OUSE ESTUARY NATURE RESERVE NEWHAVEN
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:30 am
This is a recently established (2005 ) nature reserve stretching along the Seaford road from Newhaven Denton Corner . If you look at the site on Google Maps all you will see is a desert of white brick/landfill and other bare ground which is how the reserve looked 2 years ago . Nature is doing it's work and there are now meadows some grazed with cattle , areas of long grass . flower rich borders along the eastern edge path , and in the central area rough ground with artificially built hillocks full of thistles .
There can have been few if any butterflies here 2 years ago but they are slowly colonising the reserve . I have been visiting the site regularly since May in my lunch time break as it is less than 5 minutes from my work .
Species seen :-
Speckled Wood in the wooded western fringe .
Small and Large White
Holly Blue just 1 on western edge .
Wall Brown - a surprisingly good number seen across the site in May
Small Copper - a few
Small Heath - widely scattered but in very small numbers
Large Skipper - widely scattered in small numbers
Small Skipper - first seen this week
Common Blue - widely seen in small numbers - there is a very large amount of Birds Foot Trefoil and I would expect to see a big increase in numbers of this species
Small Tortoiseshell several fresh individuals clearly bred here
Comma 1 very fresh individual ealy this week clearly bred here
Peacocks I would expect them to have bred
Painted Lady many many examples some still ariund and I am sure they will have bred on the large thistle beds
Red Admiral a couple of sightings in May and 1 very fresh specimen this week probably bred on site .
Meadow Brown widely spread but numbers pretty low - hopefully will expand
Marbled White - a pleasant surprise to see these albeit in very low numbers alongside the eastern path
Gatekeeper - None yet but I am sure these will be out in the next week or so .
I was too late to ascertain the presence of grizzled and dingy skippers this year though I doubt they are present . I have seen a small amount of kidney vetch but no small blues have colonised it yet .
I have also seen many many 5/6 spot burnets and a few cinnabar moths and a good variety of dragonflies .
17 species seen so far with at least Gatekeeper to come . It shows that provided their are nearby colonies a new site can be colonised in a relatively short timespan .
There can have been few if any butterflies here 2 years ago but they are slowly colonising the reserve . I have been visiting the site regularly since May in my lunch time break as it is less than 5 minutes from my work .
Species seen :-
Speckled Wood in the wooded western fringe .
Small and Large White
Holly Blue just 1 on western edge .
Wall Brown - a surprisingly good number seen across the site in May
Small Copper - a few
Small Heath - widely scattered but in very small numbers
Large Skipper - widely scattered in small numbers
Small Skipper - first seen this week
Common Blue - widely seen in small numbers - there is a very large amount of Birds Foot Trefoil and I would expect to see a big increase in numbers of this species
Small Tortoiseshell several fresh individuals clearly bred here
Comma 1 very fresh individual ealy this week clearly bred here
Peacocks I would expect them to have bred
Painted Lady many many examples some still ariund and I am sure they will have bred on the large thistle beds
Red Admiral a couple of sightings in May and 1 very fresh specimen this week probably bred on site .
Meadow Brown widely spread but numbers pretty low - hopefully will expand
Marbled White - a pleasant surprise to see these albeit in very low numbers alongside the eastern path
Gatekeeper - None yet but I am sure these will be out in the next week or so .
I was too late to ascertain the presence of grizzled and dingy skippers this year though I doubt they are present . I have seen a small amount of kidney vetch but no small blues have colonised it yet .
I have also seen many many 5/6 spot burnets and a few cinnabar moths and a good variety of dragonflies .
17 species seen so far with at least Gatekeeper to come . It shows that provided their are nearby colonies a new site can be colonised in a relatively short timespan .