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Swallowtails

I've finally managed to sift through the several hundred Swallowtail images I took at Strumpshaw Fen, while on holiday for a couple of days with my parents (17th & 18th May). High winds and the butterfly's habit of almost constantly beating its wings to maintain position while nectaring, means that they are usually quite tricky to photograph - and so it proved. But if you take enough shots eventually you get lucky.

We found the most productive area was past the doctor's garden, on the sloping wasteland about 100m beyond. Between 11am and 2pm the Swallowtails come off the fen and nectar on the profuse Rough Hawk's-beard here. The flowers of this yellow 'weed' close up by 2pm and the butterflies soon begin to drift off. As this huge re-fuelling station closed up for the day most would move on to the doctor's flower beds. We watched several females take on nectar for well over an hour before suddenly heading off for an afternoon of egg-laying back in the fen. The Swallowtails are also partial to the Ragged Robin growing in the water-meadows on the other side of the reserve.

Other species included common Green-veined White, a straggler Orange Tip and about half a dozen Brown Argus. A couple of Marsh Harriers put on a spectacular show for us, to the soundtrack of cuckoos and booming bitterns. The long journeys there and back were well worth the effort.

Silver-studded Blues

After being 'grounded' for a few days I was beginning to get restless this morning (29th May), so headed out despite the high winds, grey skies and low temperature. I knew that nothing would be on the wing but was confident of finding a few Silver-studded Blues hunkered down at Iping Common near Midhurst. They have only just started to emerge here, so finding them took the best part of an hour. Eventually I located half a dozen and during a five minute spell when the cloud thinned and the temperature rose a little, one of them opened his wings for me.

Beautiful

Thanks Susie. I'm still waiting to find one with an entourage of ants though.
Neil

Summer Starts At Cissbury

Yesterday (1st June) was the start of my own personal summer, but not because it coincidentally fell on a date conveniently chosen to divide up our year into seasons. In fact I don't remember seeing my first Meadow Brown of the year on the first day of June before. But to me Meadow Browns are the quintessential butterfly of summer. I was pleased to see 16 of them, signalling a strong emergence, which is a much better start for the species than it demonstrated last year, which proved to be a very poor season for the butterfly. Even the countryside around Cissbury Ring was taking on a summery hue and there's now a much louder choir of hoppers and crickets.
Some spring species were still clinging on here and my tally included Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper (including a freshly-emerged female, 54 days after my first 2011 sighting!), Green Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Small Blue, Adonis Blue, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Small Copper, Small Heath, Wall, Speckled Wood, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Large White, Green-veined White and Large Skipper. 20 species in a day isn't bad for this time of year!

It was the numerous, fresh Large Skippers that I was interested in photographing (and Meadow Browns - but I failed, so won't mention this). So I was very pleased to get this lucky shot of a Skipper doing a spectacular tongue-curl.

Collard Hill (Part 1)

On Friday (3rd June) I set off on the long journey down to Collard Hill. "You must be mad" said Hannah when I told her I was setting the alarm for 6.00 am. But like a kid at Christmas I was awake and off by 3.30 am.

By 10.30 am I had thoroughly covered the site and was convinced that there were only 4 or 5 specimens on the wing. By the end of the day there were at least 15. Virgin females were coupled very quickly (2 pairings seen) and other newly emerged butterflies were easy to spot by their weak, slow and 'floppy' flight, reminiscent of a dithering Wood White. Other newbies could be distinquished by the colouration at the base of their wings (underside), which is a damp-looking leaden grey for the first few hours after emergence, turning that beautiful powder blue as they dry off. As always there was considerable size variation, and I saw one dwarf specimen. When Matthew (Oates) turned up he came to the same conclusion about one specimen that I had earlier; it didn't sit and open its wings for us, but it appeared to be a very sparsely marked aberrant form.

During the late afternoon I spent well over an hour tailing a female Large Blue, as I was interested in finding out more about their behaviour while egg-laying. I must have burned off a pile of calories as I repeatedly followed her from top to base of the slope and back again. I'll save that stuff (and the best photos) for Part 2.

Other interest was provided by my first Marbled White of the year and a lovely fresh Small Tortoiseshell, while the short turf was positively crawling with tiny brown moths (Pyrausta despicata). It was one of those flawless days when the sun shone until it was time to reluctantly leave the hillside at 8.00 pm.

Collard is one of those venues where butterflying is a social event, so it was nice to meet and spend time chatting to Bill (UKB's Willrow) and George Cox (whose missus generously supplied me with lunch!) among others.

