Chalkhill Blues

I went to Kithurst Meadow today mainly to check it out after hearing on the Sussex Butterflies that it was in a right old state and...it wasn't...not sure what that was about...bumped into CK who agreed that the meadow was in good shape and then randomly a lady cyclist pushing her bike along the meadow path, her words: "It's full of butterflies!!" Reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated!! A brief look at Chantry Hill as well found Small Skippers, more Chalkhill Blues but no Silver-spotted Skippers, too cloudy and cold for them I think. Pictures from Kithurst.

Chaklhill Blue, male:

Chalkhill Blue, female:

Marbled White:

Common Blue:

Blog-tastic

As some of you may have read elsewhere I am going to be doing a bit of editing on the SelseyBirder blog but fear not dear reader for I shall still be running this one! There might be a little duplication but I hope not as this will concentrate more on insect, plants and sightings from outside the Selsey area.

Medmerry and a Swallowtail or not?

A bit of excitement with a report of a Swallowtail in Birdham this morning but it now appears that, thanks to the power of Twitter, it is actually a victorina stelenes, thus:

Or perhaps a Malachite, siproeta stelenes.

The original taken by Paul Stent here for comparison:

On to Medmerry & I cycled down to the stilt pools from Easton Lane bumping into AH and his group of ladies on the way (!), not a vast amount going on but there's usually something to see here.

Water Beetles:

Common Blue:

Small Skipper:

Saliconia sp.:

Sea Kale:

Common Sandpiper:

Common Darter:

Medmerry on Friday

A few pictures from a walk at Medmerry with the wife on Friday, a bit of a rarity for us to get some time together without the olds & the youngs!!

Gatekeeper:

Purple Loosestrife:

Gypsywort:

Cinnabar Moth caterpillar:

Six-spot Burnet moths:

Painted Lady:

Labyrinth Spider:

Common Darter, male:

Elecampane

Elecampane:

Eartham Woods

I did a whistle-stop tour of Eartham Woods this morning on the MTB but no sign of anything purple for me! Silver-washed Fritillaries, Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Small Skippers and again a single White Admiral were about but all dwarfed by the sheer numbers of Red Admirals which were everywhere! If there was a piece of dog/horse "manure" on the ground then it had a Red Admiral or three sat on it imbibing the salts. Apart from those the only other butterfly not motoring by in the bright sun and heat were a few Brimstones which were far more helpful as far as posing for a picture goes.

Brimstone:

West Sussex Butterflies

What a contrast from yesterday! In prefect conditions Houghton Forest was full of butterflies: Red Admirals (lots!), White Admiral (only one), Gatekeepers, Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites, Large & Small Skippers, Commas, Silver-washed Fritillaries and at the very end of the walk a fly-by Purple Emperor at TQ0016110978. It was a joy to see some action after what has, and will be recorded as I'm sure, a challenging year for butterflies in Sussex & Hampshire.

I then thought I might as well have a look at the Knepp Estate as I haven't been for a while and I duly found it heaving with Purple Hairstreaks but only one rather ragged Purple Emperor which posed for a picture in the tree tops. An added bonus here as I managed not to get horrendously lost this time!

Red Admiral:

Gatekeepers mating:

Large Skipper:

Silver-washed Fritillary:

Marbled White:

Comma, rare for me this year!:

Purple Emperor at Knepp:

West Sussex Butterflies

What a contrast from yesterday! In prefect conditions Houghton Forest was full of butterflies: Red Admirals (lots!), White Admiral (only one), Gatekeepers, Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites, Large & Small Skippers, Commas, Silver-washed Fritillaries and at the very end of the walk a fly-by Purple Emperor at TQ0016110978. It was a joy to see some action after what has, and will be recorded as I'm sure, a challenging year for butterflies in Sussex & Hampshire.

I then thought I might as well have a look at the Knepp Estate as I haven't been for a while and I duly found it heaving with Purple Hairstreaks but only one rather ragged Purple Emperor which posed for a picture in the tree tops. An added bonus here as I managed not to get horrendously lost this time!

Red Admiral:

Gatekeepers mating:

Large Skippers:

Silver-washed Fritillary:

Marbled Whites:

Comma, rare for me this year!:

Purple Emperor at Knepp:

Havant Thicket

Astonishingly poor at Havant Thicket for butterflies this morning. Along the main rides where you might expect to see Silver-washed Fritillaries in the tens, White Admirals and plenty of commoner species there was basically nothing flying in reasonable conditions. Species count ended up at eight but with only singles of Marbled White & White Admiral and no Purple Hairstreaks in their usual area at all! Just such low numbers! It was no consolation but there was a possible Purple Emperor at SU71141035 but I couldn't get a good enough look to be 100% sure. Purple Emperors seem to have nose-dived in Hampshire this year according to reports, not good.


Small Skipper:

Silver-washed Fritillary:

Green-veined White:

Meadow Cranes'-bill:

Agrimony:

Orchids

A patch of Pyrimidal Orchids near the Cass sculpture park at Goodwood.

Gatekeeper

On the farm today, a Gatekeeper:

Essex Skipper

I had a look at Medmerry today something I've been meaning to do for a while but cramming in the butterfly trips further afield has meant it's been rather neglected sadly. Today was fairly quiet for birds in the strong westerly winds, highlight being a Little Ringed Plover on the Stilt pools. Not much else of note although a male Linnet buried deep in a hedge had me going for a minute but alas not Red-breasted Flycatcher or Red-spotted Bluethroat!!! Yes I know, I might need new eyes let alone bins...;-)

Butterfly-wise, Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, and a Small Skipper were it apart from a discovery of a little "colony" of Essex Skippers on the banks opposite Easton Lane car park-I was quite pleased with these. Hundreds of Six-spot Burnet moths too.

(Photos below, apologies to those at selseybirder.blogspot.co.uk for not sending in these in, laptop/small child malfunction earlier.)

Essex Skipper, showing the shorter, straighter sex brands than in Small Skipper:

Essex Skipper, note underside of black tipped antennae:

Six-spot Burnet moth:

Yellowhammer:

Little Ringed Plover:

Gatekeeper, took me ages to get this shot in the blustery wind!: