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Ferring Rife Springs To Life

Following a blank at North Stoke, where the sun refused to really break through, I moved to Ferring Rife, where 13 Small Tortoiseshell and 4 Peacock were found on the east bank between the car park and first bridge upstream.

Thirteen Tortoiseshells can’t be wrong,Neil. Might be the last ones for a while, though...

Thirteen Small Torts Neil Those are the sort of numbers I'm used to seeing at this time of year and I'm still on 1, fingers crossed we might get some more spring like weather soon

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks, both. As is often the case with March, it turns into a tug-of-war between winter and spring.
It was back to winter again today, but that allowed me the opportunity to get a shot I've been after for years - Wild Daffodils in snow.
BWs, Neil

Your last couple of posts are indicative of how spring has been thus far in 2018, Neil - an array of gleaming adult overwinterers followed by spring bulbs laden with snowfall.

It's certainly been an unusual start to the season.

Barred Tooth-striped Hunt

Last night (25 March) I performed a reconnaissance trip to Mill Hill at Shoreham, to see if the rare Barred Tooth-striped moth (BTS) had started to emerge. Conditions were perfect, being warm and windless. Between 8.15 pm and 9.30 pm (when rain stopped play) I found 17 BTS in fresh condition.

This evening I was joined by Colin Knight and Jonathan Crawford, in an attempt to find the moth over a wider area. It was much harder going this time, with a cold breeze blowing under the clear sky. Although BTS were thinner on the ground, we still managed a healthy combined total of 20, with seven over the previously unsearched southern end of the slope. These are the highest numbers recorded at Mill Hill for some while, and I doubt that the species is at peak yet.

Back To The Rife

Yesterday (26 March) I visited a very wet and boggy North Stoke (wellies essential), where things are taking time to get going; just three Brimstone, one Comma and a Bugboy seen. I then moved to Ferring Rife, where there was much more action under a cloudless sky. 18 Small Tortoiseshell, 7 Peacock and a Red Admiral were found on the east bank, between the beach car park and first footbridge.

Great shots as always Neil 18 Small Torts That's the number I see in good years but over this way we're about two weeks behind so fingers crossed they'll be that many over this way in a fortnight

Have a goodun

Wurzel

That's a perfect looking Tortoiseshell Neil, Colour and every thing perfect, Goldie

Interesting that you are now diversifying into rare moths, Neil. Must admit, I'd never heard of the Barred Tooth-Striped but I see it has a very sketchy distribution throughout the UK.

More familiar is that lovely Small Tortoiseshell. Hopefully they won't all die of cold/inertia and there'll be a few left to delight us when (if) sunshine returns in April!

Hi Neil,

A fascinating report on your search for the Barred Tooth-striped and some great images to go with it. That is one species that I am unlikely to see here in Warwickshire although there have been some scattered historical records in the county and it's status here is currently uncertain.

Lovely Small Tortoiseshell photos too, it always amazes me how fresh some individuals can look after being tucked away for the winter months.

Cheers,

Neil.

Thanks, Wurzel. Late seasons are often good seasons, so I reckon the long wait will be rewarded.
Thanks, Goldie. As a kid I used to take the Small Tortoiseshell for granted. These days I think they're one of our most beautiful butterflies.
Hi David. I try to resist 'the dark side', so just focus on monitoring a couple of rarities, for conservation purposes. Next on the list is Drab Looper.
Thanks, Neil. It's taken me a while to sort out a technique for photographing them - never easy on a steep, unstable slope in the dark!
BWs, Neil

More Barred Tooth-striped

Last night (5 May) I teamed up with South Downs National Park Ranger Jasmine Owen and Sussex Branch webmaster Jonathan Crawford, to perform the third 2018 survey of Barred Tooth-striped at Mill Hill. We started seeing them at c.8.30 pm and it didn't take long to rack up our total of a dozen. However, the increasingly cold and strong breeze soon dampened down activity. Many of the moths are now showing a little wear and tear, but a few are still in very fresh condition.

How are you finding these (obviously) night-flying moths, Neil? Do you take a searchlight out with you?

I'm more used to seeing the results from a moth trap the following day so it's interesting to see these creatures in their natural environment for a change.

Hi David

The Barred Tooth-striped will occasionally come to light-traps, but the best technique for monitoring this species is, as you suggest, by torchlight. On warm (relatively!) windless nights through late March and April, from about 8.15 pm onward, the moths climb up from their daytime hiding places to a height of generally c.1 metre on Wild Privet stems, waiting for a mate.

I do enjoy hunting them out in their natural environment; it's a bit more challenging than emptying out a moth-trap, which is of course essential if you wish to monitor most night-flyers.

There's also ye olde art of 'sugaring' to be considered too, which I used to do as a kid, oblivious to the slightly anti-social business of painting many of our neighbors' gate-posts and fences with black treacle and alcohol.

BWs, Neil

Neil Hulme wrote:The Barred Tooth-striped will occasionally come to light-traps, but the best technique for monitoring this species is, as you suggest, by torchlight. On warm (relatively!) windless nights through late March and April, from about 8.15 pm onward, the moths climb up from their daytime hiding places to a height of generally c.1 metre on Wild Privet stems, waiting for a mate.

Many thanks for the feedback, Neil. That's not something I was hitherto aware of. Does this type of behaviour apply across a wider range of moth species?

Hi David
I believe that BTS is the only species which hangs up on Wild Privet like this.
BWs, Neil

Hot Stuff On The Rife

It was 3 pm before I arrived at Ferring Rife, but it was 6.45 pm before I reluctantly headed home. Today (11 April) was by far the best day this spring and the east bank of the stream was heaving with butterflies.

It was great to bump into Mark from Essex (EB), who had traveled some distance to enjoy this brilliant early season venue, guided by 'The Butterflies of Sussex'. Mark helped me finish my standardised count between the car park and first bridge, which produced 47 Small Tortoiseshell, 15 Peacock, 5 Small White (including 2 mating pairs), 1 Brimstone and 1 Comma. Mark also saw a female Large White just before we met.

However, on the return journey it was clear that many butterflies had been missed during the first pass and we reckoned that there were probably 8 - 10 Small White flying, and at least 80 butterflies on the wing. Although most of the hibernators were showing their age, we found a few that were almost scale-perfect.

Fantastic stuff, Neil! What a great place you have there at Ferring Rife. Fourty -seven Small Tortoiseshell can’t be wrong!

How the other half live Neil We had wall to wall cloud all day yesterday and today as well In fact it's been a week since I saw my last butterfly Mind you 47 Small Torts that's definitely something to be cheerful about

Have a goodun

Wurzel