Neil Hulme

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Mike. Can't wait to get back there!
BWs, Neil

[Susie]

I'd like to pick the experts brains and I hope no one minds my doing so here.

The swallowtail I saw today was flying strongly south to north, it couldn't have been on a more accurate course if it possessed a compass; is this normal? The one's I've seen abroad used to meander all over the place but this critter was in a hurry.

[Padfield]

Neil might want to take this discussion to another thread, in which case I'm sure it can be migrated. But Susie's question prompts me to ask about the time of day and the terrain - though I'm guessing it was flat. Swallowtails make diurnal movements to favoured leks (frequently local high points) and nectaring areas. Males in particular will head very purposefully to these and sometimes cover quite some distance. I think Susie was wondering if her butterfly was a fresh migrant - but in a way it would be even more exciting if it were part of a small established group, engaging in its daily routine.

Guy

[mud-puddling]

Absolutely superb photos Neil. Well deserved after all the work you put in. Regards, Leigh

[Susie]

Admins: please move my posts if suitable/possible

In reply to Guy it was flying up a slight incline at 1pm. There are bigger hills to the south east and south west of us.

[Neil Hulme]

Out With The RSPB

I spent yesterday afternoon (3rd June) showing 28 ecologists from the RSPB around Rewell Wood on the Norfolk Estate. The Estate has become well known for its wildlife-friendly management, particularly for the benefit of farmland birds (leading to a spectacular winter influx of raptors) and Estate Manager Peter Knight was a runner-up in the 2012 RSPB Telegraph Nature of Farming Award. However, we were here to see the work done by the Estate in improving woodland habitats for butterflies and moths. Of course the RSPB does a lot more than look after birds and this visit was to allow their ecologists to see whether any of these techniques might be transferred to some of their many reserves.

We started off by looking at the sweet chestnut coppice cycle in the southern part of the wood, which supports a thriving population of Pearl-bordered Fritillary, a few Grizzled Skipper and provides nesting opportunities for Nightjar and Woodcock. We then visited some large clear-fell areas which, when replanted, will retain some relatively small but highly valuable open areas along sunny ride-sides. Finally, we looked at some permanent open glades which have been created, and some significant widening of rides within blocks of now towering beech. Duke of Burgundy, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Grizzled and Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Common Blue and a large number of moths, including the rare Drab Looper, have all benefitted from this work. It was nice to be able to point out a good example of Fly Orchid while on our travels; this species seems to have had a very good season.

Our thanks go to the Norfolk Estate and its Head Forester Mark Aldridge for arranging access.

[Neil Hulme]

Limited Edition Purple Emperor Pin Badge

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This timeless piece will be released on c.24th June, shortly after the first flight of His Imperial Majesty. Paul is now taking orders at apaturairis999@gmail.com – please provide your name and address to receive payment details at a price of £6 per badge (incl. P&P). All profits will be donated to Butterfly Conservation Sussex Branch, who will use the money to make more Purple Emperors.

Hurry, hurry, hurry while stocks last. Wearing this badge will ensure you see more butterflies and have a better life. Vive l’Empereur!

[Neil Hulme]

Gorganus Again!

I can't claim anything other than luck this time. Today I was due to meet up with Colin Knight and Brian Henham for a gorganus hunt in and around Chichester. With news of yet another emergence in the monitored garden and the prediction of good weather, I was pretty confident we would find one. However, I was going to have to make a late start as I wanted to squeeze in a baseline survey at Steyning Rifle Range (Steyning Downland Scheme), as funding has just been secured for a new project here.

As I was leaving the site, keen to head west, I took a last peek over the edge of the slope on the northern flank of the coombe. The swooping flight was unmistakable - another Swallowtail! I lost sight of it momentarily as I scrambled down the bank, and when I saw it again it was a long distance away. I'm not sure that it would have been possible for the butterfly to move this distance so rapidly, so I remain convinced that there were probably two insects present. However, once I was on this one's tail I didn't spend much time looking over my shoulder. A later search could not confirm a second butterfly.

This was a very hefty looking female and she did very little but feed, taking only short breaks over the couple of hours we tracked her, before she slipped away. I managed to make a few frenetic 'phone calls and a handful of people picked up and then managed to get there in time to join in the fun. UKBers Colin Knight, Katrina and mud-puddling (Leigh), and John Burnham who had been searching in Chichester when Brian directed him our way, all spent time with this beauty. Hopefully there will be a few more to come yet. I believe this is now the 12th gorganus known to be flying around Sussex.