After staying the night in Street I was back on the slopes before 7.00 am. It isn't often that you meet fellow enthusiasts on site at this hour, but it wasn't long before Paul Kipling and son Andrew came wandering over the brow of the hill! We spent a very productive morning searching out more lovely Large Blues before being joined by Rogerdodge and Rose. It was only an hour or so before Roger had nailed a mating pair ( ) and an upperside, and I think Paul managed topside shots of three! Eventually patience paid off and I finally got an open wing shot myself at 4.00 pm on Day 2. From what I saw, the emergence was considerably smaller on the Saturday, with perhaps another 5 'new' insects being added to the total.

I met plenty of other good folk over the two days and even managed to find a 'last minute' Large Blue for BC Sussex stalwart Alan, who appeared from behind a bush towards the end of the day. As always it was a pleasure to spend time with the excellent NT wardens; this year Christine and Roger Smith (part of the Collard furniture). And as ever it was a pleasure just being on Collard Hill with those fantastic butterflies and that very special view from the top.

Smashing Collard Hill write up Neil, I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in your company, it was so nice to meet George and his wife too, and also spend a little time chatting to Matthew again. I'm so pleased you managed that hard earned open wing shot on Saturday, I just knew your patience would pay off Some really tremendous side view images, and now you've whetted my appetite for Collard Hill Part 2...!!!

Bill

Some excellent shots ! I wish I'd gone for them this year now!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Great write up Neil - both myself and Tamsin thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent with you and the others and it is fantastic to know that other people share the same passion for butterflies (and wildlife in general probably). We look forward to seeing some of you again at varous sites - Purple Emperor next probably! You had a very long day on Friday and I see persistence paid off when you got that open wing shot!

Great pics by the way!

All the best
George & Tamsin

Collard Hill (Part 2)

After taking a siesta for several hours the Large Blues became more active again in the late afternoon of last Friday (3rd June), as is often the case in very warm weather. I followed a female butterfly for 1 hour 20 minutes starting at 16.30 hrs, to find out a little more about their egg-laying habits.

During this period she covered about 75% of the Eastern Glade bank, travelling from top to base of the slope on numerous occasions. She took just three breaks from otherwise constantly testing each thyme inflorescence she came across, or actually laying an egg deep within a suitable flowerhead. There was far more testing than actual laying going on and although it was impossible to always confirm oviposition (difficult when trying to keep on her tail), she probably deposited an egg in fewer than 25% of extended tests. I soon got a good idea of how long a period her abdomen needed to be motionless within the flowerhead to indicate a successful lay, but I could only actually see the ovum when she was perched at a convenient angle or I had time for a rapid search; there is much rotating and fidgeting to be done before a suitable slot is found. She laid approximately seventeen eggs.

She only laid eggs singly during each visit to a particular plant, but on at least two occasions she returned to the same plant and laid a second egg. Larval cannibalism in the first instar is well documented, as is the limited capacity of single plants and ant nests. So I suspect that at this very early stage in the flight season, the available quantity of flowering thyme was below that necessary to serve even a relatively low number of females. There was certainly much less flowering than I've seen during previous visits. Hopefully the recent rains will have brought a lot more into condition.

Two of the rest periods she took were brief, amounting to less than 5 minutes hung up below a broad herb leaf in the middle of the open grassland. However, she took an extended break of more than 15 minutes soon after 17.00 hrs, retiring to the blackthorn scrub at the top of the slope, where I watched her sit motionless on the other side of the fence through binoculars.

It was when she resumed business, fluttering slowly back through the wire, that I was presented with an unexpected and welcome opportunity. Usually the act of oviposition occurs on thyme flowers sitting amongst taller grass stems, making photography of the act quite difficult. But on this occasion she alighted on a thyme bud within short, threadbare turf on a localised hump in the slope. I only had time to fire off two frames, but luckily I kept a steady hand and made the most of an opportunity that I'd be lucky to ever get again.
Female Ovipositing
Male Taking Siesta

Lovely photos and great stamina, Neil. I can't recall seeing a better image of an egglaying female Large Blue .

Cheers,
Vince

Neil.

I've said this before. You are the F.W.Frohawk of the 21st Century. When you find it less easy to be able to charge up and down hills and make such detailed observations, you will have time to write and illustrate what I really do believe could be this century's equivalent of the Natural History of British Butterflies (1924)

So you've got eleven years to get your tome written for publication in 2024 exactly one hundred years after that earlier great work. I aim to still be around then (I will be 85!) and look forward to a signed copy.

