Neil Hulme

[bugboy]

Gutted to have got there later than intended but the mating pair (even if they were at an awkward angle in the Oak) did give some compensation. Still, a phenomenal season for them at numerous sites!

[Benjamin]

Mouth-watering stuff as always Neil - the diary that has been reliably delivering the very best that Sussex has to offer since 2010…..

Nice to see the odd iPhone (I guess) context shot creeping in too - a useful tool and if you’ve managed to stop it shouting at you with pointless updates from groups you were dragged into when your guard was down, then hopefully it’s becoming an addition that you can increasingly enjoy rather than resent…..

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Ben.

To be honest (and being a proud New Luddite, who would gladly travel back to a time when we relied upon red phone boxes - even though they always smelled of wee - and when mighty Elm trees dotted the landscape), I regret relinquishing the peace and quiet afforded by having a tiny, primitive flip-phone which fitted into my smallest jeans pocket (the term 'brick' should really be applied to iPhones and Androids). The single app that I feel I genuinely benefit from having while out-and-about is What3Words.

Being sucked into large WhatsApp groups was an even bigger error of judgement. Before I succumbed, I could see the disadvantages of a system that scatters messages of no particular interest wider than a sawn-off shotgun, but I was given cast-iron assurances that this isn't the case. Despite seeing through the Emperor's New Clothes, I fell for it. It's even worse (ten times worse than I suspected it would be) than those long email trails cc'd to multiple people, which descend into one-to-one conversations, but are still copied-to-all (it's great that you've changed washing powder brand, but do we really all need to know?). Whenever I whinge and moan about it (which is a lot), people advise me of all the tricks to reduce the intrusion when I just want to be out and enjoying total immersion in Nature - which ends up sounding more like my old flip-phone . I now have literally thousands of unread WhatsApp messages on my phone, as I struggle to wade through unanswered email queries and requests, which start to accumulate from every May onwards. I would much rather restrict interaction with the 21st century to a couple of hours late in the evening, at home.

I would love to seal my current phone in concrete, along with any spare nuclear waste from Sellafield, but I dread to think how long its half-life is. I'm ready to grab a pitchfork from the garage and march on the offices of Apple and Samsung. You have all this joy awaiting you, Ben; being a Grumpy Old Man is giving me as much pleasure as Purple Emperors and, of course, my children.

BWs, Neil

[bugboy]

You sound like me at work, in a job that's often touted as one of the best, I do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time wading through pointless emails and sitting in brain meltingly boring meetings. Oh and group chats in whatsapp everyone knows not to add me because my first act is always to remove myself from them! It's great being a grumpy old man

[Neil Hulme]

I bet we both feel better after that, Paul.
Catch up for Orange-tips - no need to wait for the rarities.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Remainder Of The 2023 Purple Emperor Season

Good numbers of Purple Emperor were seen almost daily at Knepp until 18 July, after which sightings dropped away sharply. I collated the day counts recorded by either Matthew or me, using the higher personal tally whoever that was achieved by. This amounted to a total of 909 records between 21 June and 21 July, so between us we saw significantly more than 1000 at Knepp in 2023. Even when the inevitable repeat sightings are taken into consideration, this amounts to a very large number. My own peak count of 141 came on 7 July, including 18 females and 7 rejection drops or 'tumbledowns'. Fermyn Wood can still claim top spot for aberrant forms, but in terms of sheer numbers, Knepp no longer has a serious challenger, at least for now.

Much of the later season activity was centred on sap runs, where I saw up to 5 females at a time. Pole position was, as always, contested by Hornets; sometimes the flicking of an Empress's wings would be sufficient to deter them, but we saw a couple of interactions end badly for the butterfly. Having perfected the art of baiting males to the ground over many years, next season I'll be experimenting with baits to further increase the lure of natural sap runs.

[David M]

Judging by that wonderful sequence, Neil, it would appear it was a good Emperor season in 2023.

Where does it stand in comparison to other years within the last decade or so?

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, David - indeed it was! It was easily the second-best year since the species colonised Knepp (probably from the nearby Southwater Woods), but still someway short of the 2018 deluge. Only time will tell if I'm ever to see Purple Emperor in such superabundance again (I doubt it), but the memory of seeing a female pursued by a string of a dozen males will live with me to the grave.
BWs, Neil

[David M]

Thanks, David - indeed it was! It was easily the second-best year since the species colonised Knepp (probably from the nearby Southwater Woods), but still someway short of the 2018 deluge. Only time will tell if I'm ever to see Purple Emperor in such superabundance again (I doubt it), but the memory of seeing a female pursued by a string of a dozen males will live with me to the grave.

Thanks for that, Neil.

I see so many of the UK species on the continent but this one I do not, so I'm always keen to see how they are getting on in England. It's great to know they had a much better than average flight season. I suppose the perfect condiions the country enjoyed during the critical pupation period were contributory.

