Hutchinsons Bank Transect Week13

I walked the Transect today, its half way through the season, Had the first Meadow Browns for the year 2 weeks later than 2012.
I did see 2 Painted Lady in the cutting,along with a very old Peacock.

Whitmoor Common

The first time i have been on this walk, and for the first time we were not going to see many of the usual butterflies, because they are not about yet.

On the heath we did manage to see newly emerged Silver Studded Blues, all male, and they were not around yesterday in the same spot.

 

 

 

Sussex Trip

A tour of Sussex sites today, with Greenie, starting with the Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, the area that the butterfly was last seen had been covered by Bracken invasion, but the butterflies had moved into a nice ride nearby, where i found this first one.

Then had to go and find Greenie, who was looking in another area of the site, after a little while we found two at the same time, that were having a good feed on various flowers.

We then moved onto Frog Firle, looking for Wall Brown, and had a Small Tortoiseshell as a bonus,

then across the road to where Burnt Orchid had been seen years ago, although the habitat had changed since then, i managed to find 3 in flower, not at their best yet.

Back to the car for lunch, and onto the area where the Wall Browns are, near the white horse, and a Clouded Yellow male shot past at high speed, a few Wall Browns were seen but not photographed.

The next site was near Beachy Head for Frog Orchid, again a site where they had been seen many years ago. The first orchid of interest was the hybrid with the Common Spotted Orchid,

 Back up the slope in a large area of Common Spotted Orchid, we found about 30 spikes of Frog Orchid.

The last site of the day, was at Seven Sisters, where we saw Wall Brown and Adonis Blue, by now the sun had gone in.

Thanks to Greenie, for the trip, and the info for Frog and Burnt Orchids. His pictures and description for the day can be found on his blog, link on the right side of page.

Box Hill Walk

We had a Surrey Butterfly Conservation walk at Box Hill today, we didnt see many butterflies, but orchids were around in good numbers.

We managed to fing the first Musk Orchids we have seen in many years, and Birds-nest Orchids under the scrub both in the Zig-Zags, but the habitat for the Frog Orchid has now gone, and it hasnt been seen for about 10 years. [1994&1995]

We did see a well marked female Green-veined White

Clouded Yellow at Hutchinsons Bank

We had our First Clouded Yellow since 2009 today at Hutchinsons Bank, and managed to get a picture of the upperside as well.

and to cap it off i disturbed the first Glanville of the year, while chasing the Clouded Yellow from flower to flower, but didnt get a picture of it.

Banstead Downs & Hutchinsons Bank Walks

Sundays walk at Banstead Downs was in dull weather, we saw the Small Blue, and a few other things of interest.

A very nice blue form of female Common Blue, with a non standard underside forewing, and the rare flower the Early Gentian.

The Hutchinsons Bank walk was in better weather, and started with Common Blues

Most of the females seem to be the blue form this year. Small White, Grizzled and Dingy Skippers were also seen, and a Painted Lady, settled for a few seconds at our feet, but flew off before we could take any pictures, and was never seen again. The first Large Skippers of the year were seen along to cutting.

Green Hairstreaks

I was videoing Green Hairstreaks at Hutchinsons Bank today, after walking the butterfly transect for this week. I found a couple on the nature trail, the first was a male than didnt get filmed before it flew up into the canopy. The one below was a female which was looking for egglaying sites, and was keen on the Birds-foot trefoil flowers.

The Coppers of Banstead

Went to see the Small Coppers at a field in Banstead today, first a web of half grown Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars were seen on a nettle patch in a horse field, not a common sight these days.

But in the Buttercup field Small Coppers were sun bathing on the muddy path.