Frog Firle and Abbots Wood

Spent a lovely day, with Greenie, visiting Frog Firle and Abbots Wood in Sussex. Near the viewpoint at Frog Firle was a web of Small Tortoiseshell larvae.

Wall Browns were darting about, but didn't manage to photograph any this trip.

At Abbots Wood we soon found the Pearl Bordered Fritillary flying low over last years cut field, they have moved into this from the area we found them last year, it looks like they prefer very low scrub in a fresh clearing.

Denbies Hillside Walk

Here are a few pictures from todays walk.
A web of Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars was found on a nettle patch.

The freshly emerged Buff Tip moth was still expanding its wings.

A couple of interesting moths were also seen, including some nice micromoths  [
Small Purple-barred Phytometra viridaria]
and Lace Border

Dingy and Grizzled Skippers were flying about lots of Dingys, and only a few of the Grizzled below.

The last butterfly seen in the afternoon sunshine was a Brown Argus, again had only just hatched, and one of the wings not fully expaneded, looks like it was a slightly deformed pupa on the wingcase.

Hutchinsons Bank Holly Blue

A visit to Hutchinsons Bank today, looking for butterflies, the Glanville Fritillary caterpillar was still eating its plantain leaf.

Many Brimstones were flying along the nature trail, the females looking for egg-laying sites, one settled for 7 seconds on a Buckthorn and laid an egg.

A Holly Blue female was also egg-laying on the flowerbuds of Dogwood.

Green Hairstreak, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers

Lots of first sightings for the year today at Hutchinsons Bank, 3 Green Hairstreaks, 2 Grizzled Skippers,a Dingy Skipper and a Holly Blue were all seen on various parts of the reserve. A Fully Grown caterpillars of Glanville Fritillary was seen again in one of the scrapes.

Green Hairstreak and hoverfly eye to eye.

Dingy Skipper

 Grizzled Skipper

Fully Grown Glanville Fritillary Caterpillars

This afternoon i photographed fully grown caterpillars of Glanville Fritillary in the scrapes. They should be pupating in the next day or two.

They are now in smaller groups, there are 6 caterpillars in the bottom picture and three in the top one.

New scrape at Hutchinsons Bank

We have put 2 new scrapes in the bottom paddock at Hutchinsons Bank.

 A Small Tortoiseshell was feeding on Hairy Violet in one of the old scrapes.

 Ideal habitat for the Glanville Fritillary and Small Blue in a few weeks time.

Glanville Larvae wake up

Our colony of Glanvilles is still on the go. Overwintering larvae have now woken up, due to the warm weather, and have been eating for about two weeks, they have just gone into the 6th instar, as seen below the ones with the bigger heads. Hopefully the Glanville will be seen flying on its Croydon site in May and June, as it has for the last 3 Years.