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Third Brood Wall Spectacular

It is now necessary to pick sites very carefully, as many locations are almost devoid of butterflies. This was the case when I dropped in to look at Chantry Hill recently (23rd September), hoping for third brood Brown Argus. A quick change of venue did the trick, but by now Mill Hill was cooling down and I just managed to catch up with a couple of freshly emerged, third brood Wall before they turned in for the night. The following day I headed back there, just as the weather collapsed. However, I flushed a sufficiently large number of Wall from the areas of broken turf to suggest that they are having a very strong third flight here.

This morning (25th September) the weather was perfect, with just enough cloud to induce periods of less frenetic activity. I was just about to give Colin Knight a ring, when he called me from the car park, having just arrived to perform his last transect of the year. His timing was perfect, and we enjoyed a real late season Wall spectacular. A thorough search of the upper, middle and lower levels, including a perilous zigzag across the main slope, produced 34 beautiful Wall Brown, mostly in good condition. Females were busy at work and I watched one deposit her large, off-white, globular egg on a single blade of grass, overhanging a hollow.

Also on show were 4 Clouded Yellow (2 in excellent condition), 5 Common Blue, 6 Small Heath, 1 Brown Argus, 1 Small Copper, 2 Comma, 1 Red Admiral, 8 Meadow Brown, 1 Small White and 1 Large White. Not bad for late September!

Simply stunning Neil - and to make those shots even better they're off such a 'difficult' butterfly

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Amazing how certain parts of the UK can throw up fresh specimens of species that are absent elsewhere.

I think I'd have a heart attack if I saw Wall Browns in late September in south Wales.

I'm extremely envious.

Thanks both. Wurzel, the Wall has always been my nemesis as far as photography is concerned, and I've always maintained that life is too short to try and photograph the bug*er. A lot of hurt has been put to rest over the last couple of days!
BWs, Neil

Some more images of our morning with the Wall Brown on Colin Knight's great blog here http://colinknight.blogspot.co.uk/

Great stuff Neil. The 3rd brood is having its best year I have known, and not only in their normal 3rd brood sites. The 2nd brood was early enough to make a good 3rd brood a real possibility and anywhere that the Wall Brown is found earlier in the year can produce the 3rd brood this year, including my garden!!

Thanks Bob. I agree that the early start to the season (helped no doubt by good weather, including this Indian Summer) has encouraged a full-blown and strong third flight, rather than a 'partial' brood, but I'm not seeing them on all Wall sites. The third brood still seems to be restricted mainly to the warmer locations (at least in West Sussex), whereas the north-facing, cooler sites lag behind just sufficiently to preclude an autumn emergence. That said, I'm sure you're right in saying that some locations, which sit between these two extremes, are producing autumn Wall, when they usually don't. There are probably more of these 'intermediate' sites on your East Sussex patch than I have over my way, as you have much more open downland with west and east-facing aspects.

The most striking example in West Sussex is the difference between Mill Hill and Steyning Rifle Range, with second brood Wall on the latter site lagging 10 - 14 days behind the former, despite being only about 8 Km apart. That difference in timing appears to be just enough to discount a third brood at Steyning (I've looked), despite a burgeoning population. It's a case of 'nearly, but not quite'. I'll be interested to read your Species Champion account this year, particularly an analysis of the wider occurrence of these atypical, late Wall.

I'll keep an eye on Steyning, and if it does produce any third brood specimens it will represent a very notable 'first'.

Hope to catch up with you at one of the BC Sussex socials this autumn - it's been a while!

BWs, Neil

As always, a splendid insight into a particular species. Wall Brown epitomizes my own childhood on the Norfolk Coast. A 3rd brood occurred then in some years, eg after the hot summer of 1947!!!! (Seems like just last week!)

Your photos Neil continue to amaze and impress. I recently saw a winner of a wildlife photography contest: a rather mundane shot of a Greylag Goose and thought just how many of the pictures on ukb are far superior. But your Wall Brown:



really takes some beating. A very difficult subject captured to perfection.

Thank you Neil for reminding me of my youth nearly 70 years ago.....

By the way, your recent scenic shots of Kynance Cove weren't too bad either

Jack

Brilliantly said,Jack! These Wall pictures are simply stunning!

David M wrote:Amazing how certain parts of the UK can throw up fresh specimens of species that are absent elsewhere.

I think I'd have a heart attack if I saw Wall Browns in late September in south Wales.

I'm extremely envious.

I saw a relatively fresh Wall Brown on the Gower on the 16th - it wouldn't surprise me if there were a few more about on the south coast.

Hi Neil
You have stunned us with some of your images in the past,but THAT shot of the Wall brown is something else.
I get the impression that Mr.Harrison is only slowly recovering from seeing it!.
all the best TREVOR

Many thanks Jack. Your comments are really appreciated. I think that the Wall, along with the Small Tortoiseshell, hold special memories of youth for many folk, as they were so widespread in 'the good old days'. We probably took them for granted when growing up, but they clearly became entrenched in our hearts.

Thanks also to Mark (essexbuzzard), Matsukaze and Trevor for your comments.

BWs, Neil

I've yet to see better shots any where of a wall butterfly Neil, come to that I've only seen two Wall all year and your looking at a third brood as well, fantastic Neil. Goldie

Hi Neil,

Superb Wall Brown images, I can't get out of the habit of calling them that, just 'Wall' doesn't seem right to me somehow. I totally agree with Jacks comments about that one photo, just the right amount of background to provide interest and context, yet nicely isolated from it.

Cheers,

Neil

Thanks Goldie and Neil. I paid another brief visit to Mill Hill this afternoon (30th September) and although I didn't perform a thorough search, I still saw at least 20 Wall spread over the upper, middle and lower levels, including 6 or 7 egg-laying females. I think the Wall will be 'last man standing' in Sussex this year, apart from the odd hibernators. There were still 3 or 4 Clouded Yellow present too.
BWs, Neil

HI,Neil,
Many thanks for the prompt reply re.Abbots wood.
You mentioned infrequent visits to that location,how about an out of season walk around the site.I am sure you could assess
its suitability for His Majesty.Glad to meet you there any time.
All the best TREVOR.

Hi Trevor,
Thanks. I'll let you know if I can get over there, but it's a very busy time of year for work parties and advising on habitat management, so it might be in the late winter/early spring.
BWs, Neil

Still plenty of Walls at Mill Hill. Saw about 20 today.

Hi Mick,
I'm pleased to hear that you caught up with the Wall at Mill Hill. I hope you got some good shots of this notoriously tricky species. After filling my boots over a couple of days I failed to get a single, decent image during my next visit - a return to 'business as usual'!
BWs, Neil

Back Garden Butterflies

During the brief spells of sunshine between showers this afternoon (8th October), two Red Admirals cavorted around my back garden, occasionally settling on my Fatsia japonica. With my ivy still to flower, I'm hoping they will become regular visitors over the next few weeks.