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Love all those open-wing shots of the Brown Hairstreak and your Sussex Hairstreak gallery. What a great achievement that was!
Plus that spider...

Many thanks Dave, Mark & Ernie for your comments.
i think others would agree that Steyning has performed very well this year.

The morning weather forecast was for more grey gloom today, with possible sunny intervals.
So you can imagine my delight when the cloud melted away at about 10.00.
This left it a bit late to travel far, so a I chose Rowland Wood. My second Butterfly sighting
was a Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, found in double quick time of arrival.

There was quite a lot of variety to be seen today, including many worn Common Blues,
a respectable, late, Gatekeeper,a pair of mating Small Heaths, two Brimstones and a
fresh pair of Small Coppers, male and female. Hope they find one another !.
As I was leaving a Large White posed perfectly for the camera.

Trevor.

What a fantastic Brown Hairstreak selection Trevor, love the top down shot.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Brown Haistreaks, Andrew, so here's some more !.

The forecast cloudy day was actually better than the weather girl suggested.
So another trip to Steyning Rifle Range it was !. I was very surprised to find no one else present on arrival.
Indeed I had the site to myself for most of the morning, I met a local man who could only spend an hour,
and a couple from Hertfordshire who had never seen a BH before, they were later delighted when a worn,
egg laying BH was pointed out to them.
The Sun appeared in fits and starts, so it was not surprising the only six female BH were found, of which
I spotted four. Fortunately all four were in superb condition.
My visit was cut short when the sky turned completely grey, and some very fine drizzle began to fall.

Trevor.

It really seems like the place to be this year for those guys, Bookham has been very poor this year so far. I feel a trip into deepest Sussex maybe on the cards!

Fantastic Brostreaks Trevor It seems that a change in the weather has actually been a good thing as they've started to open up

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Wow! You've been filling your boots with Brown Hairstreaks lately, Trevor. Actually, my favourite is that gleaming Small Copper which sports hindwing spikes which could pass as tails! A lovely specimen.

Once the weather had improved this afternoon I went over to Park Corner Heath,
particularly to search the patch of Heather by the hut. This is often a good area
for both nectaring and resting Small Pearls. None were present, but a lovely Small Copper
flew in and busied itself on the Heather.
Wandering over to Rowland Wood many Small Heaths flew up as I walked, and indeed
joined the worn Common Blues on the Fleabane. It was here that a female SPBF was found
nectaring, much further on I spotted another female SPBF, OR was it a second specimen ?.
Examining my images I am sure it was the first Butterfly that was seen again. If it was the
same one it had flown quite a long way between sightings.

Trevor.

That does look like the same butterfly, Trevor, and what a nice-looking individual it is too. It seems very odd though to look at images of SPBF at the tail end of August... A definite bonus.

Dave

I reckon (along with Dave) that your first instinct is spot on Trevor - how far had it flown between sightings? Great to see that you can get two cracks at the SPBF whip

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Almost certainly the same SPBF, Trevor, but to see one at this stage of the year is quite something.

Excellent find!

It is amazing to see a SPBF at this time of the year, well found, Trevor

Mike

trevor wrote:I'm glad you enjoyed the Brown Haistreaks, Andrew, so here's some more !.

Nice!
I went to Steyning last w/e, hoping that the sketchy weather forecast might be wrong. Not this time and nowt was seen.
But it was my first time there and it was still good to suss out the lay of the land. Good to see the SPBF.

Many thanks for your input everyone, so it is the same female SPBF.

This morning I explored a narrow country lane very close to my home.
For the first time ever I took a public footpath off the lane, which although
well sign posted, fizzled out over some fields. The styles are in a dangerous condition,
and one was even topped off with barbed wire !.
This gave a spooky atmosphere to the right of way, as though the landowner might
not welcome visitors walking across the fields.
But the walk did reveal a male and female Small Copper, and a very patient Small Heath.
And lots of flighty Speckled Woods.

Trevor.

Lovely shots of the Small Copper Trevor That is a typical trick of some landowners that do't want you using the public right of way; let the styles and the path fall into disrepair

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Beautiful Coppers, Trevor. I’m hoping we’ll all see another brood of these over the next few weeks.

That female Copper is a particularly handsome lady, doesn't look more than a day old

Catching up on all the posts these days the weather here has been really bad so not too many Butterflies,so it's a pleasure to see your's Trevor, Goldie

Many thanks everyone, hope you enjoy today's finds as well !.

Nothing could have prepared me for today.
In order to be ahead of the holiday traffic I set out for Wiltshire just before 6.30 this morning.
I had a brilliant journey, and was well ahead of time passing through Tilshead, Wilts.
It was far too early to call at my Daughters, so I paid a visit to the military site near Tilshead to see what was about.
This a very large area of tall grass land which has performed in the past.
To say that the area was heaving with Adonis Blues is an understatement, they were every where.
Many had been out for sometime, but many fresh ones were found as well, particularly females.
Common Blues were in the minority and Brown Argus were showing well too.

A fantastic morning, and it got better............
Trevor.

Lovely new female Adonis there, Trevor - tricky to find in such good condition.

Dave