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.