Susie

[Neil Freeman]

A couple of nice photos Susie,

I always seem to struggle with Ringlets or rather finding them in good spots for a photo.

I also like the Marbled White, a lot of people may have cropped that one too close and lost the colours of the flowers which to me are as important in that photo as the butterfly

Cheers,

Neil f.

[Susie]

Many thanks.

I took a trip to Southwater Woods this afternoon. I saw a few silver washed fritillary including a courting pair (a great spectacle to watch), a couple of white admiral, a few skippers and quite a few marbled white, meadow brown and ringlets, a couple of red admiral and a single speckled wood. All nice to see but I can't help feeling disappointed, like I've been invited to a party and turned up on the wrong day!

The only good thing I have to say about this atrocious summer is that I am getting fond of meadow browns and ringlets!

The best thing about this afternoon was chatting to other butterfly enthusiasts and bumping into our very own Sussex Kipper (who had taken some more cracking photos today ). There was no sign of His Imperial Majesty at Southwater so Sussex Kipper was heading off to Botany Bay to see what he could find. I was going to join him until I passed close to home on the journey there and the rain started to pour down. I suddenly realised how tired I was (wading through mud in my wellies is good exercise!) so I decided to go home instead. I am sure I will read Sussex Kipper's report later and be pig sick that I didn't make the extra effort!

[Susie]

Well on Sunday afternoon when I got home after lots of rain the sun came out and so did a red admiral on the buddliea. This is the first butterfly I've seen in the garden for ages (and it was back this afternoon too when the sun came out briefly - it's pouring with rain again now!). The one good thing about all this rain is the hemp agrimony is huge. Some of it is over eight feet tall now and it's still growing.

Yesterday I popped up to Cissbury Ring to hunt for dark green fritillary. I've looked up here years ago for them and didn't find anything so with the cloudy conditions I wasn't hopeful but they were surprisingly easy to find but the blustery conditions made photography difficult.

I was going to snap a lovely picture of a dgf on clover when some stranger decided to talk to me which was most off putting and then the dgf flew away. I need a 'do not disturb' sign!

Also there were good numbers of marbled white, small heath, skippers, red admiral and meadow brown.

[Wurzel]

The DGF shot has a nice lay out I know what you mean about coming to appreciate Ringlets etc I seem to have hundreds of shots of them, Meadow Brown and Marbled Whites!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Susie]

Thanks Wurzel!

A couple of more shots from the garden.

I don't get many butterflies here, I have a few theories why, but I do get lots of bees, hoverflies and other insects because of the nectar rich flowers.There is something in bloom all year round.

This campion moth caterpillar is making the most of it's home in the seed pod of red campion.

The tallest of the hemp agrimony is now well over eight feet tall and still growing (it's pm the right hand side of the photo). Hopefully it will pull in any passing brown hairstreaks in a few weeks.

[ChrisC]

stunning garden Susie

[Susie]

Thank you. why put one plant in a space when you can cram in three?

[Gothic_dreams]

Some cracking photos Susie, and your garden looks lovely

Chris

[Susie]

Thanks, Chris.

It's been really lovely this weekend to see butterflies on the wing while I have been out and about. There were good numbers of Red Admirals flying in over the sea at Goring at lunchtime.

This evening was the first chance I have had to actively go out to see them though. I went to Denbies Hillside and met up with our very own Lee Hurrell. A very enjoyable couple of hours were spent watching chalkhill blues, marbled whites, small skippers (and possibly essex), meadow browns, the odd white and having a good old chat. Lee also saw a small tortoiseshell. Some of the chalkhill roosts really were spectacular.

[Lee Hurrell]

It was lovely seeing you, Susie.

Your photos are stunning

Best wishes,

Lee

[Susie]

Thanks, Lee.

I couldn't resist another trip back to Denbies this evening. The chalkhill numbers continue to grow - to the point where I have not seen so many in all the years I have been visiting the site and I am sure there are plenty more to emerge yet.

I was pleased to see a couple of dark green fritillaries too, as well as a gatekeeper, meadow browns, lots of skippers, small heath and the odd white.

[Lee Hurrell]

I went up again to my local downs yesterday evening and also found a few Chalkhills roosting

I'll be going back a few evenings this week.

Lee

[Susie]

Phew what a scorcher!

I've spent more time in the garden than I would normally do as I am off work with the kids at the moment. As a result I saw quite a few very fresh gatekeepers, some meadow browns, large and small whites, a comma and a reed admiral flying in and around.

A walk up to the playing field didn't turn up much. No sign of brown hairstreak yet.

I popped into southwater mid afternoon. Loads of browns but that was mainly it. I did see a few speckled wood, skippers, a few silver washed frits, a single white admiral and high up in the canopy two buttflies were hassling a third. A purple emperor flew between two oaks but I cannot say for sure the earlier buttterflies were PEs too. It was great to see Him though, even if for only a short while and at a distance.

[Susie]

Yesterday some of the UK Butterflies members joined me on a walk about Denbies Hillside. I won't go over it again but it was a jolly splendid day spent in great company despite the weather.

Late this afternoon I managed to escape and went back to Denbies again. It was a lovely warm sunny evening and a real pleasure to watch the butterflies settle down for the night.

Whilst photographing for quite a long time I became aware of something coming towards me; it was a male roe deer. He was obviously curious as to what I was and was creeping up for a look. After sussing each other out for a minute he bounded off through the grass and with every leap set off a flurry of blue butterflies. Anyone who was there yesterday will be able to imagine just how many roosting butterflies went up. It was an incredible sight and I just wish I had been able to film it.

Another perk of this evening was to find this silver spotted skipper roosting on this scabious flower. I didn't even have to "assist" it onto such an attractive perch as it was already there!

In fact there were so many butterflies at Denbies and so much lush vegetation and flowers that I was spoilt for choice when it came to photographic subjects roosting in great places.

[essexbuzzard]

Great stuff,Susie,I wish i could have gone yesterday. But i couldn't get time off work. May be able to go tuesday or thursday.
Cheers!

[Susie]

Good luck on Tuesday or Thursday, the adonis may be out by then!

[Wurzel]

The final shot is just brill, it look like they're completing synchronised swimming!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Susie]

Thanks, Wurzel, I only managed a quick snap from a distance before the one with the wings open closed them - spoil sport! It was great to see a cluster of them settling down to roost like that though.

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Susie,

I'm really pleased to see that Denbies has come alive for you, particularly as it's a location, along with Southwater, that seems to be strongly associated with you. The stories I am hearing of the CHB eruption in Sussex and Surrey sound absolutely fabulous.

After sussing each other out for a minute he bounded off through the grass and with every leap set off a flurry of blue butterflies. Anyone who was there yesterday will be able to imagine just how many roosting butterflies went up. It was an incredible sight and I just wish I had been able to film it.

Although you didn't film the event your description fills my head with wonderful imagery.

Great picture of the SSS on scabious

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

[Susie]

Thanks, Mark. I hope you manage to get out and witness the chalkhill blue explosion yourself as it is quite quite amazing.