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Hi all.
Im going up to suffolk,mid may, for a week, and i thought id check out Devils ditch,near Newmarket.Does anyone have any useful info on this site please.
im hoping to see Green Hairstreak and Dingy skipper.
Many thanks in advance.

cheers
rob

Rob
Devil's Ditch or Devil's Dyke, as it is also known, is usually very good for Green Hairstreak & Dingy Skipper in mid May.
For Green Haistreak you want to go to the northern end, which is best accessed from Reach village, then head towards Burwell cutting which is about a 10 minute walk south from Reach, you should see GH all along this section.
For the Dingy Skipper you want the central section by the July Racecourse, which is best accessed from near the Newmarket Stud. Park in the short dead end road off the Racehorse Statue roundabout.
Best of luck.
Phil

Thank you very much phil.just the sort of info that i wanted.both these species will be a first for me
unless of course i see them before i go.
cheers

rob

Devil's Dyke at the Newmarket end by the July Racecourse is a hotspot for dogs; their calling cards are left in abundance on the track. I was once hit by a dog that bounded up at me and hit me in a very sensitive spot in the groin; I was doubled up in pain and nearly fell to the ground (The dog was only being boisterous but that's not the point). When I pointed out to the dog owner - not too politely I have to admit - that his dog should be kept under better control as it had just "hit me in the b------s", his two word response was: "You w----r".

I haven't been back to that part of Devil's Dyke since. The Burwell End is far more pleasant. Where the Dyke crosses the old disused railway line is a good hotspot for Green Hairstreaks and in season, Chalkhill Blues can be abundant in the railway cutting. But to my knowledge, no Dingy Skippers there.

Jack

Rob,
Parts of the Racecourse section are managed specifically for the Dingy Skipper whose larvae feed on horseshoe vetch on this stretch. If the weather is still iffy, you may see the adults roosting on the dead knapweed flower-heads in the bottom of the ditch. You can also get the odd Green Hairstreak along here. The C&E branch would be very interested if you saw Dingys on other parts of the Dyke, and extremely interested if you saw Grizzled Skipper, Wall Brown or Small Blue anywhere!

Good Luck
Rob

Hi Rob,
I think you may be a bit early for Dingies,they are not normally seen here until May.
However,Green hairstreaks have already been seen, and i have seen them in the past at the National Stud end. Check sheltered side of all hawthorn bushes after the group of pines,heading west.
In July,this first section has an abundance of Chalkhill Blues.
Good luck and i hope the weather improves for you.

Thank you all for the expert advice.i think ill park at the Reach end and walk down towards the National Stud.Im not going till mid may and then hopefully the weather will have sorted itself out.Ill let you all know how i get on.

many thanks again for taking the time to help me
cheers

rob

Visited the Dyke today,on a warm,sunny but very windy day.I parked in the car park on the Burwell to Swaffham road and walked north on the Dyke towards Reach and the old railway cutting...thanks for the advice.My main target was Green Hairstreak so i concentrated on the area to the north of the aforementioned road and didnt head south to the july course section to see Dingies.Ill probably head there later in the week.
On the path from the car park to the dyke i was welcomed by a couple of orange tips who seemed to have made a pact with each other not to stop for photos but just constantly chase each other around and not settle.The male of the species is proving very difficult to photograph !!
Through the gate now and onto the short path that rises to the top of the Ditch only to be greeted by my very first Green Hairstreak flying out of the bushes and onto the edge of the windy meadow.i just about managed to follow the little fella as he hurredly sought some shelter again and landed back in the bush.I did manage to get a few photos here as he stayed fairly still for a couple of minutes before venturing out again into the wind and disappearing from view.A great start to the day.
I walked along and another green buttterfly flew by me at speed,blown by the wind as it emerged from the shelter of the hollow to the exposed ridge of the ditch.i decided to descend into the ditch itself and walked along to the railway cutting...only a few whites and a small heath proved a distraction.On arrival another orange tip but not much else until i walked through and eventually emerged from the wooded area that takes you back onto the crest of the dyke.i was greeted by another GH who was at ground level exploring a chalky area.He was not shy and i got a very good look at him even though he was half way up a steep bank and not at all easy to photograph.Back down in the hollow itself were two peacocks so i decided to join them for some photos.Another GH was down there too and he proved to be my best one of the day...just at the right height,and not in any hurry to leave the shelter of the ditch.he occasionally flew but soon returned to roughly the same spot.Photographing him was a bit tricky because of the terrain but mainly because of the gusty winds which sometimes blew into the ditch.
There were a large number of moths flying all along this section today,especially in the ditch near the notice board south of the burwell swaffham road.I did get some photos but only so i could try to ID them at home.No dingies along here today though.
A very successful day in respect of the Greenies and another first for me.Thank you all again for your advice.

cheers
rob

Hi Rob,
If you are still in the area on Wednesday (possibly the best day of the week weatherwise I think), you should definitely pay a visit to the Newmarket Racecourse end of Devil's Dyke...
Dingy Skippers have started to appear (see Cambs & Essex BC branch website) and a slow walk along the first couple of hundred yards of the ditch should give you a very good chance to see them. Probably a little early for Brown Argus, but they may be around there soon. There are likely to be a few moths which may cause confusion if you have not seen them before (Common Heath, Mother Shipton and Burnet Companion often appear on the dyke and they do fly in quite a butterfly-like manner when disturbed).
PS: I'll also drop you a separate message which may prove useful - See your pm.

Trev

(Common Heath, Mother Shipton and Burnet Companion often appear on the dyke and they do fly in quite a butterfly-like manner when disturbed).

Iv been reviewing my photos...common heath and mother shipton seen today too,
cheers
rob