www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks, Wurzel. Plenty more Hairstreaks to come!
Hi Trevor. Blink and you'll miss the transition from winter to mid spring.
Thanks, David. I expect to see the heat suppression of butterfly activity in the midsummer months, but it's seldom observed in April.
BWs, Neil

Green Party In The Dyke

Yesterday (20 April) I visited the lower section of Devil's Dyke (Brighton & Hove), which consistently produces good numbers of Green Hairstreak. It's still early days, but I found a total of 11 males holding territories on low scrub beside the main path.

A move to Mill Hill produced a few Grizzled Skipper, but by now butterfly activity was again being suppressed by the heat. On the way home I stopped off at Wiston, where half-a-dozen male Orange-tip and a few Green-veined White were patrolling the damp meadows.

Lovely Hair Streaks Neil, we're still waiting for Holly Blue's, and Speckies here. Goldie

Fabulous, Neil. Things are absolutely moving in the right direction, and I strongly suspect the next species you will showcase for us will be PBF at one of your managed sites.

Hi Neil,
It was good to see you, briefly, at Wiston today. Andrew and I carried on to Mill Hill where we got some good pictures of basking Grizzled Skippers.

Would you mind giving out a grid reference or Google maps co-ordinates for your Green Hairstreak location near Devils Dyke? I don't think I recognise it from your photo.

Cheers
John

Thanks, all.
John: page 251 of The Butterflies of Sussex will give you the grid refs for the best areas. The book provides detailed locations for every Sussex species (in most cases top five sites) in a 'Where to watch' summary box.
BWs, Neil

Neil: John: page 251 of The Butterflies of Sussex will give you the grid refs for the best areas. The book provides detailed locations for every Sussex species (in most cases top five sites) in a 'Where to watch' summary box.

I like the style. Now they will HAVE to buy the book
Jack

South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service Walk

On Saturday (21 April) I led a walk for the South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service, to thank them for all the hard work they've performed at 'Pete's Wood' (Small Dole) over the last three winters. Although still to peak, there was a fine display of Bluebells on show, together with an abundance of other spring flowers. Butterflies seen included Orange-tip and Holly Blue. The remnants of an old coppice worker's truck lie among the Bluebells, abandoned in the days when woodlands were more regularly managed, but I'm pleased to say that, here at least, the Hazel is being cut again.

Great set of Greenstreaks Neil I'm eagerly awaiting your first report of PBFs as I can then work out when to head to Bentley - usually the following weekend

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks, Wurzel. At the moment I'd pencil in the weekend of 5/6 May for your first attempt at Bentley.
BWs, Neil

The Art Of Camouflage

On Sunday (22 April) afternoon I visited Mill Hill to see how the Grizzled Skipper population is faring, which is rather better than last year. I found the first one on the middle level, before even reaching the steps when approaching from the lower car park. I made a linear count of 8 before reaching the favoured north end of the lower level, by which time they were collecting to roost. Here, I found a further 6 already asleep or preparing for bed. I think my closed-wing shot demonstrates why the underside pattern affords such excellent camouflage in this species.

Cheers for the heads up Neil, I was thinking around then as that is the 'usual time', also it's the Bank Holiday

Have a goodun

Wurzel

So envious Neil of your Grizzled Skipper, if I can get to see one this year it will make my year, they're so far a way from us in the North Goldie

Hi Wurzel. Will you be going by Lambretta or Vespa?
Hi Goldie - Grizzlies are well worth travelling for.
BWs, Neil

Roadside Orange-tips

It was overcast, cool and blustery as I drove past the damp meadow at Wiston this afternoon (23 April), but I stopped anyway and am glad that I did. Although nothing was flying, a systematic search of the Cuckooflower and Garlic Mustard in the roadside ditch soon started to produce the goods; I found 4 male and a female Orange-tip at roost. A glimmer of sunshine encouraged a male Speckled Wood to briefly open its beautiful wings. On a sunny day I might have waited for several hours to achieve the same results.

How the hell did you get an underside shot of malvae looking upwards into a clear blue sky, Neil?

Your butterfly 'alchemy' is almost supernatural.

It’s perhaps perverse to come all the way to Sussex to see Orangetips, when I can see them in my garden. But those meadows, and the banks near Five Oaks, look such lovely habitat, I might be tempted! They have such a short season, every day should be treasured!

Hi David
I always think that the key to butterfly photography is field craft - the more of the critters you find, the more and better the opportunities. On this occasion I found six sleepy Grizzleds in about ten minutes, but only this one was sitting in the right place for a skyward shot. These deadheads are about a metre tall, so you can get down low enough (assuming a degree of flexibility) to shoot upwards. As the butterfly appeared very dark against the blue sky, I used (very soft) flash to illuminate it.

Hi Mark (EB)
Orange-tips are so often seen as widely wandering individuals that locating sufficient to provide good photographic opportunities can be hit-and-miss. Luckily, in West Sussex we are blessed with large areas sitting on Weald Clay, which retains surface moisture and provides plenty of beautiful damp meadows, woodland edges and, most importantly, wet ditches. Cuckooflower and Garlic Mustard occur in such abundance that we're probably blessed with far more than our fair share of Orange-tips, making it relatively easy to find 'sitters' even on a dull day. Just one of many good reasons to visit West Sussex! Drop me a line if you come this way for an Orange-tip hunt.

BWs, Neil

Neil Hulme wrote: I always think that the key to butterfly photography is field craft - the more of the critters you find, the more and better the opportunities. On this occasion I found six sleepy Grizzleds in about ten minutes, but only this one was sitting in the right place for a skyward shot. These deadheads are about a metre tall, so you can get down low enough (assuming a degree of flexibility) to shoot upwards. As the butterfly appeared very dark against the blue sky, I used (very soft) flash to illuminate it.

Thanks for the insight, Neil. I've seen some of the overseas pyrgus settling a metre or more up, but normally our malvae keeps near the ground, so you did really well to get that image.

Thanks, Neil. I might just do that early next week, weather permitting. Your habitat down there is very different to what I’m used to, where Orangetips are a hedgerow species, and use garlic mustard as their foodplant. To see them in your habitat, using cuckoo flowers,would be a pleasure.