Neil Hulme

[Allan.W.]

Hello Neil ,
Ditto ,what Pete just posted ! Like yourself i spent a fair amount of time watching Robberflies on the downs last season ,i saw two species ,Hornet robberfly and about a dozen of a smaller beastie ,which seemed to be fairly numerous on this particular site ,but couldn,t ID them for sure ,as being
Downland Robberflies , i found several pairs including one which was dining on a Cranefly whilst in-cop !
Didn,t see any Butterfly kills,the flies were too busy doing other things !
Regards Allan.W.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Pete and Allan.
I'll soon be posting some images of the awesome Hornet Robberfly, one of which is possibly my favourite non-butterfly pic of all-time.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

2020 Retrospective (Hornet Robberfly)

I've always been impressed by the size (2.5 cm), appearance and hunting skills of the Hornet Robberfly, although I've usually seen far more of them in East Sussex than on my local patch. I took the images below at Home Brow near Ditchling Beacon (East Sussex) while performing one of many surveys for the South Downs National Park Authority last year. The first image reminds me of a Leopard in a tree with its Impala kill!

However, it was much closer to home, on the chalk grassland sweep of Long Furlong at Findon, where I made my highest ever count (9 individuals) of this species. This came as a surprise, as I've never seen the Hornet Robberfly here, despite having known these slopes well since the 1970s; I visited the site almost daily throughout the school summer holidays.

During my surveys here, I also encountered two more new colonists. Chalk Hill Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper are clearly becoming firmly established at Long Furlong, following the introduction of mixed grazing with cattle and sheep in recent years. I suspect the best is yet to come, as the sward continues to improve.

Success stories such as these are far from uncommon within the South Downs National Park. The fortunes of so many species, such as the Duke of Burgundy and Adonis Blue, have improved greatly since the 1970s and 1980s, when I struggled or failed to find them. It's a shame that such positive news is often swamped by a tidal wave of negative messaging; amongst the bad news, there is plenty to celebrate.

[bugboy]

Really enjoying your retrospective season highlights Neil. I came across my first Hornet Robberfly at Mill Hill last summer, such an impressive looking insect and even more impressive to watch it opportunistically hunt grasshoppers I disturbed as I stalked it, incredibly agile.

[David M]

Fascinating accounts as ever, Neil. Good to see the humble Grayling being afforded some assistance. I wish you luck with its conservation, and hope that the robberflies thrive too, even if their kill % must make quite a dent in Chalkhill Blue populations.

All part of a healthy and properly functioning eco-system.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Paul. I reckon they look much scarier and more impressive than the Hornets they mimic!
Thanks, David. Grayling are far from threatened on rocky and sandy soils, but it would be a great shame to lose them from the chalk. I think that numbers this summer should give us a clue as to whether we're working along the right lines; fingers crossed.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

2020 Retrospective (Fairmile Bottom LNR)

I've been advising West Sussex County Council on the management of Fairmile Bottom LNR near Arundel since they took over responsibility for the site about ten years ago. The habitat improved greatly after the introduction of cattle grazing; management had previously relied entirely upon 'cut & collect' mowing, which is a poor second-best to having animals on, as it removes many overwintering invertebrates. Orchid numbers increased greatly and several rarer species and varieties appeared. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, the cattle grazing ceased and the site started to lose condition again.

A few years back, a chance meeting with the farmer allowed me the opportunity to broker a new deal, and cattle returned once again over the autumns of 2019 and 2020. My main hopes for the site are the resurgence of orchids and the establishment of a large colony of Duke of Burgundy. Dukes first appeared here in 2016, colonising from Rewell Wood. This demonstrates the importance of cattle grazing, which soon converted a single small patch of Cowslip to an abundance of plants spread across the full 1 km sweep of chalk grassland, in dung-sized clumps.

Duke numbers have built slowly so far, but a 19 June visit, primarily to photograph the burgeoning populations of Marbled White and Dark Green Fritillary, suggests that the Duke is about to flourish here; I found larval feeding damage to be widespread across the site and located a couple of caterpillars without much effort.

Other species, including Grizzled and Dingy Skipper, are also increasing here, and trapping has revealed the presence of some rare moths. This is a site to keep an eye on.

[Neil Hulme]

2020 Retrospective (Assorted)

With time now running out before the 2021 season kicks off in earnest, I'll finish with a rather random selection of the images I took during 2020. For me, photography has always come as a much lower priority than hands-on conservation work, but this has become an increasingly polarised split and last year I found myself taking far fewer pictures than ever before. Most of my outings during the summer months involved intensive surveying and monitoring of sites within the South Downs National Park; activities which don't permit the considerable time required to capture really good images.

Most of the habitat management work I've performed over the winter months, both on the BC reserves in Sussex and in private woods, has now come to an end. The one exception is Hazel coppicing, which is still permissible through March under the rules of cross-compliance. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be involved in a mad dash to get this completed before the Pearl-bordered Fritillary caterpillars hang up and pupate. It's then just a matter of sitting back and waiting for these sites to fill with butterflies.

Meanwhile, here's the best (in photographic terms) of the rest:

A Brown Argus from Rewell Wood, taken during a May survey for the Norfolk Estate.

A rare Small Heath ab. alba at Chantry Hill, taken during a May survey for the South Downs National Park Authority.

A Red Admiral taking salts from the track in Houghton Forest in June.

