Sussex Branch

GENTLE REMINDER FOR THE ANNUAL COTONEASTER BASHING ON THE BUCKLE BY-PASS (A259), SEAFORD. FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW DAVE, HE IS A FONT OF KNOWLEDGE FOR EVERYTHING TO DO WITH BUTTERFLIES AND AS YOU BASH AWAY YOU CAN ASK HIM ALL THOSE ESOTERIC QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BOTHERING YOU! Organised by Dave Harris the annual Cotoneaster clearance at this site will take place on the mornings of Saturday 19th and Tuesday the 29th September. This is a large and difficult area which is an established breeding ground for the Small Blue butterfly as well as a number of other nationally scarce insects. Their continued presence is threatened by the invasion of Cotoneaster, and there is now an established routine of cutting back just a small part of it each year. We will start on each day at around 10.00 from the meet point of the bus stop on the main road at the bottom of Hill Rise (TQ47030015 - What3Words duration.voice.clipboard), and finish by 1.00. High visibility tabards, gloves, a selection of tools, cake and drinks will be provided, but bringing along your own secateurs and loppers if you have them would be useful. Members are welcome to come for either or both days, and stay for as long or short a period as they like. Parking can be found on Hill Rise and then meet by the above mentioned bus stop. No need to register but if you wish to let Dave know of your planned attendance contact him via email; d.harris8@btinternet.com (Martin Kalaher, Website Editor)

Female 6

Female 6

Long-tailed Blue report. Day 9: No sightings were made yesterday suggesting all previous individuals had left the garden, and Sunday’s Female 5 had continued her journey onward through Sussex. Today, at 15.20 Female 6 was seen in a slightly worse condition than Female 5, and signifying another continental arrival. Again, she was in egg laying mode, but with limited hope of conducting a count because eggs had been placed within the developing bud cluster of BLEP. For confirmation that Female 5 and 6 are different individuals, the under wing image has been rotated to match the orientation of Female 5, previously posted. With 4 continental arrivals to the garden over the last 7 days, should we be thinking in terms of say 100 or more individuals making landfall in Sussex during this period? (Brian Birch, Felpham)

brown hairstreak (f)

Once the sun came out this afternoon, a few butterflies started showing at Warnham NR: Common Blue (3), Small White (2), Clouded Yellow (1) and a female Brown Hairstreak. Regards, Colin (Colin Kemp, Warnham NR) - TQ167323

A fresh male Long-tailed Blue briefly visited my garden today, stopping on Japanese Anemone. I looked elsewhere locally, but no others seen. Also 19 Wall, 14 Clouded Yellow, 11 Common Blue, 4 Speckled Wood, Brown Hairstreak, Painted Lady, Small Heath, Humming-bird Hawk-moth, a few Small White. (Lindsay Morris, North Lancing)

Common Blue

different Common Blue

Speckled Wood

Speckled Wood

At the County Cricket ground in Hove we saw a Red Admiral and a Small White, but then it rained. As we drove back to West Worthing the sun came out, so we visited the grassy areas near the west end of the seafront between George V Avenue and Wallace Avenue. About 10 Clouded Yellows and a female Common Blue were roaming around and nectaring on yellow flowers in the mown grass. By the longer grass there was a Small Copper and 3 male Common Blues. The Clouded Yellows were too active to get close to. We had a nice surprise when we got home - 2 Speckled Woods and several Small Whites. (John Heys, West Worthing)

Despite the Grey skies, wind and threatening drizzle there was a lot of butterfly action on my walk from High and Over along The Comp and back along Greenway Bottom. The key factor was that it was warm. 8 species were recorded and I don't think I've ever seen so many Speckled Wood on a walk before. Final counts were: Speckled Wood (50+), Wall (20+), Small White (7), Red Admiral (3), Small Heath (3), Common Blue (5), Painted Lady (2) and Adonis Blue (1). (Chris Hooker, Alfriston)

Clouded Yellow butterfly was into the gardens fronting the beach. (Valerie Alford, Pevensey Bay Beach.)

Thought i would submit this report thinking it might be a location not commonly covered. During late morning cloud and drizzle it was warm enough for a few Small Heath to be flying. When the sun came out early afternoon the numbers exploded. Had i done a proper count there would have been over 100. Clouded Yellows also appeared from the grass. At least 30 =40. Also 10 Speckled Wood, 3 Small Copper and a Common Blue (Jim Playle, Petworth park)

Not a great photo !

Also not good !

Great day for butterflies in the garden. Mostly cloudy with odd bursts of sunshine. Speckled Wood Brown Argus x3 Brown Hairstreak Brimstone Painted Lady x2 Common Blue x4 Small Copper x3 Large White Small White x3 Clouded Yellow Wall x3 (Tim Bright, Oak Barn) - TQ079146

I enjoy checking the posts, to see what is happening, and decide if there are any comments worth adding, for our Sussex members (and beyond, if they are interested). The female Brown Hairstreak, recorded on Thorney Island, by Barry and Margaret Collins, is an outstanding sighting and a pivotal event, for it means that in the past 2-3 years, Brown Hairstreak has colonised all the Sussex coast, from the Pevensey area (in East Sussex), all the along the coast to the Hampshire border. I will insert my text for the 2025 annual report: "However, the main story this year were the sightings all along the Sussex coastline, from the Eastbourne area to Chichester Harbour. From east to west there were records for Abbot’s Wood (Hailsham), Friston Forest and Windover Hill (Wilmington), Seaford, Newhaven, Hollingbury Park (Brighton), Mill Hill (Shoreham), Lancing Ring, Central Worthing, West Worthing, Salvington, Felpham, Pagham Harbour, Sidlesham and Cobnor (SW of Chichester). Much of this colonisation of the Sussex coast is very recent and for many locations, such as Seaford and Newhaven, these were “first-ever” records". A brilliant record, Barry and Margaret. My thanks to you. Martin K (Martin Kalaher, Website Editor)