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.

Butterfly Business

None of the last three days out have been worthy of a blog but perhaps a round robin of the notable bits is worthwhile.

Monday was a voyage of discovery; flirting with the periphery of the "Purple Empire" can be a frustrating business without precise details of where to look. Successful searches of the woodlands of Sussex in the quest for a Purple Emperor need inside knowledge. However, I have to say that the butterfly fraternity are much freer with information than the birding crowd. We set out to investigate Marlpost (Southwater) Woods and Madgelands, of course in search of butterflies, but also to locate such exotically named places as "The Madgelands Master Tree", "Butterfly Corner", "Dogbarking Master Tree", and in another place "The Triangle". Information that will be much needed in the future to ensure that we get those perfect shots of "His Majesty"

Well, following a day in the woods we are much wiser, unfortunately only a glimpse of a possible Emperor but a tick in the guise of a White Admiral. Silver-washed Fritillaries were also numerous and it was nice to note my first Small Skipper of the year. With the high temperatures most of the subjects were hyper-active and achieving any sort of capture was hard.

We finished the day at Houghton where yet again Marbled Whites were present in good numbers, it was nice to see some females this time and to get an obliging couple to pose.

Female with brown edge to forewing and brown in the hindwing.

 

Tuesday we were full of expectation again, this time trying for a White-letter Hairstreak in Brighton's Preston Park. As we sat below the "Preston Twins", two magnificent 400 year old English Elms, we could see plenty of WLH in the canopy. Some descended to within 10ft of the ground but that was as good as it got, we waited for six hours for a single specimen to drop to ground level, of course it never did.

At least someone has had the foresight to plant a replacement - I wonder if anyone will be sat under it in 400 years time admiring the White-letter Hairstreaks?

Hollow but still growing strong

 

Gnarled - but well looked after.

Today  I dropped into Anchor Bottom to find a Dark Green Fritillary, the thistles are still coming out and I searched diligently but to no avail. Sod's Law occurred yet again, as I decided to quit and was walking back to the road, there on the hedge a fresh specimen. As always -  it had gone before I could get the camera out and I chased it through the field as it made a high speed track towards the top end of the valley. I waited a considerable time but no other specimens were forthcoming.

On the way back I noticed some Greater Knapweed, Centaurea scabiosa in the roadside verge and in the morning sun it looked well worthy of being recorded.   It is not always about Birds and Butterflies - just most of the time.

 

Next stop - Houghton Forest. I walked up and down the ride several times and had a glimpse of what might have been an Emperor but it was gone in an instant in a high speed passage along the ride, The pools of sticky mud are attracting some excellent specimens of both Red Admiral and fresh Commas. White Admirals and Silver-Washed Fritillaries are about but alas no PEs. I had a long chat with Neil - "Master of the Purple Empire", if anyone could find one it would be him.  Alas the great maestro couldn't conjure one up for me.

On the way back to the car I "rescued" a hapless specimen of the Peppered Moth, Biston betularia, which I duly recorded and then placed in the safety of a tree.