Recent Walks and Outings

Its been a busy two weeks, with lots of outings and walks.
The first was at Reigate and Colley Hills at the end of July.

Butterfly Conservation Surrey Branch members looking for Silver Spotted Skippers
The Vale End walk was well attended as usual, several Clouded Yellows were seen flying fast over the grassland.

 A well worn Dark Green Fritillary was still hanging onto life, just.

 The find of the day a Silver Spotted Skipper, on the western limit of its Surrey distribution.

The following day was a bus outing to Eastbourne, just after the fire on the pier.

at Cow Gap a few Chalkhill Blues were on the grassland, five male Wall Browns were landing on bare ground. The highlight of the day a female Clouded Yellow.

The outing to Dawney Heath and Brookwood Cemetery was in good hot weather

The Railway West walk would have a very good surprise at the lunch spot. The walk up Beggars Lane gave a lovely Speckled Wood sighting.

 On White Downs, i suddenly shouted Grayling as one flew up from the path, this a chalk Grayling, which was the first chalk sighting since 1962, they were known from the downs until that date, this was a female so hopefully her offspring will give us more regular sightings in future years. So well hidden on the chalk soil.

The group then walked down the hillside to Denbies Carriageway.

After several days of bad weather, and just fitting my two butterfly transects in before the rain set in, a trip to Steyning Riffle Range, with Greenie, today, Wall Brown and about 6 Clouded Yellows were seen first. Then at noon 12.01 exactly a female Brown Hairstreak was seen low down near the blackthorn.

She posed for some nice pictures. The weather then turned to dull, then rain, so we headed home very pleased with the pictures.