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Butterfly Blog

A perfect day?

22/5/2022

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Sunday should have been a perfect day both for butterflies and transectuals – warm sunshine with a gentle southerly wind. Conditions were constant through all sections of our transect, but the butterfly numbers turned out more modest than expected.
   With a reduced team this week we reverted to our original route sequence, starting out from the Ramblers Rest.
   Although most of the sightings were made as usual on the early parts of the route, we were pleasantly surprised on section 12. Until this stage of the season, there were hardly any species to be found in this final stretch of our transect, which takes us across the middle of Chipstead Valley. But within a matter of yards we came across several Common Blues (all males), Small Heaths and Grizzled Skippers, with a final flourish by two Painted Ladies.
​   Further good news for our fluttery friends: more flowers are coming into bloom across the site, including the Kidney Vetch on Barn and Hither Fields and the rare Butterfly Orchid. This once again has produced several bud-packed stems, to reach their full glory later this month.

​Count details:

17 Dingy Skipper
16 Brimstone
  8 Common Blue
  8 Small Heath
  4 Green Hairstreak 
  4 Peacock
  2 Grizzled Skipper
  2 Painted Lady
  1 Small Copper
  1 Small White
  2 Speckled Wood
Summary: 65 butterflies from 11 species. 
​Click on butterfly names for more info.
Survey by Graham H and Graham K submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).  ​
​Report and pics by Graham K.
​​
​
Click on pics to enlarge.
Blooming well out there
Grass Vetchling, Hill Wood Field
Budding Butterfly Orchid
Picture
Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus), near Ramblers Rest.
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Rain reduces sightings

17/5/2022

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Monday's transect started warm and sunny but with a strongish SW wind. As we have done for the past few weeks, we started our walk at Section 11, proceeding to 12 and then doing the 'set' route through to Section 10.  Walking Section 3 in Fames Rough, we were seeing Dingy Skippers, Brimstones and other butterflies, but by then the clouds had thickened enough for a ten-minute light rain shower which put paid to our hopes of seeing any more butterflies until the temperature picked up again. As we were leaving Fames the sun re-emerged and encouraged a single Green Hairsteak to show itself. Another shower passed quickly by when we were in Hill Wood Field, and although the air was still fairly warm we saw only one Common Blue in Section 8 before finishing at the end of Section 10.

​Count details:
7 
Brimstone
7 Dingy Skipper
3 Small Heath
1 Common Blue
1 Green Hairstreak
1 Holly Blue
1 Peacock
 
Summary: 21 Butterflies from 7 species.

Click on butterfly names for more info.
Survey by Brian Gardner, Graham H and Graham K submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).  ​
​Report by Brian Gardner. Pics by Graham K.
​​
Click on pics to enlarge.
Male Common Blue, Barn Field
White Helleborine, Coneyboro Hill
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Warmest yet

11/5/2022

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With a  temperature reaching 23 deg C, Monday's transect was our warmest of the year so far: Next week is forecast to be warmer still.
 
This week's Dingy Skipper count of 37 was our third highest ever, only exceeded by two 'Week 7' scores of 54 for 2018 and 42 for 2020. We also recorded the season's first Small White, Speckled Wood and 2 Common Blues. The Green Hairstreaks, with first singleton of the season seen last week, leapt up to 9 seen on this transect. 
 
As reported for the previous weeks,  we're still seeing the majority of our butterflies in Sections 2, 3 and 4 and very few in the other nine sections but this will change as the summer comes on.  

Count details:
37 
Dingy Skipper
19 Brimstone
  9 Green Hairstreak
  7 Peacock
  5 Small Heath
  2 Common Blue
  2 
Grizzled Skipper
  2 Holly Blue
  1 Orange Tip
  1 Small White
  1 Speckled Wood
 
​Summary:
 86 butterflies from 11 species.

Click on butterfly names for more info.
Survey by Brian Gardner, Graham H and Graham K submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).  ​
​Report by Brian Gardner. Pics by Brian Gardner and Graham K.
​​
Click on pics to enlarge.
Picture
Male Common Blue, Fames Rough –Graham K
Dingy Skipper, Fames Rough –Brian G
Green Hairstreak, Fames Rough –Graham K
Peacock, Fames Rough –Brian G
Small Heath, Fames Rough –Graham K
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Numbers increasing

6/5/2022

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Graham H and I did week 5's transect on Thursday afternoon in fine warm weather but with with an occasional cool  breeze. Once again, we saw most of our butterflies in the south-facing and more sheltered Coneyboro Hill and Fames Rough (sections 2, 3 & 4).  Nothing much seems to be happening in other sections yet, possibly because for the moment they offer less warmth, wind protection and food flowers. 
 
The Brimstones were our highest count at 25, with Dingy Skippers close behind with 23. The sun-warmed earth paths of the circuit were very popular with the Peacocks – we had six patrolling at speed up and down the length of Fames Rough.  We also saw our first  Green Hairstreak, Grizzled Skippers and Small Heaths of the season. It's good to note that the numbers recorded are increasing steadily as the season progresses – we hope it continues.

Count details:
25 
Brimstone
23 Dingy Skipper
13 Peacock
  5 Orange Tip
  3 Small Heath
  2 Grizzled Skipper 
  2 
Holly Blue
  1 Comma
  1 Green Hairstreak
Summary: 
75 Butterflies from 9 species.

Click on butterfly names for more info.

Survey by Brian Gardner and Graham H submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).  ​
​Report and pics by Brian Gardner. 
​​
Click on pics to enlarge.
Green Hairstreak, Fames Rough
Grizzled Skipper, Fames Rough
Picture
Not you again! (Coneyboro Hill)
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    The Transectuals

    Here you'll find details and pictures from the team carrying out our regular  butterfly surveys (known as transects) over 26 weeks during Spring and Summer.

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  • Home
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  • Activities Report 2021