Another aberration!

A butterfly - not me, I hasten to add. I decided on an early morning stroll on the Downs, just to recce another venue. So, I parked the car at Kithurst Hill car park and wandered off west, into the access land on Springhead Hill. A gentle stroll took me as far as Amberley Mount but butterflies were hardly numerous. I noted Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Skipper and a very fast flying dark Clouded Yellow.

A bit disappointing, I just expected to find more. On the return journey I came across a magnificent stand of thistles which were attracting a host of the larger species mentioned. A fresh Brimstone posed and I obliged.

What to do next? In the end I returned home via my favourite butterfly haunt - Houghton Forest. As I drove into the field beyond the car park at Whiteways, a pale butterfly caught my eye, I abandoned the car, grabbed the camera and gave chase, much to the amusement of the Bikers assembled at the café. Finally the butterfly came to rest on the same bush where, some two weeks previously, we recorded Gatekeeper ab. excessa. I managed several open wing shots but no underwings were recorded. Also, I had the distinct impression that there were two pale specimens present, but of course, I could only follow one. Early information received suggests another albino form of the Gatekeeper. I have posted it on BC Sussex and would dearly like some input from our experts. It has a passing resemblance to the Cockayne collection  Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus britanniae ab. albinotica but the orange colour is more intense. 

I managed to record some of the butterflies that I have been ignoring of late, nice to see the second brood Common Blues emerging and for once the Whites look good.

Brown Hairstreak

When we were looking for Purple Hairstreaks at Tillets Lane Fields I noticed several instances of tall Ash trees above Blackthorn and had a hunch that there were possibilities for Brown Hairstreaks. They have been recorded here twice, according to the Warnham website. So, today I paid a visit, more as a recce with low expectations, than a butterflying day. As I arrived the site was awash with Gatekeepers, literally hundreds of them nectaring on every variety of plant and a full supporting cast of Meadow Browns and Small Skippers. As I completed my first circuit of the perimeter a butterfly caught my eye, just darker on the inner wing and brighter than a Gatekeeper. I nearly ignored it but decided to give it a closer look - my 48th species of the year -  a beautiful male Brown Hairstreak. Panic set in but I managed some record shots, after all I have to have evidence for my butterflying buddy. I followed  it for some distance but it never settled in a position where I could get a clear shot. Finally I committed the cardinal sin, I took my eye off it to check my pictures and when I looked up it had disappeared amongst several Gatekeepers and I failed to relocate it.

 

Encouraged by this success I did another three circuits of the field but not another specimen to be found. Although my diligent searching turned up a partial aberration of a Gatekeeper, possibly ab. partimtransformis.  UK Butterflies haughtily states; "a pathological form which does not deserve a name". One day I will find a bilateral gynandromorph. A nice Green-veined White and a very friendly Common Green Grasshopper were obliging enough to be captured.

No wonder Small Skippers are doing so well, everywhere I go they are at it. This pair finally ended up on my leg as I sat and recorded their antics.
 
 

Chalkhill Blues

Not a song but a butterfly. Our target of 40 butterfly species for the year has been surpassed quite easily and today a couple more ticks were added to the total, which now stands at 45.  We started at High and Over in search of Chalkhill Blues but before we commenced we visited the magnificent viewpoint, where, quite by accident, we came across several specimens of Gatekeeper. Martin had spotted these on a previous outing  to Tilletts but I had unfortunately missed them. Normally these visit my garden in reasonable numbers and despite keeping a good look out over the weekend I hadn't managed to spot one. So seeing them nectaring in the bramble hedge augured well for our day and added an unexpected quarry to the expanding list.

Down the hill the Chalkhill Blues were bursting forth in good numbers and it wasn't long before we were getting some good shots of males, females and pairs.

Plenty of Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns were about, some carrying the red mite larvae of Trombidium breei, which I managed to record. A good quantity of Skippers allowed us to search for photographic evidence of an Essex Skipper. Getting down low and trying to photograph the antennae of such small and usually agile subjects is never easy, but today the bones were creaking more than usual, so I was glad to get a decent record of those black ends early on in the proceedings.

 

The Only Way Is Essex

Small Skipper

When we are out and about I am always searching for something unusual to photograph, it just helps to keep the blogs slightly different. So I managed to capture an unusual looking beetle,  Calocoris roseomaculatus.

Also a Cinnabar moth caterpillar.

Next stop was "Butchershole Bottom", a rather unusual name I agree. Venturing out on to the gallops gave even more Marbled Whites, Skippers of various sorts and a couple of rapid fly bys of Dark Green Fritillary. I noticed that the MWs here are also carrying the red mites.

Chalkhill Blues were present and we were pleased to find several Small Blues. Find of the day was a fresh Small Copper perched momentarily on ragweed. A species that I had seen earlier in the year but Martin had missed and it was good to close the gap between our tallies to just one - we are now desperate to find a Clouded Yellow. An odd insect caught our eye - what looks to be a metallic green moth of some variety - God knows what - some post prandial perusing of Richard South's work will be needed. Subsequent reading and of course searching the BC Sussex sightings reveal that it is The Forester moth. 

We finished a good day at Birling Gap, I was looking for some decent shots of Dark Green Fritillaries, and I have to report that is still the case. Most of the specimens we encountered were well past their prime - never mind, something to target in the next few weeks at another location.

Sad but I guess its work has been done.

I also recorded what appears to be a white form of the Greater Knapweed, something I haven't noticed previously - it is quite different from the usual form and quite pleasant on the eye - not sure the butterflies appreciate it though!

Time flies by when you are enjoying yourself and before we knew it we were homeward bound - after a most refreshing cup of tea in the café. Another cracking day out and a monster amount of photographs to be processed.