Hipparchia semele
Historically, there were two distinct races of Grayling, in Sussex, one associated with chalk grassland and the other with acid heathland. All the heathland populations disappeared many decades ago, with no records in East Sussex since 1973 and none in West Sussex since the mid-1980s. The project “Heathlands Reunited” aims to restore and re-connect heathland habitat between Woolmer Forest in Hampshire and Pulborough in West Sussex, and over the next decade or so, it is conceivable that re-colonisation of this species may occur from neighbouring Hampshire and Surrey.
The chalk grassland populations have also plummeted over the past 30-40 years. In the 1990-1994 county survey Grayling was found in 15 tetrads, but in the 2010-2014 survey, this figure had decreased to just four tetrads: three in the Wilmington area and one in the far north-west of the county at Weavers Down, near Rake. In 2016, it was found in just a single tetrad at Windover Hill, Wilmington, and nowhere else.
Over the past few years Windover Hill has been actively-managed, with ponies to graze the Tor Grass, and artificial scrapes created by human sweat and toil. Overall, the situation is much improved but achieving just the right level of grazing may take some time.
Between 2006-2024 an “average first sighting” was July 17th (range, July 9th to July 26th), and an “average last sighting” was August 19th (range July 24th to September 8th).
Grayling lay their eggs on fine grasses, that are immediately adjacent to a sheltered, sunny patch of bare ground, and rabbit scrapes provide ideal conditions. Sheep’s Fescue, Red Fescue and various hair-grasses are used.
The only reliable site to see Grayling is Deep Dean, Windover Hill at TQ544031. This species can also be located around the Ewe Dene reservoir at TQ537034 in some years, and in 2023, one was seen egg-laying in the High and Over area, nr Seaford.
Grayling on chalk terrain at Deep Dean – photo by Patrick Moore
Territorial male at Deep Dean – photo by Patrick Moore
Grayling at Ewe Dene – photo by Dave Brown
Grayling at Ewe Dene – photo by Dave Brown
Grayling at Deep Dean – photo by Peter Farrant
Sussex BC website photo
Courtship dance (male in foreground) - photo by Patrick Moore
Showing the underside of the forewing - photo by Patrick Moore
Brilliant camouflage - photo by Peter Farrant
Butterfly Conservation Grayling