A male Holly Blue on horse dung at Chiddingfold Forest, taken while struggling to find many Purple Emperor there this year.

A juvenile Cuckoo at Knepp in July; this was running its Dunnock hosts ragged, as they tried to meet its insatiable appetite.

An Adonis Blue at Cissbury Ring in August; excellent habitat work by the National Trust has triggered a resurgence of this species here.

Autumn Gentian at Cissbury Ring.

A Common Blue at Mill Hill in late September, during one of the largest hatches of this species that I've ever witnessed; they flew here in their thousands.

[Benjamin]

A great collection to finish a thoroughly enjoyable retrospective.

I think it speaks volumes that on the occasions that we’re in the field together I have no urge to compete and am perfectly happy for you to email me the best shots at the end of the day!

[trevor]

Superb, . Suffering PC fail .

[Wurzel]

Fantastic images Neil - that alba is something else

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Great season-ending summary, Neil, with some particularly vivid shades of blue on display, I must say.

Fabulous effort for you to capture that juvenile cuckoo. Although I hear the adults round my way every spring, I never see them...let along their young.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Ben, Trevor, Wurzel and David.

It worries me greatly that many kids growing up today have never even heard a Cuckoo! Knepp is now the only place in West Sussex where I can guarantee to hear and see them (usually several), although there are one or two other sites which are pretty reliable.

Other than the odd Brimstone, Peacock and Red Admiral, seen while working in the woods, this has so far proven to be a very slow start to the butterfly season. As in plenty of previous years, I think spring will finally come with an almighty rush.

I did manage to make my annual pilgrimage to a small dew pond in Rewell Wood, where large numbers of Common Toad congregate to spawn. Sadly, the late summer drought of 2020 caused a breach in the clay lining, meaning that it is now failing to retain much water. I'm working with the Norfolk Estate and South Downs National Park Authority to explore funding options for remedial action. The pond requires re-engineering and the insertion of a liner. This doesn't come cheap, but the work is essential if this important spawning site is to be maintained in the longer term; another threat posed by climate change.

[Wurzel]

I hope you manage to get the pond lining sorted Neil It sounds like the kind of cause that crowd funding might be able to hep out?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

...It worries me greatly that many kids growing up today have never even heard a Cuckoo!

It's a great shame, Neil. Such an iconic bird and yes, there will be huge numbers of the younger generations who have never seen (or even heard) them.

Slow going everywhere for butterflies at the moment. It's been a strange March thus far. No storms but cool and cloudy throughout up to now. I agree with your sentiment that things will kick off very rapidly once we get a day or two of mild, sunny weather. Bring it on!

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Wurzel. There are a couple of funding bids now in the pipeline, but if they were to fail, crowd funding would certainly be an option to consider. One way or another, I'll ensure it happens.
Hi David. I reckon it's only two weeks before I hear my first Cuckoo of the year. That sound always fills me with joy ... I can't wait!
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Winter Work Completed (Part 1)

On Thursday (1 April) I finished coppicing Hazel on the Angmering Park Estate, where I started an eight-coupe cycle five winters ago with my cutting buddy, Chris Letchford. Since then we have been assisted by others, including South Downs National Park Authority rangers, Paul Day and RSPB volunteers; it's a highly labour-intensive process and I doubt that Chris and I could have kept this up, alongside our other woodland management commitments, without their help. Pearl-bordered Fritillary (PBF) colonised the site (from Rewell Wood) last year.

The estate was so pleased with the results, including the spectacular ground flora, that I was able to get some larger-scale commercial coppicing of overstood Hazel (for biomass) included in its new woodland management plan. Next winter, we will cut a coupe which connects the two areas. I'm optimistic that this site will host the largest Hazel-based PBF population in the UK within a couple of years.

At Rewell Wood, the Norfolk Estate has been as helpful as always. The new (but more expensive) system of removing as much brash and waste wood as possible (for chipping and export as biomass) from the Sweet Chestnut coppice coupes is creating superb habitat of much higher quality than before. More rides have been widened by removing several rows of coppice stools and mulching the stumps to prevent regrowth, and an additional permanently-open glade has been created. New plantations are also being managed to suit PBF. I'm confident that last year's maximum day-count of 914 PBF will be beaten this year, and that the site will host the largest population (on a 2 km square scale) anywhere in the UK. If visiting, please keep to the public rights of way; there will be more than enough PBF to satisfy anyone along these tracks, and the rest of the wood is out-of-bounds.

Angmering Park Estate - Hazel coppice

Rewell Wood - Sweet Chestnut coppice, widened rides, new plantations

[David M]

All that looks to be a massive undertaking, Neil. There appears to be some excellent habitat on offer, and I sincerely hope you will be rewarded with a four-figure count of precious PBFs very soon. Those are truly colossal numbers and justification for all the work put in.

Best of luck.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, David. I'll provide some updates once the PBF flight season is underway.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Spring At Last

This stuttering start to the butterfly season finally stumbled into spring yesterday (4 April), at least for me. I never acknowledge the first day of spring in terms of fixed dates; I only recognise the season as measured by my first sighting of the Orange-tip.

With a short-lived interval of modest warmth, I headed to a damp meadow at Wiston (just north of Chanctonbury Ring), where I often see my first 'tips' of the year. I wasn't disappointed, with four males seen. The supporting cast included Green-veined White, Brimstone, Peacock and Comma.