Jack

As you know, I sat on the hillside above watching you run up and down in the heat (which was in the mid 70's) and your quest for new information about the Large Blue left me full of admiration, if you go to such lengths for every species you invest time in (which I'm sure you do) then Jack may have a most valid point about you writing that book, and I think it only fair that I too have a signed copy for my dutiful effort in pointing out where your lady was when you got a bit too knackered to keep up with her

Another fine photo article Neil, your steady hand on that Panasonic has done you proud again, two truly lovely Large Blue portraits (to grace the pages of that book ) Thanks for sharing with us. Weather permitting I hope to get back to Collard Hill in the next week or so, can only dream of another days weather like the one we had last friday though...but you never know!

Bill

Neil deserves far more regard for his efforts than he receives at the moment. I hope one day his name will be spoken of in the same tones as Heslop. TBh I think he deserves an OBE for his services to conservation and widening the publics knowledge and appreciation of butterflies. You only have to look at how the Sussex BC membership has swelled over the last few years to see the enthusiasm he helps generate.

I want a copy of that book too.

Hi Neil

Excellent report and photos. Very enjoyable to read.
I know those slopes only too well after running up and down them last year with all my video gear.

Great stuff.

I agree with the sentiments being expressed here. It's a real shame that we don't have the same focus on behaviour and other observations (as expressed by Neil) on the forums as we do on photography. I personally find (along with some others) that taking a deeper interest is much more enjoyable

Jack Harrison wrote:When you find it less easy to be able to charge up and down hills and make such detailed observations, you will have time to write and illustrate what I really do believe could be this century's equivalent of the Natural History of British Butterflies (1924)

I think that Thomas and Lewington have done a pretty good job this century No pressure, Neil

And I'll have a think about how such observations (with full credit) can be added to the main species pages, since I think they would make nice additions (and also save people time in trying to find such gems of information).

Cheers,

- Pete

Many thanks for the kind and very generous comments made above - typical of the UKB community . There will indeed be a book, but I certainly wouldn't attempt a re-run of e.g. Thomas & Lewington! It will lack any systematics and will be neither an identification reference nor a site guide - these are well catered for. It will simply be a celebration of our butterflies.
Neil

Sussex Kipper wrote:There will indeed be a book, but I certainly wouldn't attempt a re-run of e.g. Thomas & Lewington! It will lack any systematics and will be neither an identification reference nor a site guide - these are well catered for. It will simply be a celebration of our butterflies.
Neil

I think that's the right approach Neil. You have such detailed knowledge of butterflies in the field, and I'm sure you have plenty of stories to tell. I'm looking forward to it already!

Cheers
John

Big Day For BC Sussex

On Saturday (11th June) I joined many BC staff, Council, Branch Committee, BC volunteers and a few guests to officially open the new Rowland Wood Reserve. I felt more than a little proud to represent the people who have worked so hard to keep the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary from extinction in the SE, by looking after the species so well for so many years on the tiny Park Corner Heath Reserve next door; and proud to represent those behind all the hard work that went into securing this wonderful asset, and then whipping it into such good shape so quickly. I was surrounded by people I have a great deal of admiration for.
Sgt. Blencowe Waxes Lyrical About Rowland Wood

The dodgy weather that persisted until very near the end of the day was simply incapable of putting a damper on things. One of the groups that toured the reserve during the afternoon came across an emerging Silver-washed Fritillary, and a Dark Green Fritillary had been seen the day before. But most visitors will probably come for the Small Pearl-bordered and Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, or the ab. taras Grizzled Skippers. It will take a few years to really fulfill its potential, but as I've said before, Rowland Wood will become seriously good very quickly.

I asked for the second coach departure to be delayed to allow time for a final walk around Rowland and Park Corner Heath as the sunshine eventually broke through the cloud, hoping to give at least some visitors a view of the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. As we passed some immature Puss Moth caterpillars discovered earlier in the day, we found our target. The three or four male SPBF circuiting the reserve were pretty worn and well past their best. But, with only minutes left on the clock, one participant found a beautiful, freshly emerged female. A great finish to a great day.
Puss Moth Caterpillar
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Female)

Dark Green Fritillaries

Dark Green Fritillary numbers are now building nicely at both Friston Forest and Cissbury Ring, which are probably the best sites in East and West Sussex respectively. Below are a couple of shots taken last week at Friston.