I suspect this individual hatched on the allotments nearby and a female was photographed on a garden buddleia bush in Steyning last summer. With the earlier (2014) sighting at Chanctonbury Ring, it looks like we have a second population centre around here.

[David M]

You really are putting the hours in, Neil, so you deserve your rewards.

Are these Swallowtails concentrated in a particular area or could one expect to see them virtually anywhere in the far south of England right now?

[Neil Hulme]

Hi David,

Although one has been seen at Seaford in East Sussex and another buzzed Susie's garden in Broadbridge Heath, (plus a few further afield outside Sussex), most of the action so far has been centred on two areas - Chichester and Steyning. However, I'm convinced these are just the tip of the iceberg. Bear in mind that the 5 gorganus which have flown from the monitored garden in Chichester (plus mine discovered on the outskirts of the city) have not been seen again/recognised/reported yet. They can be expected anywhere between Wiltshire and Kent.

BWs, Neil

[millerd]

With warm winds generally from a southerly quarter for the next few days, might we expect some more migrants as well?

That is a gorgeous female, by the way, just stunning.

Dave

[Maximus]

Great shots of Gorganus Neil, very well deserved considering the effort you are putting in

[David M]

Hi David,

Although one has been seen at Seaford in East Sussex and another buzzed Susie's garden in Broadbridge Heath, (plus a few further afield outside Sussex), most of the action so far has been centred on two areas - Chichester and Steyning. However, I'm convinced these are just the tip of the iceberg. Bear in mind that the 5 gorganus which have flown from the monitored garden in Chichester (plus mine discovered on the outskirts of the city) have not been seen again/recognised/reported yet. They can be expected anywhere between Wiltshire and Kent.

BWs, Neil

Thanks, Neil. When I head south (and I'm not sure how soon that'll be) I'll keep an eye out for any potential surprises.

[Neil Hulme]

Farewell To The Duke

After failing to relocate the gorganus Swallowtail at Steyning this morning (6th June), I headed to Heyshott Escarpment to say farewell to the Duke of Burgundy for another year. Over the years I have put so much effort in for this species that I feel quite sad at the end of each flight season. It seems such a long while before we'll be reacquainted again. That said, I feel incredibly proud of what we have achieved in Sussex; this year I have note of 1011 sightings, which is so much better than its nadir in 2003, when the total count for Sussex was just 8. In the end I found just 4 faded but still feisty males. This is one butterfly that always goes down fighting. They have no chance of meeting further females but still want to beat the living daylights out of anything which approaches too closely.

Summer is now officially here by my own personal definition (first Meadow Brown on Thursday 5th June at Knepp) and the other spring species are also fading fast. Dingy Skippers were barely recognisable and I saw only a handful. Green Hairstreaks were hanging on in reasonable numbers, but they've all lost their shine. Despite us now being in the 'June Gap', there were a couple of new kids on the block. There is a good emergence of Small Tortoiseshell underway and their numbers increased significantly throughout he day. The first (5) Large Skipper are now whizzing about over the slopes.

Most of the Fly Orchids here have now gone over, along with the White Helleborine, but a few Greater Butterfly Orchids are still in stunning condition.

On my way home, I noticed a Red Admiral fly across the road. Then another, and another. Although it was now after 7 pm I saw c.30 from the car between Clymping and Rustington. There has clearly been a significant influx today and they were behaving in that typical, frenetic manner that butterflies sometimes exhibit on landfall. It will be interesting to see how localised or otherwise this event is.

[Neil Hulme]

Nymphalids On Top

Yesterday afternoon (8th June) I took a long walk along the top of the Downs between Chantry Hill and Amberley Mount, in the hope of locating another gorganus Swallowtail. I didn't find my target species but it was interesting to see how markedly the butterfly fauna has changed over the last ten days. Spring butterflies, which occurred in impressive numbers along these slopes, have all but disappeared now. I saw a few Common Blue (8), Speckled Wood (4) and a Brimstone, but nymphalids made most of the running. I counted 18 Red Admiral and 6 Painted Lady, all of which have probably arrived on our shores over the last couple of days. Amongst the 15 Small Tortoiseshell seen there were both aged, overwintered parents and their freshly emerged progeny.

