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Butterfly Blog

Well above average

23/6/2022

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With temperatures around the 28 degrees C mark, Wednesday afternoon's week 12 transect was a hot one and this brought out the butterflies. 
The Meadow Browns were the most numerous at 117 (similar to last week's 109) but added to this were 71 Marbled Whites (up from 13 last week), 26 Small/Essex Skippers (up by16) and the first of this season's Ringlets straight in at 29. These figures, along with the smaller counts for 7 other species (see total below), gave a reasonable overall total of 270 butterflies, well above our week 12 average of 226.
Count Details:
117 
Meadow Brown
  71 Marbled White
  29 Ringlet
  26 
Small/Essex Skipper
    8 Common Blue
    6 Small Heath
    5 Dark Green Fritillary
    4 Large Skipper
    2 Brimstone
    1 Comma
    1 
Small Tortoiseshell
Summary: 270 butterflies from 11 species. Click on butterfly names for more info.
CLEARANCE NEEDED
We're finding Section 3, the lower path through Fames Rough, is becoming increasingly blocked by thorn scrub, and it has been noticeable over the transects done so far in 2022 that we're not recording so many butterflies in Fames Rough as in previous seasons. The thorn makes it difficult for us to push our way through, seems to be choking out the flowering plants the butterflies feed upon and obscures our sight of any butterflies that may be there. It is vital that the scrub build-up is cleared to restore this important site for both butterflies and their food plants to thrive. 
Survey by Brian Gardner, Graham H and Graham K submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).  ​
​Report  by Brian Gardner. Pics by Graham K and Brian G.
​​Click on pics to enlarge.
Marbled White, Fames Rough
Large Skipper, Stagbury
Meadow Brown, Hill Wood Field
Mating RInglets, Fames Rough - BG
Picture
Easier to spot: GK with remains of 50th Birthday/Anniversary balloon littering Hill Wood Field.
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Higher heat, higher numbers

16/6/2022

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Wednesday's transect was the first hot and calm day of the summer and the butterflies responded to these ideal conditions.
 
We've reported low counts for the ten transects walked so far this year but on this week 11 walk the numbers rocketed to 172, helped up by 109 Meadow Browns. This week's total of 172 beats 2017's week 11 count record by two.
​

The large number of Meadow Browns, together with the arrival of the first Marbled Whites, hopefully signal the start of the high season. We also saw our first Dark Green Fritillaries and more of the Common Blues. Small Blues were seen in reasonable numbers on the Kidney Vetch flowers at Stagbury Lagoon (not on our transect route) in recent weeks and we're pleased to report having seen one single Small Blue on the sparse KV on Hither Field.

​Count details:
109 
Meadow Brown
  15 Common Blue
  13 Marbled White
    8 Small/Essex Skipper
    7 Large Skipper
    5 Dark Green Fritillary
    4 
Small Heath
    3 Small Tortoiseshell
    3 
Speckled Wood
    2 Brimstone
    1 Large White
    1 Small Blue
    1 
Small White
 Total: 172 butterflies from 13 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 and Brian G.
​​Click on pics to enlarge.
Picture
Dark Green Fritillary, Hill Wood Field -GK
Brimstone on Bramble, Hill Wood Field -GK
Small/Essex Skipper, Fames Rough -GK
Meadow Brown, Hill Wood Field -BG
Small Tortoiseshell, Hill Wood Field -GK
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Numbers down again

10/6/2022

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This is going to sound repetitive, but this week's transect (walked on Thursday) was another very low count – in fact, our lowest Week 10 count of the six years we've been recording butterfly numbers.
 
The forecast afternoon sun had already vanished before GH and I had started our walk and although the temperature remained high enough it was offset by a strengthening wind. Perhaps if the wind had been kinder more butterflies would have been up and flying.
 
We counted 8 Meadow Browns, 5 Dingy Skippers and a handful of individuals from seven other species, as shown below.
Here's what we recorded:
8 Meadow Brown
5 Dingy Skipper
3 Common Blue
2 Painted Lady
2 Small Heath
2 Small Tortoiseshell
1 Brimstone
1 Brown Argus (first sighting of 2022)
1 Peacock
 Summary: 25 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.
Pristine Small Tortoiseshell, Stagbury Field
Tattered Peacock, Fames Rough
Dingy Skipper, Fames Rough
Brown Argus, Fames Rough
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Numbers still low

3/6/2022

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Here we are at Week 10, and we're still waiting for the 2022 season to provide butterflies in anything like their normal numbers. GH and BG walked this week's transect on Thursday and, with a temperature of 24C, plenty of sun and only a gentle breeze, conditions were ideal but this week's total of 34 was disappointing and possibly worrying. The usually reliable highest scoring two sections of Fames Rough were bettered by Hill Wood Field's score of only 8 butterflies. 
 
