SDS Blog

Ben Rainbow's Article

petevarkala@mac.com — 2012-09-25T18:44:33+01:00

Here’s a link to a copy of Ben Rainbow’s article that appeared in this months ‘Your Steyning’ magazine.

Spring Observations

petevarkala@mac.com — 2012-06-07T15:16:46+01:00

Here are some random observations about this Spring.
It started well with an early warm spell bringing out good numbers of butterflies such as Brimstone & Orange Tip, along with over-wintered Peacock & Red Admirals. However, April turned very wet and the butterflies went to ground and few were seen at all. In fact so far this year has been very disappointing with only small numbers of any species seen. Holly Blue’s have done well though, as have Small Heath.
So far this year I have seen: Brimstone, Orange Tip, Peacock, Red Admiral, Green-veined White, Small White, Wall, Green Hairstreak, Adonis Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, & Small Heath.
Here are a male & female Adonis Blue seen on the Steyning Coombe. This could mean we now have a breeding population here again, weather permitting!

Early Purple Orchids appeared in reasonable numbers, and now Common Spotted have emerged in good numbers.

Reptiles are doing OK with Adders, Grass Snakes, Slow Worms & Common Lizards seen on the Rifle Range & the Steyning Coombe. How they’re coping with the current, seemingly never-ending, wet spell is unknown.

Our newly formed Bird Surveying Group have been out & about and this year have found a total of 51 species so far, including some lovely migrants such as Nightingale, Cuckoo, Willow Warbler and Wheatear.

One of 2 Broad-bodied Chaser females seen on the Steyning Coombe:

PV

Avian Visitor

petevarkala@mac.com — 2012-05-02T13:24:14+01:00

While fruitlessly searching for butterflies on the Steyning Coombe, I came across this lovely Wheatear. He was not worried by my presence and continued searching for food on the ground. Probably on his way north to breed.

The Adder’s Tongue is doing well on the Rifle Range this year. It seems to be spreading, maybe due to the grazing.

This Common Lizard is shedding it’s skin, revealing the beautiful new layer beneath.

Here’s it’s friend.

Nightingale

petevarkala@mac.com — 2012-04-25T13:13:52+01:00

Here’s a better recording of the Nightingale:
Nightingale3

These birds are really difficult to see as they nearly always keep themselves hidden in the undergrowth. It’s a challenge to get a photo or any video!
PV

Spring Birds

petevarkala@mac.com — 2012-04-24T11:57:51+01:00

Great to hear a Nightingale singing beautifully next to the MOD track leading to the rifle Range. It was only a few metres away tucked into the undergrowth. Accompanied by a Whitethroat.
For a slightly ropey audio recording, click here: Nightingale2

The weather was grey, chilly & windy, so no surprise that I didn’t see a single butterfly anywhere.
PV

More Spring

petevarkala@mac.com — 2012-04-12T15:50:51+01:00

Here is a selection of images taken on site this spring. Lots of new life about everywhere, including some migrant birds, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps. Also Orange-tip Butterflies.

Violets

Brimstone Butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Twayblade Orchid

Mating Grass Snakes

Comma Butterfly

Green-veined White Butterfly

Cowslip

PV

Springing Into Life

petevarkala@mac.com — 2012-03-01T14:37:25+00:00

A late morning walk on a beautifully warm sunny day showed many signs of spring being just around the corner. Two lovely Brimstone butterflies were flying around the south-facing slopes of the Rifle Range, and quite a few Celandine already in flower, as were some primroses around the pond.
The first Common Lizards of the year were sunning themselves making the best of the warmth.

I can’t remember the Upper Pond being at such a low level at this time of year before. A sure sign of the lack of rainfall this winter.

Lots of birds about including Jay, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tits, Buzzard overhead, Mallard, Coot.
Also, near Mouse Lane, a pair of seemingly amorous Tortoiseshell Butterflies.

