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Cheers, Wurzel - those Common Blues were tiny yet coped with the wind incredibly well even when chasing each other about. Extraordinary control and reactions in something so small...

Thank you, Trevor. It's certainly very sheltered down there. I went there again after seeing you up at High & Over and down on that path there wasn't a breath of wind and it was very warm indeed. If it stays frost-free by the water then who knows what might survive.

Thanks, Buggy. Mill Hill coming up! (Though Neil H. has got in there with a stonking post about today's explosion of Walls up there... )

On Monday 10th September before my visit to the unusual bit of Sussex seaside, I had dropped into Mill Hill for a look around. It was very windy with few sheltered nooks today, though warm in the sunshine. The butterflies took a while to get going and most were concentrated in the same corner as usual on the main slopes towards the northern end. However, there were other spots on the less steep grassy areas and paths at the top on the hillside which produced butterflies too. However, I saw no Walls in any of the places I walked, and judging from Neil's report from today I must have been just a few days early.

There was plenty else to see though. The main attraction for me was a Clouded Yellow (just the one, though), which spent a lot of time in the sheltered bit mentioned earlier, nectaring on the buddleias or occasionally dropping to the ground when the sun went in. It would then set off on a long loop across the hillside before returning again to repeat the process. There is no point chasing a Clouded Yellow, I've decided. Here's a selection of what else was seen... Fresh third brood Common Blues, Adonis of both sexes still going strong, plenty of Meadow Browns often in little huddles and inluding a mating pair, Small Coppers and Small Heaths.It was good to get close to the Cloudie though... Dave

More great shots Dave, brilliant final close up shot My fave is the one on the Buddleia, shot number 4, with the beautifully curved proboscis

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thank you, Wurzel. It was worth getting in shots from all angles, and managing to get within a couple of centimetres of the butterfly as well - after all they are not something you see every day. I've just noticed why this particular Cloudie seems a bit odd - it seems to lack almost all the pale brown spots you normally see around the hindwings (compare the one from Southwick just a little way up the previous page).

Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th were blank days, the first because of other things going on (a pity as the afternoon became very warm) and the second for want of any sunshine at all.

On the other hand, Thursday 13th September had a very encouraging forecast... I set out into brilliant but chilly sunshine (9 degrees here at 9am), but arrived at my target, High & Over near Seaford, in much warmer conditions. A warm local welcome too, as Trevor was already on site lining up Wall Browns along the hedge at the top of the hill by the viewpoint. Over a couple of hours, we encountered probably just into double figures, with a mix of new and slightly worn individuals. and had five in view more than once. All were male, aside from one female which didn't keep still long enough for either of us to record the moment. As the morning went on, they opened out less and less and became their usual tricky highly active selves.One of their favourite haunts earlier in the day is the set of steps by the viewpoint. It is just possible to make out three individuals here, one per step...Amongst other sightings were Speckled Woods, Small Coppers, a Holly Blue and this extremely worn Clouded Yellow which could barely fly.An excellent morning - great to see you again, Trevor. It's been nearly three months since the heat of Chiddingfold!

On the way back, another look down at Shoreham Harbour (Southwick) seemed like a good idea...

Dave

Nice set of others at Mill Hill, particularly the very blue female Common Blue and good to see a strong third brood of Walls at High & Over once again. I think that final Cloudie is a female, something I've yet to see this year.

More great shots of those Walls Dave and another Cloudy I've only seen one of those (in the UK) all year Those Walls are really fresh looking too, almost 'mint condish' I see what you mean about the Cloudy previously, could that be wear, perhaps those scales come away first leaving the yellow scales beneath?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Great sequence, Dave. Those Wall Browns are a delight to see and any Clouded Yellow is a bonus, irrespective of its condition.

Cheers, all! Walls and Cloudies make a great postscript to the season, and a few new Common Blues as well make things very colourful too.

With regard to those spots, Wurzel, I think they do diminish with age, but I reckon that individual didn't start with many as it's not all that worn. At least, not compared to the one from High & Over...

So... Thursday 13th September (continued).
Making a slight detour on the way back home from High & Over, I had another look at the harbourside at Southwick again. It was much less windy today and very warm down there in the sunshine, and immediately I disturbed a basking Comma - which promptly disappeared. However, the first of two patrolling Clouded Yellows very soon hove into view (almost a very apt geographical pun there... ), and I resolved to be patient and wait for one or other to coincide with me walking past as the sun went in. In the meantime I found a very bright Small Copper......and several brand new Common Blues, one of which took flight as soon as I pressed the shutter.I then found another Small Copper, striking a splendid autumnal pose on the brambles.Anyway, patience paid off as one of the Cloudies whizzed past me and immediately the light dimmed as the sun was dicing with some thin cloud. I watched the butterfly start to select a suitable spot to settle down and followed it until it finally did so. After a couple of false starts with clearly substandard terrain, it made its choice.As I took the shots, the light gradually improved, changing the colour of the butterfly with more sunshine leading to deeper yellow hues. Finally, some views of the site - in bright sunshine, carefully leaving out the power station and dockside paraphernalia immediately opposite, it scrubs up quite well! Dave

Great sequence Dave showing the colour changing with the light levels - they go from a limey to bright yellow Like the almost pun

Have a goodun

Wurzel

You make that tiny strip of green look huge in those final pictures

Wall Browns and Clouded Yellows in one day, in September !.
Not many Counties can offer that.
Pleased you found a well behaved Cloudie.

