Neil Hulme

[Neil Hulme]

14, 15 & 16 May 2023

On 14 May I was joined by my brother, for a thorough survey of butterfly numbers at Rewell Wood; as is so often the case, it really didn't feel like work! We ended up with a near-peak count of 152 Pearl-bordered Fritillary, including mating pairs. 3 male Duke of Burgundy were holding court along the main W-E ride in the southern part of the wood, but Grizzled Skipper, which often occurs here in good numbers (for a woodland site), was notably absent. Our 15 species total included Green Hairstreak and Small Copper.

The following day, I started at a new site for PBF, in Hazel coppice. A modest total of 10 was seen; sufficient to suggest a self-sustaining population. I then moved on to the northern part of Rewell Wood where, on private land, I found 3 Duke of Burgundy, 6 Drab Looper moth (a conservation target species here) and a mating pair of Fox moth.

16 May was a day to remember; it was one of many great days I spent with Paul (bugboy) last summer - hopefully to be repeated and bettered this coming season. The Duke of Burgundy had already been quite active before I joined him at Kithurst Hill, but I arrived at the 'witching hour' for this species. Dukes were suddenly everywhere - literally swarming! A bundle of about 8 were whizzing around a small Blackthorn at such speed that it was difficult to see which were males and which were females. Needless to say, Dukes and Duchesses were making whoopee all around us. This was peak day, with just over 60 counted in this small meadow and over adjacent areas. We then moved on to a strictly private area of the estate (permission granted, of course), where a slightly disappointing 19 were counted. This even smaller habitat patch has regularly supported 40-50 adults in the past, but appears to be gradually losing its Cowslips. I'll be back there this February, with national park rangers, to knock back some of the scrub and disrupt the ground, in the hope of promoting new Primula growth.

[Neil Hulme]

18 & 21 May 2023

As a 'thank you' to all the wonderful BC Sussex volunteers who help manage the Park Corner Heath & Rowland Wood reserves every autumn and winter (and a few hot, sweaty days bashing Bracken in late summer), I led a walk there for them on 18 May. Of the 15 Pearl-bordered Fritillary we found (split almost equally between the two reserves), it was particularly gratifying to see several females laying eggs over patches of habitat we had prepared for them. One of the participants spotted a Giant Birch Sawfly - an impressive looking beast. A pristine Speckled Wood begged to have its photograph taken, and I couldn't resist; this is one of those species I took for granted as a kid, but these days all of them are fully appreciated.

On 21 May I was joined for the day by Matthew Oates. While I counted 52 Duke of Burgundy at Kithurst Hill, he found a 4th instar Purple Emperor caterpillar, which, after a short period of rest, started munching a Sallow leaf with impressive speed. We then moved on to a Pearl-bordered Fritillary site on the Cowdray Estate, where we counted 54 on this small and isolated habitat patch. Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth and Cuckoo were bonuses.

[Neil Hulme]

24 - 27 May 2023

I spent these consecutive days on the Downs at Storrington, counting butterflies over a cluster of metapopulated habitat patches, and with one of my aims being to catch Duke of Burgundy numbers at peak (this is a late site). The best of the rest of the 20 species recorded were Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Blue, Wall, Small Heath, Green Hairstreak, Brown Argus and Small Copper, with Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth being a nice bonus.

Peak day fell on 27 May, when I counted 276 Duke of Burgundy, including 7 mating pairs. The Dukes and Duchesses easily outnumbered all other species, with Dingy Skipper in second position (131) and Brown Argus third (124). It's incredible to think that there were no Dukes here prior to 2010, with this part of the landscape being colonised as the result of work, with the South Downs Joint Committee (a forerunner of the national park), to revitalise the species in Sussex, by encouraging the growth of small, isolated colonies to the west. I've never seen so many Dukes in my 55 years of butterfly-watching, so I went home very, very happy.

[bugboy]

Some great memories there Neil and I'd be more than happy to help with some counting again this year, it's hardly a chore after all! Hopefully you've had some luck moving some more projects forward

[Neil Hulme]

Yes, more of the same this year, Paul. Plenty of new projects in the pipeline.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Year Of The May Blossom

I can't recall a better spring for Hawthorn blossom; it was simply magnificent in 2023. Of course, this was followed by a bumper crop of berries in the autumn. I must confess to having an ulterior motive for taking photographs of Hawthorn-rich landscapes, but that's another story, yet to be told.

[Neil Hulme]

12 June 2023

The first three weeks of June were a blur of surveying and monitoring work, so I didn't have much time for photography. I packed in as many sites as possible, as I had ring-fenced the last week of June and first week of July for Purple Emperor hunting; I'm very glad I did.

