Silver-spotted Skipper

A short visit to Newtimber Hill, on the border between East and West Sussex and usually home to many Silver-spotted Skippers. A good excuse to get out and about and to get a year tick in the bag. The weather forecast for the early part of the week was not too good so we took advantage of the dry start to the day. When we arrived the weak sunshine had all but disappeared and it was a tad cooler than previous. Nonetheless, it wasn't long before we found a specimen perched up on a flower head and it was duly recorded. I had thought that this would be the first of many but they remained elusive - well hidden in the grass due to the lack of sunshine.

 

Several nice specimens of Chalk Hill Blue provided some material for the camera.

 

 

The Marbled Whites are just about over, this specimen looking tired and somewhat overwhelmed by the red mite Trombidium breei. This parasite has been particularly common at this site over the past three years.

The temperature dropped even further and fewer butterflies were on the wing, even the Meadow Browns struggled to get airborne - so it was time to call it a day.

Marbled White

It was nice to go out in what felt like summer weather, though it doesn't take much of a rise in temperature before we are complaining "It's too hot". Martin had come up with a plan that took in birds, butterflies and dragonflies and we more or less stuck to it. First up was Church Norton, though we did have a peek at Ferry Pool where a splendid summer plumage Spotshank was in residence, just too far away for a decent shot. On the spit at Church Norton the harbour looked a bit devoid of birds and I suspect that the Hudbrel was some way up the creek.

Our next venue was the meadow adjacent to Whiteways café on the road out of Arundel. Lots of Marbled Whites on the wing and one or two just emerging, providing some superb opportunities for photography. I did my annual check of the roundabout, risking life and limb in the traffic, to count the Bee Orchids, just 7 this year and going over already. The Pyramidal Orchids go from strength to strength and it was nice to find a good stand in the field itself.

The female has a distinct yellow/brown rear underwing....

....and a similar colour on the leading edge of the forewing

Next venue was Lords Piece, plenty of hyperactive dragonflies, we found Emperor, Broad Bodied Chasers, Four Spot Chasers and a Common Darter. A full supporting cast of Damsel Flies and the odd Meadow Brown, Small Skipper and the ubiquitous Marbled White.




If an interloper comes near the wings go vertical

 



Very showy caterpillar of the Vapourer - should have recognised this one straight away - the four "shaving brushes" are very characteristic.



Noon Fly, Mesembrina meridian - thanks to Jim Langiewicz for the ID

 

Having visited RSPB Pulborough Brooks for Martin to resupply with bird feed we eschewed the long walk to Black Pool for more dragons and left for Woods Mill. At the entrance to the Mill, just beneath the bridge we found a juvenile Water Rail, apparently photographed by everybody and his dog - I guess we happened to be the last. A Turtle Dove was purring away merrily, deep within the leaf cover of one of the taller trees, shame that it didn't venture up on to its usual perch on the dead tree overlooking the lake.

A great day out, lots of varied material in the viewfinder and plenty of pictures for the blog - what more can you want?

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.