30th June: Heathy Brow

Common Whitethroat
 

29th June: The Lookout, Birling Gap

 I am still delighting in my new camera. Today I became really surprised at just how long the claws are on some species of bird. The light at Birling Gap was beautiful, as we walked through the chalkland flowers to Horseshoe Plantation. Skylark, Corn Bunting, Linnet, Meadow Pipit and Stonechat were in full song and the Scabious flowers looked fantastic.

Corn Bunting

Meadow Pipit

Stonechat

Marbled White, feeding on Greater Knapweed

Juvenile Stonechat

Six-spot Burnett Moth on Field Scabious

28th June: Butterflies on the White Path, Hill Road

 The end of the heatwave, with fresher westerly weather chasing windogs low over the Downs. The warmth and the regular rainfall have left the vegetation and flowers looking great.

Butterflies: (90 individuals seen)

Large White 10

Meadow Brown 21

Comma 3

Small Skipper 9

Painted Lady 6

Ringlet 18

Red Admiral 11

Marbled White 1

Small Copper 2

Small White 8

Gatekeeper 1

Common Blue 1

Odonata:

Emperor Dragonfly 3 (2 males, 1 female)

Brown Hawker 1

Common Darter 2

Southern Hawker 1

Plus another Silver Y

Ringlet

Red Admiral

Small Skipper

Comma

Peacock

Southern Hawker

Large White

Common Red Soldier Beetles on Queen Anne's Lace

27th June: Butterflies on the White Path, Hill Road

 Astonishing thunderstorms and downpours overnight. The morning visit perhaps yielded fewer species as a consequence: (47 individuals seen)

Painted Lady  3

Comma 7

Small Skipper 4

Meadow Brown 6

Common Blue 2

Small White 4

Large White 5

Gatekeeper 2

Peacock 5

Red Admiral 4

Ringlet 3

Speckled Wood 2

Surprising guest appearance: 2 male Beautiful Demoiselle 

Silver Y moth

26th June: Butterflies, The Hill Road White Path

 After a week of maddening heat and Red Heat Warnings, some cooler air blew in from the south. Sea mist ebbed and flowed all afternoon. The opportunity to take an afternoon walk was too good to ignore. Walking at this time would have been folly for the last 5 days.

  By July last year, the relatively new path that had been cut into the chalk (hence the 'White') above Hill Road was been a wonderful butterfly experience, particularly in the mornings. Butterflies on the White Path

  Despite the earlier date and the later than optimal time of the visit, the numbers were still good: (51 individuals seen)

Gatekeeper 2

Meadow Brown 10

Peacock 9

Comma 10

Red Admiral 8

Ringlet 4

Large White 4

Small White 1

Small Skipper 1

Painted Lady 1

Speckled Wood 1

Garden Tiger (day flying moth) 5

  As to be expected, several fast-moving, predatory dragonflies were in attendance. However, some of the more pugnacious Commas actually chased them.

Painted Lady 

Comma

The Buddleia that grows in profusion along the path 

Garden Tiger

Peacock 

Northern Evening Primrose, an invasive species 

25th June: Valerian, Hill Road

 

24th June: Hot Woodpigeon, Alfriston

 This poor Woodpigeon struggled along with us in  34°C at Alfriston.

23rd June: Long Ridge, Friston Forest

 Back up to the Ridge again. Some convenient feaces proved irresistible to the Red Admiral and Painted Lady butterflies. Thunderstorms were nearby and it was windy and cool briefly. Another new species of butterfly for the year in Dark-green Fritillary. Even more Ringlets than yesterday. 

The Red Admirals about their despicable business 

Common Field Speedwell 

Marmalade Hoverfly 

Presumably, a mouse hole, with lots of discarded cherry pits

22nd June: Long Ridge, Friston Forest

Sitting for several hours at a DofE check point o  Long Ridge, gave me a great chance to watch the butterflies. I saw 11 species, the highlight of which was definitely a White Admiral.  Two other year tick species were Silver-washed Fritillary and Ringlet. Both these were in good numbers, with up to 3 excitable Fritillary adults buzzing a out at once. They even chased dragonflies! The Ringlets were to be found in long grass verges of every track and ride.

The other species seen: Small Skipper, Large White, Brimstone, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown 

Emperor Dragonfly, perched before hunting over the Bramble patch.

Record shot, taken with my phone, of a Silver-washed Fritillary 

Bladder Campion

Bramble 

Thick-kneed Flower Beetle 

21st June: Wandering Crab Spider, Hiil Road

 This Crab Spider has mistaken the parasol for a large flower.

20th June: Warren Hill

Small Skipper 

Red-tailed Bumblebee on Viper's Bugloss 

Bird's-foot Trefoil 

Smooth Hawksbeard 

Spotted Orchid 

Caterpillar of Six-spott Burnett Moth 

Walnuts

Field Scabious

Lesser Stitchwort