However, I did take a few photographs on 12 June, during a survey of land at High & Over near Seaford. This is Bob Eade's home patch and he's been working here for many years to keep the invasive scrub under control; a great effort which has helped create a real haven for warmth-loving invertebrates. I returned for a late summer survey on 23 August and the following excerpt from my report for the South Downs National Park Authority tells the happy story.

“The spring and summer surveys revealed the presence of an exceptionally rich and diverse butterfly fauna, with 497 counts of 24 species. The presence of Dingy Skipper, Small Heath (both Section 41 species of principal importance under the NERC Act in England), Adonis Blue (formerly a UK BAP Priority Species) and Brown Argus allows the assignment of a CGSI rating of 4/5.

Other key species seen include Silver-spotted Skipper (formerly a UK BAP Priority Species), Wall and Grayling (both Section 41 species of principal importance under the NERC Act in England). The sighting of the latter butterfly – an egg-laying female – is particularly exciting, as this species has a highly restricted distribution on the Sussex chalk, now being confined to Deep Dean (and occasionally Ewe Dean) at Windover Hill, where SDNPA, Butterfly Conservation and NH are making considerable efforts to conserve it. Only time will tell if it can establish a population here. A number of notable species were also seen, including Chalk Hill Blue (38 on 23.8.23), Common Blue (76 on 23.8.23), Green Hairstreak and Small Copper.

The importance of this butterfly fauna is more than matched by the day-flying (or day-disturbed) moths found here. The nationally scarce Lace Border Scopula ornata, which has only recently recolonised the South Downs National Park, after an absence of more than 40 years, was found in good numbers; 22 were recorded on 12.6.23, and 5 on 23.8.23. The single Spotted White Plume Porrittia galactodactyla disturbed from the grass on 12.6.23 is the first seen in East Sussex since the 1940s. A larval web of the nationally scarce Small Eggar Eriogaster lanestris was found during the 12.6.23 visit; this species is currently only known, in Sussex, from the nearby Rathfinny Farm/Cradle Valley area. Two specimens of the localised Yellow Belle Aspitates ochrearia were seen on 23.8.23. Local expert Bob Eade has also recorded the highly localised Pyrausta ostrinalis and Barred Tooth-striped Trichopteryx polycommata (formerly a UK BAP Priority Species) here recently.”

The images show the panoramic views from the site, the stunning Lace Border moth and larval web and caterpillar of the Small Eggar.

[Matsukaze]

Lovely Small Eggar larva - we get these locally in Somerset, with blackthorn and wild rose being the usual foodplants. We don't find it everywhere, but for some reason it's a little more widely distributed here than Brown Hairstreak is.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Matsukaze. Interesting that you get them on Wild Rose down there. In Sussex, we (mainly Bob) have only found them on Blackthorn and Hawthorn, in that order of preference.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

21 June 2023

Just a day after the first confirmed sighting, the Purple Emperors of the Knepp Wildland started to descend from the oaks to take minerals from the tracks, the majority being attracted to my stinky liquid baits (either laid as puddles, or the spillage deliberately wiped on my trousers), although a few came down to cowpats and horse dung. Muddy puddles were in short supply, as we enjoyed a run of warm sunny days. For the remainder of the month, they dropped to the ground in impressive numbers.

In the report produced for Knepp, Matthew wrote: "There was another dramatic increase in the number of males descending to the tracks to feed, taking minerals on board prior to mating, adding further weight to the Hulme Hypothesis – that in the early years of the Knepp population the males were absorbing the necessary minerals as larvae, from sallows which had taken up chemicals in artificial fertilizers; that era is now over, as the NPK resource has been exhausted, forcing the males to behave as they do elsewhere and seek the necessary minerals from the ground.

"Almost all of this year’s groundings occurred between June 21st and June 29th, which is consistent with the long-recognised trend for this phenomenon to occur [mainly] over the first ten days of the male emergence period. Neil, alone, observed 58 groundings (or visitations to various body-parts, including 19 ‘trouserings’), so dozens of groundings must have occurred during this period across the Southern Block; in the earliest days of colonisation, despite a burgeoning population, there was none."

This change in the behaviour of male Purple Emperors at Knepp is quite remarkable; I expect the number of groundings to increase further in future years. 8 groundings on 21 June proved to be just the start of the fun to come.

[Neil Hulme]

22 June 2023

On 22 June, a great many Purple Emperors dropped to the tracks across the entire Knepp Wildland Southern Block. I alone enjoyed 20 groundings (including 'trouserings' and 'bootings') in just the relatively small area I had baited, although this doesn't equate to 20 individuals; some of the males descended two or three times throughout the day.

