www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Neil Hulme wrote:Hi Jack
Looks like a job for the Jeremy Kyle Show.
BWs, Neil

Hope you don't watch that crap, Neil.
Great Toad orgy.

Neil Hulme wrote:I visited a small pond.....an estimated 500 toads were crammed into the pond...

I've often wondered where they all come from and where they disperse to afterwards!

More Toads

A few more pics for any amphibiphiles out there.

Springhead Hill Management

Many thanks to South Downs National Park Ranger Simon Mockford and new Assistant Ranger Sophie Trice for finishing this winter's management tasks at Springhead (a.k.a. Kithurst) Hill on Tuesday (12 March). We performed some light scrub work in the meadow, around the main Duke of Burgundy lekking area, and strimmed off the coarse vegetation over the large scallop created by felling some tall conifers and Ash a few years ago. Thanks also to West Sussex County Council for strimming and raking the plateau situated above the access road, and for performing badly needed repairs to the road, which had become seriously potholed.

Nature Day

A wildlife hunt with my kids today (17 March) started at Mill Hill, where there's an impressive display of violets on the lower slopes. I was very impressed with the extensive scrub control performed by the South Downs National Park Authority over the winter; the site is looking in great shape. We failed to see the Adders I'd hoped for, but we did see a single Peacock and two very early Pyrausta despicata moths.

We then moved on to Rewell Wood, to watch the toads spawning in a small pond. There were far fewer than the 400 - 500 I saw here on 9 March, but still well in excess of 100.

After nine years my Panasonic Lumix FZ38 finally started to behave erratically, so I've upgraded to the nearly-new FZ38 I bought a few years back. I've been so happy with this model that I see little point in getting to know something else.

It’s served you well,Neil! The view finder on mine packed up years ago so, following your example, I purchased a backup last year.

ATB for the season.

Thanks, Mark; a good move. I've even invested £17 in a new camera case!
I'll hopefully catch up with you somewhere this season.
BWs, Neil

Winter Work Completed

Many thanks to the 15 members of the Brighton Conservation Volunteers who completed the 2018/2019 management work on Park Corner Heath yesterday (19 March). Regular conservation work parties by BCV and our own volunteers have cleared a significant area (shown in green on the map) of numerous small trees and scrub, which have been invading this remnant of a once much larger area of rare lowland heath habitat, thereby extending the currently open area outlined in white.

I realise that this sort of work isn't universally popular, so it's important to point out that we have a duty to retain the characteristic features of this Site of Special Scientific Interest, which cannot be allowed to succumb to the development of 'secondary woodland'. We also have a legal duty to achieve the targets set out by our grant-funded Countryside Stewardship Agreement. Most importantly, the work will benefit the woodland ground flora, several species of regionally threatened butterfly and our important reptile fauna. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this vital work over the winter.

Surprised no-one else has said it, but yet again you and your teams of volunteers have moved mountains to protect and to help extend butterfly habitats during the winter period.

If every county/region in the UK could aspire to do the same thing then perhaps the losses of the last few decades might be reversed somewhat.

Well done, Neil, and I hope this year's flight periods see your efforts rewarded.

Thanks, David. We certainly have some great volunteers in Sussex, but I'm sure there's plenty of similar work going on elsewhere which doesn't get reported on UKB.
BWs, Neil

Butterflies Reappear

Following a quiet three weeks, butterflies reappeared in good numbers yesterday (24 March). While driving from Worthing to Heyshott I spotted 19 male Brimstone flying along the road verges, and a further 17 during a walk up Heyshott Escarpment, along the edges of Charlton Forest and in a full circuit of the Graffham Down Trust reserves. While on foot I also saw 28 Peacock, 2 Small Tortoiseshell and an Orange Underwing moth.

Ferring Rife

An afternoon walk up Ferring Rife (east bank) today (25 March) produced 14 Small Tortoiseshell (a low number for this site) and 3 Peacock.

It's great to see things building nicely - 28 Peacocks - hopefully the warm spell will hold for a while and things can really get into the groove

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Those are impressive returns on the Brimstone & Peacock front, Neil. Things are looking encouraging at the moment.

At this rate it mightn't be long till the first Dukes are on the wing!

Thanks, Wurzel and David. Wishing you both (and all UKBers) a bountiful season; we're off!
BWs, Neil

Spring 2019

A couple of hours in a damp meadow near Billingshurst marked the official start of my personal spring, with a beautiful male Orange-tip. Unfortunately he was too active for anything resembling a good photograph. However, a very smart Speckled Wood was much more obliging. A few Brimstone, Peacock and a Comma were also seen.

As I read that Neil I looked left at one of my favourite framed photos: a lovely damp meadow near Billingshurst with masses of Cuckooo Flowers.

Today I was half expected a post reporting an Orange Tip sighting. I wonder what is the earliest ever date for the British Isles?

Meanwhile, my own Orange Tip chrysalises are being kept in the fridge for another four weeks or so to avoid early emergence. My Dame's Violet (aka Sweet Rocket) plants are coming along nicely and should be at just the right stage for the Orange Tip season (in May here). Orange Tips absolutely love Dame's Violet for egg laying.

Jack

I need to make a date with my diary and make it to Billingshurst this year, after failing last time round. I’m guessing second week of April would be good...

Hi Jack and Mark. The spring flowers and Orange-tips should be at their best here in about 10-14 days time.
BWs, Neil

Monitoring Barred Tooth-striped

Last night (26 March) a small group of us searched for the rare Barred Tooth-striped moth on the slopes of Mill Hill at Shoreham. We monitor numbers here by torchlight, which is the best way to find this species as it sits along the edge of mature clumps of Wild Privet, appearing just after full darkness. We only found three, but all were in mint condition, suggesting that they are only just starting to emerge.