probably a little inebriated) that they allowed me to pick them up, and at one point I had three sitting on my fingers.

LOL! I've done that several times with Red Admirals on my mother's buddleia. The same ones appear every day and on an sunny day can be there from mid-morning till early evening. By 6pm they're all too pissed on nectar to care what you do to them.

[Neil Hulme]

Kingley Vale Coppers

This afternoon (22nd September) I joined BC buddy Brian Henham to share a late season grand finale of Small Coppers at Kingley Vale. On the way up we stopped to watch Brimstones, Speckled Woods, Small Heaths, Meadow Browns, Commas, and single Red Admiral, Brown Argus and Painted Lady. It wasn't until we reached the more open area that the number of Small Coppers rose sharply. The slopes and gullies were teeming with them and we saw well in excess of 50 of these beautiful butterflies. Many freshly emerged females were being pursued by amorous males, while others were left in peace to lay their tiny 'golf ball' eggs on sorrel. As the season approaches its end, days like this seem all the more precious.

[Neil Hulme]

Last Of The Many

It's been a very good season for many species, and a welcome improvement over the last couple of years, but there's little doubt that things are winding down very rapidly now. Hannah and I walked through Friston Forest in beautiful, autumnal sunshine this morning (30th September), but the Commas and Red Admirals seen in good numbers here only ten days back had all but disappeared. A couple of Commas were still imbibing boozy blackberry juice and one was so sozzled we watched it fall of its perch and deep into the bramble. Single Small Copper and Common Blue occupied a grassy glade that previously supported quite a few butterflies. While I was photographing perhaps my last butterflies of the year, Hannah stumbled across her first adder, something she's been keen to see for a while.

We then moved on to Frog Firle, but failed to see the third brood Wall Browns that I'd hoped for. I'm not sure that this species will go to a significant third brood this season, although the odd one will probably turn up here or there.

With the season all but over it's now time to start planning habitat management work for the winter. I'll be attempting to get my hands dirty at least once a week.

[Mark Senior]

Hi Neil ,
Somehow I dob't think this year will have as good an end to it as last year . I saw the very last Clouded Yellow at Ouse Est on November 10th and Speckled Wood Small White both in early November with other Clouded Yellows .

[Neil Hulme]

Recent News

Monday 4 October - In my Worthing garden I watched a Red Admiral 'guttering'. This is how I describe that slow and deliberate fluttering around the eves of a house, as butterflies search for somewhere to 'hole-up' for the winter. I see large numbers of Small Tortoiseshell doing this every autumn, but it's not a behaviour pattern I associate with Red Admirals. I opened an upstairs window to see if it would make an attempt to enter the house. After half an hour I closed the window, only to find it fluttering against the glass ten minutes later! A Comma was also seen nectaring on the ivy on my garage roof.

Thursday 7 October - On a beautiful, warm, sunny morning I met up with the Head Forester of the Norfolk Estate, to discuss this winter's habitat management work in the woods near Arundel. As always the Estate could not have been more helpful and generous in its assistance. As I walked around the woods I saw 6 Commas and single Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone and Speckled Wood, the latter having only just emerged.

Saturday 9 October - During a flying visit to finalise work party plans at Rewell Wood, I saw 10 Commas and a battered old Speckled Wood.

[Neil Hulme]

BC Sussex Branch AGM

Eighty six people attended the Branch AGM on Sunday. I moved the official business on as rapidly as possible, but made time to list some of the more major advances made through the 2009 - 2010 period by our hard working committee and associates - it's a privilege to work with such a great group of people. These included the acquisition of Rowland Wood (80 acres next to the existing reserve at Park Corner Heath), the launch of the Sussex Butterfly Atlas (2010-2014), the formation of the ‘Rother Guardians’ (to continue SE Woodlands Project Officer Steve Wheatley's work in the area), the launch of the new, all-colour Annual Butterfly Report, the launch of the Big Biodiversity Butterfly Count in Brighton, the adoption of new data capture and manipulation software by the Recording sub-committee and the increase in Transects and Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey squares being monitored.

I also listed the organisations, bodies and individuals that have all, in some way, helped us in our efforts to conserve butterflies and moths: South Downs Joint Committee (staff, contractors and volunteers), Natural England, Forestry Commission, National Trust, West Dean Estate, Norfolk Estate, Barlavington Estate, Wiston Estate (Steyning Downland Scheme), Springhead Estate, Murray Downland Trust, Graffham Down Trust, Brinsbury (Chichester) College, West and East Sussex County Councils, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre, Environment Agency, Mike Mullis and, of course, our own trusty volunteers (apologies to any that I might have overlooked).

Covering more up-to-date news (post-March 2010) I reported on the spectacular increases in Duke of Burgundy numbers on several sites we have been working on, the positive reaction of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary to habitat management on and adjacent to our Park Corner Heath Reserve, and the unique project being run by Dr Dan Danahar on the playing fields of the Dorothy Stringer School in Brighton. Here, the creation of a chalk grassland Butterfly Haven has attracted species including Small Blue, Adonis Blue, Chalkhill Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak and Marbled White into urban Brighton. Youngsters, who might not have such easy access to the countryside as others, have been turning up here to see beautiful downland butterflies!

Then it was time for the fun to begin. Patrick Barkham treated us to several passages from his new book 'The Butterfly Isles' and recounted some of the highs and lows experienced in the pursuit of all the British species in a single season. It’s a beautifully written book – but I’ll leave that for you to find out. The 30 copies he kindly signed for our members were snapped up very quickly. After his talk I presented him with a framed photograph of the butterfly that first ignited his passion as a child – the Brown Argus.

It was time for Michael Blencowe. Those that have heard one of Michael’s talks know that he has a unique talent in getting the serious message of ‘conservation’ across, while at the same time reducing the audience to tears of laughter (we always have to mop the floor afterwards). ‘Thank you’ to all those that helped with logistics, and for so many of our members for attending what was a most memorable and enjoyable day. Appended are a couple of slides from Michael’s talk (I would like to point out that I have better legs than Danielle Hulme) and thanks to Colin Knight for the other AGM images.