I was also constantly hearing accounts from others, many of whom were not butterfly enthusiasts, of Purple Emperors seen on the ground elsewhere, or of butterflies landing on their clothing, shoes or bags. Bearing in mind that many are flushed from the ground by walkers, joggers, cyclists and horse-riders, who never even notice them, I suspect the total number of groundings was huge that day.

[Neil Hulme]

23 June 2023

By 23 June Purple Emperor numbers were beginning to build rapidly, with my total for the day being 36. I enjoyed 9 groundings (including 'trouserings') and my first Empress of the year was rapidly hunted down by a male and mated at 15.40 hrs.

[David M]

Thanks for posting, Neil. Late or not, your updates are always a most enjoyable read.

Backed up with some glorious images, of course!

I can't improve on those words, Mark.

Been a long while, Neil, but well worth the wait.

I hope you are making the most of your 'quiet period'.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks you, David. I'm using this quieter spell to lose some of those excess pounds accumulated over Christmas, so I'm out as often as possible, clearing scrub from chalk grassland, coppicing or 'popping' birch on heathland. As it's voluntary work, there's no quotas, deadlines or reports - just good exercise and therapy!

Wishing you many happy butterfly adventures this year, whether home or away.

BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

24 June 2023

The Purple Patch continued on 24 June. Matthew and I met Gail Jeffcoate, one of the 'greats' of BC Surrey, having promised her plenty of Purple Emperor action at the Knepp Wildland; I'm pleased to say that we over-delivered.

I remember that it was stinking hot that day, so despite the early hour, Gail retreated to the shade of a nearby oak while I refreshed one of my baits. Some respite from the unholy stink of my bait was an added bonus - this was a particularly aromatic mix. It all happened so quickly that the events of the next 5 - 10 minutes were a bit of a blur; I counted them down as Purple Emperors dropped onto my bait and we ended up with four pristine males on my pungent patch of fermenting shrimp and pickled mudfish.

My personal Purple Emperor tally for the day reached 44 (including just one Empress), with 8 groundings. The males were still dropping to my baits at 7pm.

[trevor]

The date of your latest post, 24th June, is also ( I believe ) the day that Dave Miller
had grounding after grounding at Chiddingfold. I went on the 26th and it was a scorcher,
plenty of groundings but they were skittish and rarely opened up. A great but frustrating day.
Many congrats on your foursome. Four in one frame is remarkable. I note that most of your shots
are of closed wing PE's, down no doubt to the excessive heat.

An excellent series of reports,
All the best,
Trevor.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Trevor. Yes, you're right, throughout this spell of hot and sunny weather, the grounded Emperors were very reluctant to open up. Even worse, they were constantly tilting their closed wings beyond the vertical, making an in-focus shot from the side very difficult; they do this to avoid casting a shadow on the ground, reducing their visibility to potential predators - clever stuff! It wasn't until more mixed weather on 27 June, with periods of cloud, that I started scoring with the sort of open-wing shots I was becoming slightly impatient for.

Catch up somewhere in the spring. Hoping a great season awaits you.

BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

25 & 26 June 2023

I was still focusing on baiting males to the ground on 25 June, but Matthew was ranging further afield and achieved the first three-figure count of the season (103 not out). I enjoyed 4 groundings, but the male Emperors were still reluctant to open up in the heat.

I achieved a more modest total of 77 on 26 June, but groundings were down on previous days; just one for me. However, I did see a successful courtship flight, with the happy couple being in cop for 3 hours 25 minutes - a slightly shorter pairing than normal for this species (c.3 hours 45 minutes).

[Neil Hulme]

27 June 2023

The Purple Emperors of the Knepp Wildland continued to entertain on 27 June, with a change to periodically cloudy conditions meaning that some of the grounded males (of which I saw 5) were now willing to provide those much sought-after open-wing shots. I was 'trousered' twice and one of these welcome visitors allowed me some nice photographic opportunities; most of those which land on your own clothing require acts of extreme contortion if you're going to get the subject in focus.

Later in the day (sadly after most of the grounding action), I bumped into Paul (Bugboy), who led me to a mating pair of Emperors that he and his friend had found.

[Neil Hulme]

29 June 2023

29 June marked the end of the period during which male Purple Emperors dropped to the rides like confetti. After this date, groundings became far less frequent and usually involved more-elderly males. We were now ten days into the season, so I made the most of the 3 I saw on the deck, suspecting that these may be the last of the season; I saw no more. However, there was still plenty of aerial action to enjoy, along with a great deal of activity at sap runs.

By now, there was a significant and increasing number of females on the wing. I saw a female being pursued by a string of 4 males and watched 3 'tumbledowns', as already-mated females spiralled to the ground in attempt to shake off amorous males. It was already pretty clear that, at least at Knepp, this was going to be the best Purple Emperor season since the annus mirabilis of 2018.