PV

Winter Walk

petevarkala@mac.com — 2012-01-11T15:20:12+00:00

I had an amazingly sunny & warm walk up the Steyning Coombe this morning to meet up with Tom Parry from the South Downs National Park and Nigel who co-ordinates our Ranger Team. The Grammar School Task Force were up there continuing the good work clearing scrub to help restore some more chalk grassland.

The temperature was around 14˚C, unseasonably mild, and this might have explained the two pristine Red Admiral butterflies we spotted on the way back down.

Lots of birds were also about including a pair of Bullfinches, Gold & Greenfinches, Green Woodpecker, Collared Doves, & on the ponds, Mallard, Teal & Gadwall.
PV

Random Events

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-11-15T11:37:41+00:00

Being in the right place at the right time is one of the wonderful things about observing wildlife. No matter how much research & planning you do, nature will always spring a surprise on you. This morning I was at the Upper Pond making some plans for our upcoming felling operations and spent some time there wandering around. I was standing by the dam, just about to leave when there was a terrific flapping in one of the overhanging trees. Down comes a bundle of feathers which turned out to be a Sparrowhawk chasing a Pigeon. The Pigeon managed to escape into some undergrowth just above the waterline & the Sparrowhawk sat on a branch just above, giving me great views. After a couple of minutes the obviously injured Pigeon made an escape attempt but was pounced on by the raptor who proceeded to grab it in its talons, get on top of it, and sit there, wings outstretched, calmly drowning it!
After a while, when it’s prey was dead, it attempted several times to extract the Pigeon from the water, but it was just too heavy so it just gave up and flew off leaving the bird floating in the pond. Incredible!
Poor Pigeon for enduring a dreadful death, or poor Sparrowhawk for having expended so much time & effort and failing to get a meal? Probably both….
PV

Wasp Spider

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-08-14T15:56:20+01:00

Here’s a photo of a Wasp Spider taken on the Rifle Range by Simon Birnstingl:

These striking spiders were first recorded in the UK in 1922, and have, so far, spread as far north as Cambridge. They live on flying insects and grasshoppers and need fairly long grass in which to build their nests. Males are much smaller than females and some don’t survive the mating experience, being eaten by the female!

Butterflies

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-08-15T15:09:37+01:00

Had a very good walk on the Rifle Range this morning seeing a good range of butterflies, 13 species in all, but not in large numbers:
Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small White, Large White, Small Heath, Brimstone, Wall Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Common Blue, Speckled Wood & Brown Hairstreak.
Also saw a Grass Snake & some Slow Worms under a felt. Swallows & House Martins were flying above.

The popularity of our Brown Hairstreak Reserve is again apparent as there were at least eight people watching & taking photographs of a couple of females as they laid eggs on blackthorn growing around the perimeter.

Slow Worm

Brown Hairstreak

Brown Hairstreak laying Eggs

Brimstone

Wall Brown

Got The Blues Again

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-07-26T14:32:40+01:00

At last I’ve spotted some blue butterflies again!
Yesterday I saw 3 male Common Blues on the Rifle Range & 3 females & 1 male on the Steyning Coombe. Also there were plenty of Gatekeepers, a Small Heath, 2 Brimstone, Small & Large Whites & 2 Wall Brown.
Today, in spite of being a bit gloomy, was a wildlife extravaganza! On the boundary of the Rifle Range a Buzzard flew out of a tree, the wild flowers were amazing and there were several Common Blues flying among the Gatekeepers, along with a Brown Argus, a Silver-washed Fritillary, Red Admiral & Peacock. Also saw 2 Adders, a Grass Snake, a Common Lizard & a Slow Worm. Best of all though was a Chalkhill Blue, the first one I’ve seen here for years!

CHALKHILL BLUE

COMMON BLUE

BRIMSTONE

SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY

WALL BROWN

ADDER

Wild Flowers

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-07-15T13:09:23+01:00

The wild flowers on the Rifle Range are amazing at the moment. I’m sure the winter grazing has been really beneficial.
.

