Aug 2010
Close Encounters of the Reptilian Kind
31/08/10 18:28
It’s funny how setting out with a specific aim wildlife watching sometimes ends up with a completely different, but equally worthwhile, outcome.
Today was, I thought, the perfect day for some Brown Hairstreak butterfly spotting. Calm, warm & sunny. I got to the Hairstreak Reserve by about midday & found several other hopefuls already there, who had seen nothing all morning. I stayed there for a fruitless hour or so & couldn’t believe that we didn’t spot any at all. I tried my luck on the upper slopes of the Rifle Range, & was glad to meet some other people who had apparently seen a couple up there, although no luck for me.
I spoke to a couple from Brighton and told them they might see an Adder up there and, turning around to continue my walk, nearly trod on a beautiful male curled up on a bare bit of ground! It slithered off giving me excellent views. I also saw a Hobby overhead chasing hirundines, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard, and a slightly tatty Adonis Blue.
Altogether, more than adequate compensation for the lack of Brown Hairstreaks.
PV
Today was, I thought, the perfect day for some Brown Hairstreak butterfly spotting. Calm, warm & sunny. I got to the Hairstreak Reserve by about midday & found several other hopefuls already there, who had seen nothing all morning. I stayed there for a fruitless hour or so & couldn’t believe that we didn’t spot any at all. I tried my luck on the upper slopes of the Rifle Range, & was glad to meet some other people who had apparently seen a couple up there, although no luck for me.
I spoke to a couple from Brighton and told them they might see an Adder up there and, turning around to continue my walk, nearly trod on a beautiful male curled up on a bare bit of ground! It slithered off giving me excellent views. I also saw a Hobby overhead chasing hirundines, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard, and a slightly tatty Adonis Blue.
Altogether, more than adequate compensation for the lack of Brown Hairstreaks.
PV
Wasp Spiders
23/08/10 11:38 Filed in: Sightings
' During our plant survey on 20 August we came across two female Wasp Spiders on the south facing side of the Rifle Range. They have also been seen in the Coombe area. These stunning spiders, which are about the size of a 2p piece, are normally found in unmanaged rough grassland, mainly in South East England. They can bite, but despite their appearance, they are not poisonous.'
Simon Jackson
Simon Jackson
Brown Hairstreaks
15/08/10 19:05 Filed in: Sightings
At last, after several fruitless attempts to find them on previous days, a lovely Brown Hairstreak butterfly was seen on the Rifle Range ‘Hairstreak Reserve’. Another enthusiast got there before us & reported seeing four. One was seen which promptly fluttered off. After an unproductive hour or so of searching, Neil Hulme from the Sussex Butterfly Conservation appeared & within two minutes found a beautiful specimen. How does he do that!!? It was wonderfully co-operative & many photos were taken. It then started laying eggs on the new growth bullace & blackthorn. I think we can look forward to a healthy population next year. A large group of butterfly hunters then arrived, showing how popular our site has become for viewing this beautiful insect.
PV
PV