But it wasn't all bad: we saw our first Large Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell and Meadow Browns.
 
We also did our usual check of the Kidney Vetch patches, especially as it's now Small Blue season. The KV on Hither Field is just starting to come through and the KV in the fenced-off square in Barn Field is more advanced and has begun flowering but no butterflies were seen there. However we were advised that beside the Stagbury Lagoon there was a a mass of KV in full flower which was attracting numbers of Small Blues. GH and BG went to the Lagoon to investigate after finishing the transect's set route and were amazed to see a sizeable area thick with knee-high bright yellow KV that was busy with bees. Sure enough, there were also SBs flitting about – easy to see but difficult to count because of their small size, their agility and the density of the flowers. We estimated that at any one time there were at least four SBs in sight. The Lagoon's KV is the most successful that we've propagated so far and hopefully will encourage other SBs to visit our other patches as they come into flower.
This week's count:
8 Common Blue
4 Dingy Skipper
4 Meadow Brown
4 Peacock
4 Small Heath
4 Speckled Wood
2 Large Skipper
1 Brimstone
1 Green Hairstreak
1 Grizzled Skipper
1 Small Tortoiseshell
 Summary:
Total: 34 butterflies from 11 species.
​Click on butterfly names for more info.
Picture
Kidney Vetch at the Lagoon
Survey by Brian Gardner and Graham H submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).  ​
​Report and pics by Brian Gardner. 
​​
Click on pics to enlarge.
Small Tortoiseshell, Hither Field
Large Skipper, Hill Wood Field
Small Blue on Kidney Vetch, Lagoon
Large Skipper, Fames Rough
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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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Still dry and windy

24/4/2022

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This sunny, dry but windy April has provided temperatures that occasionally lifted above those favoured by butterflies and we have been lucky to being able to walk three of the first four transects in reasonably suitable conditions.
 
GH, GK and BG did this season's fourth transect on Sunday afternoon, once again starting the circuit at Section 10. Despite the warmer temperature, there was a strong NE breeze and, except for one Brimstone seen in each of Sections 8 and 11, the day's focus for counting was entirely in the more sheltered Fames Rough and Harholt Plantation (Sections 2 to 5).
 
As for the previous two transects, it was the Brimstones and Peacocks that were out in the highest numbers, along with Commas and Orange Tips but we also recorded our first Dingy Skippers on Coneyboro and Fames Rough, plus a single Holly Blue. 
We're hoping that the sheep grazing on Coneyboro will be removed soon so that the flowers waiting to come through on the newly cleared field can emerge without been eaten. The Kidney Vetch plants in our cleared square in Barn Field are coming through strongly (as they are also in the information-board area adjacent to Holly Lane car park). We also looked for the KV on Hither Field and although we're fully confident that it's still there in good numbers we couldn't see any – just difficult to spot.
Count Summary:
20 
Brimstone
15 Peacock
  5 Dingy Skipper
  4 Comma
  3 Orange Tip
  1 Holly Blue
Total: 48 Butterflies from 6 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.
Cowslips, Parson's Great Field
Comma, Coneyboro Hill
Dingy Skipper on Bugle, Fames Rough
Peacock underside, Fames Rough
Picture
A stream of Bluebells, Hill Wood Field
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Easter butterflies

18/4/2022

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The Easter weekend was warm and sunny and so we (GH, GK & BG) decided to do the transect on Sunday afternoon. Anticipating that the Ramblers Rest car park would be jammed with the cars of lunchtime diners, we parked in the also crowded Holly Lane car park and joined the transect route at Stagbury Field (Section 10).
 
Peacocks were enjoying the fine weather around most of our route with singles on the more exposed easterly facing fields and 12 counted in the sheltered Fames Rough. Last week we recorded an equal number of Peacocks and Brimstones, but for this week's count the Brimstones were less evident. We also saw our first Comma and Orange Tips of the new season.
Summary:
15 
Peacock
  5 Brimstone
  2 Orange Tip
   1 Comma
Total: 23 from 4 species. 

Click on butterfly names for more info.
​
​
The full details have been entered onto the BCT's database.
Picture
Fames Rough to Coneyboro Hill, linked by the 'butterfly corridor'.
Survey by Brian Gardner, Graham H and Graham K. ​Report by Brian Gardner. Pics by Graham K.
​​
Click on pics to enlarge.
Bugle, Fames Rough
Spurge Laurel, Stagbury Field.
Picture
"What's your angle?"
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