Andy Wilson

[Andy Wilson]

This afternoon I went to the Tugley Woods / Botany Bay area for the first time this year. Arriving at the Triangle, I found the familiar face of Peter Farrant and spent a very pleasant couple of hours with him. We saw at least 3 Purple Emperors at altitude in the oak and ash trees at this site, but unfortunately none came to ground. One individual with damage to one wing was quite recognisable and was seen a few times. I also saw a few Silver-Washed Fritillary and White Admiral, but neither of them in great numbers. It seems that both of these species are having a poor year.

[Andy Wilson]

This afternoon, my wife and I visited the gallops above Butchershole, East Sussex, for the 3rd time this season. Conditions were a little cool and cloudy to start with, but we soon started to see butterflies. Immediately, it was apparent that there has been a significant emergence of Chalkhill Blue in the past few days. We spent about an hour in the northern section of the gallops and at a conservative estimate, we saw 200+. In some areas, as the sun came out, we saw one every few metres as we walked along. The vast majority were males, but I did spot my first 4 females of the year. I don't know whether this is still just the beginning of the Chalkhill emergence at this site -- only time will tell!

Chalkhill Blue

Chalkhill Blue

Chalkhill Blue (female)

Several other species were also still present in good numbers: Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small Skipper and Small Heath. There has also been a large emergence of Six-Spot Burnet moths, which compete with the Marbled White for nectaring perches, chiefly on Knapweed. We also saw Small Blue (1), Small Copper (2) and Dark Green Fritillary (2).

Small Blue

Marbled White on Knapweed

Marbled White and Six-Spot Burnet sharing a Knapweed flower

Gatekeeper on Bramble

Small Copper and friends on Ragwort

[Andy Wilson]

All good scientists should report negative as well as positive results, so this is one. I covered a large area of the Mount Caburn outlier of the South Downs yesterday afternoon. Conditions were warm and sunny, but with a moderate breeze on the higher slopes. However, it was much warmer down in the sheltered valley of Bible Bottom. I saw several Meadow Brown, a few Marbled White and (what I call) a High Speed Fritillary, but no Chalkhill Blues... not a single one. Normally in breezy conditions they hunker down, but you usually flush up a few as you walk along. The only conclusion I can come to is that they have not started on this site yet, in contrast to Butchershole where they were first seen 2 weeks ago and their emergence is now well under way.

[Andy Wilson]

Yesterday afternoon (July 21st), I visited Butchershole for the 4th time this season. Chalkhill Blue were everywhere and I guess they are at, or possibly just past, their peak. I lost count but I saw several hundred. The total population at this site must run well into the thousands. Females were plentiful as well as males, and I would guess the numbers were about 50/50, unlike my previous visit on July 9th when females were only just starting to emerge. Some of the males are now looking rather worn.

Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper were still present in good numbers, as were Small Skipper. However, Marbled White numbers have now tumbled, and I saw only 6, including one on a thistle flower which was "bereft of life" (the butterfly that is, not the thistle). 2nd generation Common Blue are now starting, and I saw about 20. I also saw Small Blue (6) and a couple of very worn-out Dark Green Fritillary.

[Andy Wilson]

I spent a quick half an hour this afternoon on the lower slopes of Itford Hill, East Sussex. Conditions were very hot -- nearing 30C -- and many of the butterflies seemed to be having a siesta. However, I saw Chalkhill Blue (50+), Common Blue (20+), Meadow Brown (lots) and Gatekeeper (10+). But they weren't what I was looking for...

I finally got lucky and flushed up a single Silver-Spotted Skipper which just flew a few feet and kindly settled on a Scabious flower. Hopefully, there will be more of these to come in the next week or so.

[Andy Wilson]

I love Hemp Agrimony. Not only has it got a silly name that sounds like it is a dodgy bank for cannabis farmers, but it's also a great nectar source for butterflies at this time of year. This Gatekeeper yesterday afternoon near Isfield, East Sussex, was having a good drink.

[Wurzel]

Great Silver Spot Andy, Hemp Agrimony is a great butterfly magnet

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andy Wilson]

I found this little Skipper hanging upside-down on a piece of Bell Heather last Thursday on Black Down. I hope the view of the underside of its antennae confirms that it is an Essex Skipper.

[Andy Wilson]

I visited Butchershole yesterday afternoon for the 5th time this season. Conditions were mainly sunny with a temperature of 22 C, but quite breezy in the more exposed places.

I was pleased to see that Chalkhill Blue are still plentiful and I must have seen several hundred. There was frantic courtship activity with every available female being chased by males, often several of them. Many of the males are now looking quite worn, but there was also a lot of quite fresh ones, suggesting that there has been a late emergence of new individuals.

Common Blue were also plentiful, and at one point I had an ardent courting couple buzzing around me at close quarters for about a minute. However, 2nd-generation Adonis Blue were absent, as least so far.

Marbled White are now over and numbers of Small/Essex Skipper are well down on my previous visit. Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper are still numerous. There are also many fresh Small Heath, which must have gone through an entire life-cycle since my first visit on 1st July. I was also pleased to see several Wall (about 10) flitting along the track at the top (west) side of the gallops, together with a few Small Copper (5).

Finally, I was just leaving the gallops when I broke my Clouded Yellow duck for the year -- just one individual which I disturbed and then wouldn't let me get close enough to photograph. However, that's one more than I saw last year!