However, in spite of this, my casual observations are that there are not that many butterflies about. There are some Meadow Brown about, Marbled Whites are not as numerous as they were a couple of weeks ago, some Small Whites are flying and Gatekeepers are beginning to appear in ones & twos. There are a few Ringlets as well.

I’ve also spotted the odd Red Admiral & Peacock. But I haven’t seen a single blue butterfly for weeks now. I know they’re being seen on other sites on the Downs, so where are ours?

Sunshine

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-06-24T11:57:28+01:00

After quite a few days of cloud & rain it was great to go for a walk in some sunshine and warmth today. On the Rifle Range there was a lot of butterfly activity. I saw lots of Meadow Brown, more than a dozen Marbled White, some Green-veined White, including a mating pair, & the first Ringlets I’ve seen this year

.

I also found specimens of all our reptiles, Adder, Grass Snake, Slow-worm & Common Lizard. (I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo of the Grass Snake!)

Marbled White

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-06-11T18:28:28+01:00

Saw my first Marbled White of the year today. A beautiful butterfly.

Also several Large Skippers, this one, I think, a female.

There were Small Heaths & some pristine Small Tortoiseshell about as well, but hardly any Blues.
Also this fine specimen of a Viviparous Lizard.

PV

Butterflies

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-06-08T12:07:07+01:00

In spite of cooler windier weather, quite a few few butterflies spotted over the past few days including lots of Meadow Browns,

several Common Blues,

a few Small Heath

and my first Large Skipper of the season.

PV

Nightingale

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-05-13T12:57:48+01:00

While walking down the track from the Rifle Range this afternoon, I heard this Nightingale singing it’s heart out, well concealed in the undergrowth.Nightingalemp3
As far as I know they haven’t been hear for at least three or four years so it’s great to have one back.
The Common Spotted Orchids are just beginning to flower on the Steyning Coombe:

Scarce Chaser

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-05-09T15:13:16+01:00

While trying to get some decent footage of butterflies up on the Steyning Coombe, I was amazed to see, along with male & female Broad Bodied Chaser dragonflies, this lovely female Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva).

These are a Red List species & only seen around certain river systems, the nearest of which is the Arun. It would be interesting to know where it came from.

I also saw several Grizzled & Dingy Skippers, Large & Small Whites, a Holly Blue, Wall Brown, Brimstone, Small Heath, one Brown Argus and my first Common Blue of the year.
Oh yes, and a Slow Worm sheltering under one of the reptile survey refugia.
Lovely!
PV

Orchids

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-04-28T13:00:57+01:00

It lovely to see the Early Purple Orchids starting to come into flower on the Rifle Range.

Hopefully the start of another wonderful display for this year.
Another new butterfly for this year, several Small Heaths both on the Rifle Range & the Steyning Coombe.

I don’t know if they’ve always been here in such numbers and hidden from view by the tall grasses that used to swamp the Rifle Range, but there seem to be many more Cowslips about this year scattered over both slopes.

I also saw 3x Red Admirals, another Grizzled Skipper

& a Speckled Wood.

PV

Random Observations

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-04-21T12:12:18+01:00

Here are a few random & unscientific observations I have made while wandering randomly over the SDS site recently.
My butterfly sightings so far this year have included a good number of species, but not in large numbers. I have seen, roughly in date order:
Peacock, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak & Small White.
So far I’ve only managed ID photos such as these:
Grizzled Skipper

Dingy Skipper

Green Hairstreak

Small Tortoiseshell

I have seen & heard lots of Chiffchaffs & Whitethroats this spring. They seem to be more numerous than recent years. Yellowhammers are also doing well, often seen in the scrub on the Rifle Range.

For the first time today I saw a couple of Red-legged Partridge on the Steyning Coombe.

