www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Holme-next-the-Sea 29 July

Circa 10 Graylings on boardwalk (actually boards are covered) about 800 metres west of visitor centre.

Walls x 3 and Brown Argus (first for me this year) in "valley" below boardwalk.

Painted Lady one - at last.

Jack

Hi all,
Here's a report just sent to the BC Sussex website following a rather special day at Newtimber Hill (28 species!), just inside the West/East Sussex boundary. The landscape shot is taken from the West facing slope and at the top of the next nearest Down (Devil's Dyke) is a bar that comes highly recommended for a 'sundowner' - the views are breathtaking. This venue is well worth a visit, and there are also Brown Hairstreaks on the northern face (not seen yet this year).

News for Monday 28 July 2008: A trip to Newtimber Hill in sweltering hot conditions produced my most impressive tally of butterflies this year. Silver-spotted Skipper (50+), Large Skipper (2), Small Skipper (50+), Essex Skipper (not counted), Painted Lady (2), Small Tortoiseshell (5), Red Admiral (3), Peacock (16), Comma (4), Dark Green Fritillary (2), Green-veined White (4), Small White (9), Large White (19), Brimstone (3), Speckled Wood (2), Gatekeeper (50+), Meadow Brown (50+), Ringlet (1), Marbled White (16), Small Heath (2), Purple Hairstreak (3), Small Copper (1) Common Blue (7), Brown Argus (2), Chalkhill Blue (22), Adonis Blue (3), Holly Blue (1) and last, but by no means least, my second UK LARGE TORTOISESHELL. This glided past me around the slope, about level with my feet. Unlike the very obliging specimen I found at Littlehampton Bridge last year, this one wasn't going to stop for a mugshot! The female Silver-spotted Skippers are already out in force (there are far more SSSK than the 50 I counted up to) and I watched repeated 'rejections', successful 'couplings' and egg-laying. The males are being their usual, aggressive selves, constantly squabbling and regularly attacking the numerous Burnets. Migrant moths included Hummingbird Hawkmoth (3) and Silver Y. Neil

I should add that there was considerable trampling beyond the path towards the bottom of Hazelbury common. If you're a regular there and following this thread, take a bit of extra care and follow the well worn tracks. With a bit of patience you WILL get better, less cluttered shots when the butterflies venture to the track edges.

eccles wrote:I should add that there was considerable trampling beyond the path towards the bottom of Hazelbury common. If you're a regular there and following this thread, take a bit of extra care and follow the well worn tracks. With a bit of patience you WILL get better, less cluttered shots when the butterflies venture to the track edges.

I hope to get there one day next week Mike. You up for a day out?

Cheers
Denise

Hi Jack,
Thanks. I didn't mention the Newtimber sighting in the other thread for diplomatic reasons, given it's timing! But I'm very happy! Going back there today with others to have a thorough search. Good strong wind yesterday, so fingers crossed!
Neil

I am still confined to garden Butterflies but managed to shuffle down to the Buddleia which was adornded with at least 10 peacocks. The largest number I have seen in one place for a while.
Plenty of Whites, 1 comma, 1 Red Admiral, speckled woods , the usual crowd but for the first time ever a small Skipper in my garden. It briefly stopped to check out the petunias then carried on its way.

Angie

Hello,

Great pic of a Silver-spotted Skipper. Not known from the local downs at Shoreham (Sussex). The food plant is there, but it has never been sheep pasture on the Nature Reserve and the rest of land has been spoiled.

Does anybody know this moth please?
Small unidentified moth (probably a common species)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoreham/2716933801/

From the downs, Shoreham. It could be associated with both Wild Privet and the garden variety. Small.
It is expected to be a common species, but I failed to identify it before.


Mill Hill 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/MillHill2008.html
Shoreham Bank 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/VetchTrail2008.htm

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes (including Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex)
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
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first time i have seen this sort of behaviour, like something you see on the tv. they where on water logged ground at the edge of snakeholme pit lincs on a very hot sunday 27.07.07. whilst there i was told of an illegal release of scotch argos in the meadow at chambers farm wood, some people seeing 5 ind.

....an illegal release of scotch argus in the meadow at chambers farm wood...

It is doubtful that it will take as all natural localities are in areas of high rainfall. Lincolnshire is one of the drier areas of the country (if you live there, as I did once, you might find that hard to believe, but it's fact). However, if Scotch Argus does by any chance survive at Chambers Farm Wood, there will never be any confusion as to its origin, the nearest natural site being several hundred kilometres away.

Jack