[Wurzel]

Congrats on breaking your Cloudy duck Andy I reckon your little Skipper is pretty good for Essex

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andy Wilson]

My wife and I had a nice long walk yesterday, starting along the South Downs Way from Alfriston to Bo Peep, and then back south to High & Over via the Comp. Common Blues were present nearly everywhere we walked, and it was also very nice to see good numbers of Wall along the Comp. There was one every 50 metres or so, often flying along for a while just ahead of us. It was almost as I remember Wall from my teenage days (long ago), when we paid them little attention because they were so common.

I also saw my 2nd Clouded Yellow of the year near High & Over. Just like London buses, you wait ages and then two come along at once! We finished our walk by walking down from High & Over, crossing the Cuckmere to Litlington, where much needed refreshment was obtained at the Plough & Harrow!

[Andy Wilson]

Yesterday afternoon I paid my 6th visit this season to Butchershole. Conditions were very cool, only 17 C, with about 50% cloud cover. Little was flying during the cloudy periods but activity picked up in the sunny intervals. There were still a lot of Common Blue and also quite a few Chalkhill Blue. I was surprised to see that some of the latter are still quite fresh. As suggested in my earlier posts from this site, their emergence must be staggered over the 6-7 weeks of the overall flight period.

Chalkhill Blue

After quite a lot of searching, I also found my first 2nd-brood Adonis Blue of the year at the top of the northern end of the gallops (about TQ552000). At first, he was reluctant to show the full beauty of his wings, but he eventually opened up in the sun for several minutes while I and another enthusiast took several pictures.

Adonis Blue

In all, I saw only 3 Adonis Blue on this occasion, but conditions were not very favourable. Hopefully there will be more in a few days time if the weather warms up, but at least it was nice to see three different species of Blue on the wing at the same time.

[Andy Wilson]

My wife and I did a nice long walk this morning from Steyning up on to the Downs to Chanctonbury Ring and back. I engineered it so we started by going up past the Rifle Range to spend a few minutes looking for Brown Hairstreak. It was a nice warm morning and we saw a few suspects flying at the top of the Ash trees, but no certain ID. We continued on our walk and about 3 hours later found ourselves on the path that runs roughly along the foot of the Downs on the way back to Steyning. At one point, I said to my wife, "This looks like it could be Brown Hairstreak habitat -- several Ash trees and lots of Blackthorn. Keep your eyes peeled." No sooner than I had said it, I spotted something low down in the Blackthorn out of the corner of my eye. I quickly turned to look at it and said, "Blow me down" (or words to that effect!), "It IS a Brown Hairstreak!"

It was a rather faded and damaged female, and I just managed to get a couple of record shots before she flew up into the trees.

Brown Hairstreak (female)

Brown Hairstreak (female underside)

The location was on the footpath south-east of Wiston House at approximately TQ156121. The habitat seemed ideal and I am sure there must be many more in this area -- proving once again that it's not always necessary to go to the well-known hotspots to see interesting butterflies.

[Andy Wilson]

I surveyed my favourite East Sussex site at Friston Gallops above Butchershole today. The most abundant species by far was Small Heath (hundreds), followed by Dingy Skipper (30+). I also saw Common Blue (4), Small Copper (2), Small Blue (1), Wall Brown (4) and a single male Large Skipper, my first of the year.

Large Skipper, Friston Gallops, 28/5/2015

No Adonis Blue were seen, although there were some 2nd-generation individuals here last August.

[Andy Wilson]

The Buddleia bush in my front garden is currently in full flower and attracting many of the usual suspects. However, this afternoon, I noticed an orange butterfly indulging in its nectar. My first thought was that it was a Comma, but something about it made me look again. It turned out to be a somewhat worn male Silver-Washed Fritillary. Definitely a first for my garden and a very welcome surprise.

[David M]

SWF in your garden!! That's worth a few bonus points for sure!

[Andy Wilson]

Some old Frenchman once said, "après moi, le déluge", but after yesterday morning's biblical downpours here in East Sussex, the sun came out and so did this fresh Painted Lady that I found on my Buddleia.

[Andy Wilson]

It's getting late in the season, but I still saw 3 species of Blue flying within a few yards of each other in the sheltered NE corner of Friston Gallops yesterday. Chalk Hill Blues are still present, but nothing like the numbers of a few weeks ago. However, some relatively fresh individuals were there.

Chalk Hill Blue

Common and Adonis Blues were testing my identification skills, especially when they are getting old and faded and the white fringes of their wings are worn away.

Common Blue

Adonis Blue

Can any botanist here confirm the ID of the flower it's on. I think it's a species of Brighteye (Euphrasia).

A rather worn Adonis (?) Blue

It's lost its fringes, but I think the colour is a give-away. Can anyone confirm this?

[millerd]

Andy, the flower is Eyebright or Euphrasia as you said above. Its entry on Wikipedia says that it's semi-parasitic on species of grass, which is interesting. It's certainly a staple nectar source for late-flying chalk downland species.

I reckon that blue is Adonis - as you say the deep colour gives it away. Even when worn it's so much brighter than a Common Blue. Both your Chalkhill and Common Blues seem very fresh for mid-September too!

Dave

[Andy Wilson]

It was a glorious sunny day with no wind, and a temperature of about 14C. With all the excitement about the Long-Tailed Blue at Beeding, I thought I'd check out the pea plants at Newhaven Tidemills. Sadly, I didn't see any LTB's, but I did see a couple of Clouded Yellows. The first one was flying at speed and was a very pale cream, so I'm guessing a female f. helice. I did manage to photo the second, which was a male. The upperside looks quite pale in the picture, but it had the typical golden colour when flying.