There have been hundreds of Bee-flies about. I’ve never really noticed them before. They seem to have evolved to look like bees, presumably to put off potential predators. Amazing proboscis!

There are lots of Common Lizards about, both on the Rifle Range & the Steyning Coombe. I have failed to get a photo this year so here’s one from last year:

I’m hopeless at botany, but I have found again the small patch of Adders Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum Vulgatum) on the Rifle Range. Supposedly an indicator of ancient meadows, it also apparently likes damp conditions and usually first appears in June. Here it is on dry chalk downland in April:

Can anyone help identify this, growing in the same vicinity as the Adders Tongue:

If you know what it is, please let me know: sdsblog@me.com

Orchids are on their way with the first already flowering, namely the Twayblades:

These are easily overlooked as the flowers are green. Definitely worth a close look.
PV

Ponds & Bridges

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-04-07T11:46:58+01:00

Went for a nightime walk around the ponds accompanied by Bev Wadge from the Sussex Biodiversity Records Centre. Looking into ponds at night using powerful torches is a great way to see what’s there. We saw several Eels, 3 Palmate Newts, lots of freshwater shrimps, snails, pond fleas, & some diving beetles. Not a huge amount of biodiversity, but this is probably due to the lack of aquatic plants in and around the ponds. This might be helped by cutting back some of the overhanging trees & scrub & letting some light into the area. The only plant we found in the water was some Water Mint. We will soon be doing an invertebrate survey to find out if there are other species lurking unseen.
The new bridge over the stream by the dam is now complete and should make it much easier to get across.

I also saw my first Speckled Wood butterfly of the year up by the Flint Barn, a very tatty specimen!
Quite a few other butterflies about, Brimstones, Small Tortoiseshells, Commas & this lovely Peacock.

PV

Reptiles Again

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-04-04T10:02:05+01:00

I found these Slow Worms (Anguis fragilis) along with an Adder this morning. Slow Worms are, in fact, legless lizards, not snakes, and are totally harmless. These are, I think, a male & a female, the female having the stripe down her back.

Now where’s that Grass Snake!
I also found this:

Not being much of a botanist, I’ve no idea what it is. You can enlighten me at sdsblog@me.com
PV

Snake in the Grass

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-04-03T10:01:52+01:00

It was good to find this young adder (Vipera Berus) warming up on the slopes of the Rifle Range this morning. It can easily be identified by the zig-zag pattern down its back, and by the vertically slit pupil clearly visible in this photo. This one was quite small, probably only 30cm long.

I’ve noticed many common lizards (Zootoca Vivipara) here again this year which are a food species for the adders.

We will be doing a reptile survey soon to get an idea of our populations.
PV

Spring flowers

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-03-29T13:15:48+01:00

It’s lovely to see spring daffodils flowering in our parks & gardens, but somewhat mystifying as to how they find their way into the middle of the woods. I found this small clump near the Steyning Coombe:

In spite of the gloomy weather today, primroses & wood anemones flowering by the pond.

Good to hear many chiffchaffs singing in the trees. Maybe they’ll find some suitable nesting sites.
PV

Butterflies Are Back

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-03-15T10:39:06+00:00

On a beautiful & warm morning, the Rifle Range seemed suddenly to have sprung into life. Many birds flying around busily singing and looking very smart in their spring plumage including several Jays around the treetops, Great Spotted & Green Woodpeckers calling & hammering, a Buzzard soaring on thermals above, a male Yellowhammer giving his characteristic “Little bit of bread & some cheese” call,YellowhammerCall but, best of all a lovely Black Redstart flying around & feeding on the north slope.

Spring flowers are coming up everywhere including Celandine, Primrose & Violets, and lots of insects about.
At last I saw my first butterflies of the year, three lovely male Brimstone and a Peacock.