At Amberley Mount I took a look at the dewpond restored by the South Downs National Park Authority in 2013. They've made a lovely job of reinstating this watering hole, which appears in a 1930s painting by local artist Felicia Lieven-Bauwens. Large numbers of farmland birds were dropping in for a drink.

I headed back out in the evening to meet Colin Knight at Rewell Wood. As the light faded we were treated to excellent views of roding Woodcock and 4 Nightjar, including 3 churring males. To finish off we found a Glowworm shining brightly, an all-too-rare sight these days.

[Neil Hulme]

Midhurst Commons

With the June Gap rendering the Downs very quiet for butterflies at the moment, today (10th June) I turned my attention to the heathlands around Midhurst. Silver-studded Blue numbers are building rapidly now, with 17 counted on Stedham Common and 31 over a small part of adjacent Iping Common. There are a few females already laying eggs and eventually I found what I was looking for - a mating pair with both butterflies in perfect condition.

Clouded Buff moths were seen quite regularly, including the less commonly observed female. I also found one of my favourite moth caterpillars, the very beautiful Beautiful Yellow Underwing.

[Neil Hulme]

Black Magic

On Thursday and Friday (12th & 13th June) I spent two long, hot days in some of Oxfordshire's best woodlands. Although there was plenty of other wildlife of interest, including the ubiquitous Red Kite, it was that trickiest of butterflies I was really after - the Black Hairstreak.

In recent years I've had most success with this species at the M40 Compensation Area, and on this trip it produced the goods again. It's a long walk through Bernwood Forest (25 minutes at a good pace), but hardly a chore given the stunning surroundings. The evening before leaving Sussex I had checked over that lump of pig iron I laughingly call a bicycle (despite its lack of gears or brakes it does get me along forest tracks at speed) and all seemed in order. However, as I unloaded it I realised that the rear tyre had managed to work its way off the wheel during my journey. I gave it a Basil Fawlty style thrashing with a cane and proceeded on foot.

The Black Hairstreak had clearly started to emerge a good while back judging by the very worn state of many males, but there were still a few in good order. The females were all in pristine condition with one exception. A conservative count gave me 20 male and 4 female individuals. They were concentrated in two main areas and, as last year, there were many butterflies visiting the flowering privet at the southern end of the site. The other hotspot was near the northern end, close to where a large, red brick structure stands as a monument to the days when car travel through this part of the country was a much more sedate affair. A line of tall ash and field maple trees supported large numbers of male butterflies, usually well out of reach. At one point I could see 9 individuals sitting, tilted to the sun.

I spent the following day here, but it was very quiet until 3.30 pm as it was just too hot for the butterflies to be active. Being chocolate brown means they warm up quickly. When the action did start it came thick and fast, with plenty of good females at low level.

Late on Thursday afternoon I headed over to Whitecross Green Wood (pictured) and stayed until just before 7 pm. The Black Hairstreak was still flying as I left, as were numerous Large Skipper. This was my first visit to the wood and it is undoubtedly very beautiful. However, there is much less good habitat (and fewer hairstreaks) than at the M40 Compensation Area, and I imagine it can get quite tight when more than a couple of photographers assemble around the favoured pond area. On the plus side it's a much shorter walk - 'swings and roundabouts'. In all I got the impression there were 10 - 12 individuals on the wing, although counting is difficult here.

This species is far from easy and it took two very long days to get just a handful of good images. At times the butterfly just melts away for long periods. But when a big, beautiful female Black Hairstreak suddenly drops in front of you, it's guaranteed to set the pulse racing.

[Jack Harrison]

Lovely pictures as always Neil. But I wonder why it's called "Black Hairsteak"? It really is anything but black (except on upperside, which can never be seen). White-letter Hairstreak is possibly a shade darker than Blk.H.

But butterfly names follow no logical rules. Marbled White isn't a white. Scotch Argus has nothing to do with whisky nor is it even an "argus" of the same family as Brown Argus.

Jack

[Willrow]

Black Magic indeed Neil, and your report is both informative and funny, I can just imagine a seemingly eccentric butterflyer thrashing his untrusty cycle in the middle of an English wood...the mind simply boggles

Bill

"When in doubt...venture out"

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Bill,
Two dog-walkers had returned to their cars unnoticed by me; I dread to think what they made of the scene!
BWs, Neil