29 March 2012
Encouraged by the reports of others, I visited Mill Hill and quickly spotted my first Grizzled Skipper of the year flying around on the northern part of the lower slopes. It might not have been so easy to spot to newcomers as there were scores of smaller day-flying pyralid moths. Other butterflies on the approaches were one male Orange-tip and two Brimstones on the Waterworks Road with three Peacocks, a Comma on the Stinging Nettles on the western part of the Pixie Path; and at the top of Chanctonbury Drive, two Speckled Woods sparred over the Cherry Plum Blossom. There were at least a couple more of restless Brimstones and a few more Peacocks on the lower slopes of Mill Hill in the middle of the day sunshine.
Six species
28 March 2012
A Small White Butterfly flew over Frampton Lane in Old Shoreham. On cue, a male Orange Tip Butterfly flew along the Waterworks Road and made a few visits to the Sweet VIolets. Except, although half expected it was early, the first time I have seen this attractive butterflyin March. A few minutes later as I waited for the Orange Tip to briefly settle from its endless wandering up and now the lane, I spotted my first Small Tortoiseshell of the year, with its wings closed (an then opening briefly), on a patch of Ground Ivy. A Peacock Butterfly landed on the same Ground Ivy and the Small Tortoiseshell flew off.Then along came the most magnificent large Brimstone Butterfly I had ever seen cruised by without stopping. A worn Comma Butterfly fluttered by and then landed on the road. My first Green-veined White Butterfly of the year courted the Orange-tip and I could see it was twice the size of its erroneous partner. This was another first for March. There was no sign of any Garlic Mustard (larval food plant of the Orange-tip). Common Bee-Flies, Bombylius major, were frequently seen.
Seven species
27 March 2012
I recorded ten different butterfly species in a day, which I cannot recall ever doing before during the month of March. In just a couple of hours at Mill Hill (Shoreham) I counted four Grizzled Skipper (first of the year), one Orange Tip (first of the year), one Speckled Wood, one Holly Blue ((first of the year), one Brimstone, one Small White, 14 Peacock, one Red Admiral, two Small Tortoiseshell and two Comma. The day-flying moths Pyrausta pupuralis and Pyrausta despicata were both present in good numbers, along with the odd Pyrausta nigrata.
Report by Neil Hulme on Sussex Butterfly Reports
I was surprised to find a freshly emerged Grizzled Skipper on Mill Hill. There were also half a dozen Peacocks and a Small Tortoiseshell.
Report by Tim Newman on Sussex Butterfly Reports
26 March 2012
I was surprised by an early Small White Butterfly, my first of the year over the twitten at the end of Gordon Avenue, by the Hamm Road allotments in residential Shoreham. At the top of the Pixie Path (by the hedge, the only part visited) the bright yellow of my first Brimstone Butterfly of the year was unmissable as the first of the Peacock Butterflies fluttered around. On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, there were at least two more Brimstones and at least four more Peacocks (one visiting the Sweet Violets), with at least one more of each over the scrub near the gate to Old Erringham. Small pyralid moths were frequently seen flitting amongst the violets on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, with Pyrausta nigrata, Pyrausta pupuralis and Pyrausta despicata seen very clearly and all three species definitely identified. This was the earliest and the first time in March I seen any of these three species. The micro-moth Violet Cosmet, Pancalia leuwenhoekella, was spotted on a Sweet Violet flower. On my return from a full visit to Mill Hill (passage trek over the top) I noted my first Speckled Wood Butterfly of the year at the top of Chanctonbury Drive.
A Common Bee-Fly, Bombylius major, (first of the year) was spotted over the path amongst the Hawthorn scrub on Mill Hill.
Four butterfly species
23 March 2012
Small Tortoiseshell (first of the year), Peacock and Comma Butterflies were seen in the sunshine on the Lancing Ring hillside. There seemed to be a Peacock around every corner and Comma’s were almost as frequent. The two Small Tortoishell’s I saw were in among the nettle beds near the cemetery.
Report & Images by Ray Hamblett on Friends of Lancing Ring
The sunshine came out in the afternoon when I decided to visit Lancing Ring where a pair of Comma Butterflies courted over flowering Gorse in a clearing in the clump (two of the three seen).
22 March 2012
In north Lancing, Andy Brook noted the first Comma Butterfly of the year in a hedge outside of the Old Forge on the corner of Mill Road and Manor Road.
21 March 2012
A Peacock Butterfly fluttered over the cyclepath halfway between Old Shoreham and the Cement Works.
19 March 2012
A Red Admiral Butterfly flew over the top of Chanctonbury Drive (SE of Mill Hill), only my second species of butterfly seen this year.
Report on the Mill Hill Blog
12 March 2012
Under a blue sky and weak sunshine (14.6 °C) the Sweet Violets were flowering on Mill Hill, where I saw two Peacock Butterflies (my first two butterflies of the year), one flying across the road at the top of the hill and another one fluttering over the lower slopes.
Adur Butterflies
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterflies.htm
Adur Butterfly Flight Times
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterflies1X2009.htm
Mill Hill Reports 2012
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/MillHill2012.html
Mill Hill and its Butterflies
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/MillHill2009Article.htm
First Adur Butterfly Dates 2003 to 2012
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/ButterfliesFFT.htm
Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2012.html
Cheers
Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2012.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: March 2012
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/March2012.html
Sussex Downs Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111843132181316