Trevor.

Love the Cloudies Dave and the Wall's, right now here, it would be good to see a White Goldie

Superb, Dave. I'm still hoping a Cloudie or two will make its way to my neck of the woods, although with a stormy week forecast that's probably wishful thinking.

Cheers, Wurzel - it made an interesting study, quite by accident of course. With the sun out for the last one, the butterfly took off within a few seconds of it being taken. Glad you appreciated the almost pun. I thought it might brighton up your day...

Well, Buggy, it just shows the old saying that "the camera never lies" is not exactly true... I was quite pleased with the last view in particular - almost a picture postcard image.

Thanks, Trevor - Sussex has a lot to offer at this time of year, and that Cloudie was a particularly fine offering.

I thought the northwest might be suffering a bit, Goldie. Hopefully there's still a bit of decent weather to come up there too so you can see some more Tortoiseshells to make me envious!

Thank you, David. I think you'd have to be lucky enough to find some home-grown ones, offspring of an earlier arrival. You never know - they can pop up anywhere...

Friday 14th September: time and weather conspired to leave me with a late afternoon accelerated amble round part of my local patch. A few whites and Speckled Woods were flying, plus the surprise of a nicely marked female Common Blue. There have been a few fresh-looking males, but this is the first female of roughly the same vintage. Dave

Saturday 15th September provided me with a bit more time, and the weather was better too. I had a longer local walk in the morning to start off with, highlighted by a sighting of the first Small Tortoiseshell for some while. However, it took off with the wind as soon as I approached it and goodness knows where it went. Aside from that it was back to the usual suspects: Common Blue numbers are rising again as newer individuals appear - I would guess a definite third brood.In amongst the very worn Brown Argus was a single new one - also third brood I would imagine.There were whites (mostly Small as usual), Speckled Woods and a handful of Small Heaths.Finally, as ever, there were Small Coppers spread out along the whole walk.However, the surprise here was that the one I've seen regularly nearest home was not around - but apparently it had been usurped by a different individual! That still left the afternoon for another trip somewhere...

Dave

Hi, Dave. Just realised I hadn't looked at your PD in a while. I ended up looking through the entire current page! Fantastic set of Wall Brown shots and you managed to capture what I had missed this year - A Clouded Yellow with wings open!

I also found your sequence of Clouded Yellow shots in different lighting conditions interesting. I have recently had the same experience with Grayling. The depth of colour change between shade and full sun can be astonishing.

That certainly MUST be a third brood Brown Argus, Dave. Excellent find!

Your Common Blues are still looking decent too. Ours in south Wales have all but gone, sadly.

Nice find in that third brood Brown Argus, Dave the present weather is helping, although it's a bit breezy. Nice Cloudies and Wall Browns in your recent post too.

Mike

Thanks, Ernie - that Cloudie only opened for a fraction of a second, and it happened to coincide with me hitting the shutter - a fluke in other words! The lighting effects seem particularly marked with certain species, and the yellow in the sunlight appears to have an affinity for the yellow in a Cloudie. That series of shots was an unintended accident too...

Cheers, David. Third brood Common Blues are appearing in several places I've visited recently, but that is the first third brood Brown Argus I've seen anywhere this year. It happens round here about one year in three that I'll find one or two. I hope there may be more considering how good the second brood has been, and the widespread germination of tiny cranesbill plants after the return of a bit of rain in August.

Thank you Mike - the season seems far from over yet I'm glad to say. As mentioned above, the return of some rain has led to the sprouting and flowering of another round of plants in many places. This has included a major flush of thistles, ox-eye daisies and even ragwort, providing nectar sources that normally would be fast disappearing at this time of year.

The afternoon of Saturday 15th September turned into another trip to Denbies. It was fairly warm, but breezy (of course) and with blue sky all around clouds were bowling along the line of the ridge and messing with the sunshine. This often happens here if the wind is roughly parallel to the slope or very slightly upslope.

By far the commonest butterfly today was the Small Heath. They were around across the slopes in various sizes and shades of grey and sand.Seen today for the first time in several recent visits was the Small Copper - I should hope so too since it's been turning up everywhere else recently!However, aside from that there was really only one other species flying - Adonis Blues, and nearly all females as well. In amongst them was perhaps one I would say was a Chalkhill female......but all the others were Adonis, including some quite fresh and attractive individuals with quite large areas of blue scales.The males were much more forlorn, but included an aberrant on the krodeli theme. Dave

The 'blue' gene in the female Adonis does seem to be particularly strong on the denbies population I've noticed since I started going there over the past few years. You certainly captured some stunners!

Lovely looking Brown Argus in the last post Dave And the second Adonis female down is a cracking looking individual I'd go with Chalkhill for that one as well

Have a goodun

Wurzel