[Neil Hulme]

Yes, David. I'm sure that weather favourable to rapid development during the late larval period, and particularly over those vulnerable few days when the process of pupation actually takes place, is highly influential in driving good adult numbers. I suspect this applies to most/all species.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

21 July - 1 August 2023

With the best of the Purple Emperor season over, it was back to the mad rush to monitor butterfly populations over as many sites as possible, covering one or two a day. However, while in the area on 21 July, I managed a half-day visit to see how the Grayling of Deep Dean (Windover Hill, Wilmington) were doing. This became difficult to assess, as the weather caved on me, although I did manage to see a few before activity came to a grinding halt. The tireless monitoring work of Patrick Moore subsequently indicated that the species had a more modest season than 2022, but good enough to suggest that our collective efforts to conserve this population have moved things in the right direction over the last five years or so.

One of the key players in this project team is Tim Squire (South Downs National Park Authority Ranger). A few years back, he was instrumental in getting a new fence-line installed over an area of the SE-facing slope (the critical aspect) in the adjacent Ewe Dean, where Grayling used to fly before the habitat became over-run with rank Tor-grass. The only animal that's capable of restoring really extensive carpets of Tor-grass is the Exmoor Pony, so that's what the very helpful local farmer provided.

In just a couple of years, this area has been completely transformed; the smothering Tor-grass has been stripped away and the glorious flora of well-grazed chalk grassland has returned. The second habitat shot below shows the difference either side of the fence-line. The results are so spectacular that I returned on 1 August, with the main aim of the visit being to photograph the flora under favourable light conditions. A walk across a chalk grassland flora of this quality provides one the greatest pleasures in life.

[selbypaul]

Those landscape shots are amazing Neil. Huge congratulations to all involved in making that difference.

If only more of the UK did the same!

[Jack Harrison]

Those landscape shots are amazing Neil. 

Indeed, they are.  Note the excellent depth of field, something that is frequently lacking (and irritating) with photos taken with juggernaut-size DSLRs.
A significant factor (but there are many) is that small sensors give greater depth of field.

I presume Neil that you're still using a Panasonic Bridge camera?

Jack

[Allan.W.]

Agreed ! superb landscape shots Neil ...............and good to see a fine display of "The Pride of Sussex " (and what looks like Dropwort seed heads ) ................... more time on my hands now .............and really looking forward to some botanising in the summer !
Regards Allan.W.

[bugboy]

And it's all just there, waiting to be given the chance to burst forth, so simple.

[David M]

Joyous images! Shows what can be done with a little imagination.

Councils should be encouraged to set aside land for this kind of re-wilding. God knows our insects need it!

[Neil Hulme]

Many thanks, Paul (selbypaul), Jack, Allan, Paul (bugboy) and David. Yes, Jack, I'm still using my Panasonic Lumix FZ38; it's nearly an antique now.

I'm very fortunate to have the South Downs National Park Authority (and its forerunners, the South Downs Joint Committee and Sussex Downs Conservation Board) and lots of very forward-thinking and helpful landowners, foresters and farmers in my part of the world, and I have the Knepp Wildland project on my doorstep. There are also some fantastic volunteer-led groups doing great things; the Steyning Downland Scheme immediately springs to mind. They're all a joy to work with and collaboration is breaking out everywhere. With so much great conservation work going on across the county, the condition of some of our most fragile habitats is now improving and the prospects for many species of butterfly in Sussex look distinctly rosy.

Of course, there have been some serious declines in Sussex since the last quarter of the 20th century (most of the damage had been done before the post-1976 'statistical age') - most notably Small Tortoiseshell, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Grayling and Wall - but there have been significant improvements for many species including Duke of Burgundy, Silver-spotted Skipper, Adonis Blue, Brown Hairstreak, Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary, Marbled White and Essex Skipper. Most of the remainder are doing fine and simply follow the natural ebb and flow of seasonal fortunes. There are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic.

BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Brown Hairstreak 2023

Brown Hairstreak enjoyed a pretty good season in Sussex. Following a couple of poor years on the Steyning Downland Scheme (much of the Blackthorn is now protected from the Dexter cattle, which had been munching on it, rather than doing their job to restore the chalk grassland), this species bounced back nicely and it was, once again, easy to spot across the Rifle Range throughout August. Numbers of females broke double-figures on 15 and 25 August.

I also encountered good numbers on private parts of the Wiston Estate, while out monitoring. On 20 August, as I was about to back the car out of our driveway in central Worthing, Hannah tapped on the window and asked 'what's that butterfly?', pointing to the potted Cordyline on the front doorstep. Much to my surprise, it was a mint condition female Brown Hairstreak. Sadly, she flew before I could reach for the camera.

[robpartridge]

Amazing photographs. Not a species I'm likely to see on my patch!

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, Rob

Swapping threads - try to get one of these https://uvbeast.com/products/uvbeast-ne ... -usa-stock . You'll be able to spot all Hairstreak species and Small Copper larvae with ease, and locate Purple Emperor pupae 30' up a Sallow. Wavelength is critical, so get 365nm. This one's the Rolls-Royce of uV torches and you'll be able to use it for tracking rodent urine trails and to examine crime scenes too!

BWs, Neil