The winter is hopefully over.
PV

Birds

petevarkala@mac.com — 2011-01-02T14:55:20+00:00

A short walk around the Rifle Range on a sunny morning, birdwatching, proved quite productive. In addition to many Tits (Great, Blue, Long-tailed) & Finches (Green, Chaff & Gold), I also saw a Goldcrest, a Coal Tit, a Treecreeper, some Redwing, heard a Great-spotted Woodpecker, & quite a few Mallard on the ponds.
It’s good to see that the cattle are making quite an impact on the grassland, shortening a lot of the more dominant species which will make the site much better for butterflies & other insects later in the year. Still too much Tor Grass on the steep slopes though, a very difficult species to control.
Here’s one in last December’s snow:

PV

Brown Hairstreak Egg Hunt

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-12-11T18:53:29+00:00

Saturdays Brown Hairstreak Egg Hunt was attended by about 20 intrepid souls who met up on the Rifle Range and were treated to an interesting introduction to the history & breeding habits of this elusive butterfly by Michael Blencoe & Neil Hulme of Sussex Butterfly Conservation. It was fascinating to find out that West Sussex was a hotspot for the Brown Hairstreak and that hardly any butterflies or eggs had been found in East Sussex. No time was lost and we were soon finding numerous eggs in the Hairstreak Reserve. We stopped counting when a total of 50 eggs was reached. Everyone got to see some, often magnified with hand lenses, and even through a microscope attached to a laptop provided by Dave & Penny Green. It is unusual to find so many eggs in such a small area. They are more often found in ones & twos.
It was very heartening to hear from Neil that he thought our reserve was already probably the best site in the UK for observing the butterfly, and the continuing management here can only make it better. I can’t wait for next year to see how many adults we get.
PV

Snow

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-12-03T20:14:03+00:00

An outstandingly beautiful afternoon spent on the Rifle Range, Steyning Coombe & around the Upper Horseshoe. There were lots of people up there enjoying the snow, walking, sledging & snowboarding, and lots of happy faces. As the sun set over the Downs and the mist settled over the Weald, it seemed as if we were in the Alps! Amazing. All the wildlife must have been tucked up in some undergrowth somewhere. Nothing was seen apart from some Mallard on the Lower Pond.
A Video can be viewed here: Watch in HD if your connection can take it!

Big Nature Conference 2010

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-10-13T16:02:28+01:00

Anyone interested in conservation issues locally might be tempted to attend this open to all conference at Dorothy Stringer High School in Brighton.
Under the guidance of Dr. Dan Danahar, the school has recently created a fabulous Butterfly Reserve on the school grounds which has already attracted Small Blues, Chalkhill Blues & Adonis Blues. A fantastic success.
More information can be found by following the links.
The Big Nature Conference 2010 celebrates the International Year of Biodiversity and highlights the importance of biodiversity to people in Brighton & Hove. It also aims to show how people, acting locally, can make - and have made - a real difference to the conservation of biodiversity for future generations.

Close Encounters of the Reptilian Kind

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-08-31T18:28:54+01:00

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

Wasp Spiders

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-08-23T11:38:40+01:00

' 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

Brown Hairstreaks

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-08-15T19:05:08+01:00

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

Botanical Survey

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-07-30T13:04:25+01:00

Another botanical survey took place on the site today.
Here are some photos taken by Sherie New of species found:

Birdsfoot Trefoil
Carline Thistle
Dwarf Thistle
Field Mint
Pyramidal Orchid

Blues back!

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-07-23T10:29:22+01:00

Over the past week or so I’ve seen some more butterflies on site including second brood Common Blues,
a Brown Argus, Wall Brown, Small Copper,
Peacock

Brimstone & Red Admiral, in addition to the many Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers & Marbled Whites previously mentioned.
This brings my personal tally of butterfly species spotted on the SDS site to 19. Perhaps some not in great numbers, but as the habitats are improved, hopefully numbers will as well.
PV

Windy Walk

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-07-14T15:49:18+01:00

On a windy & dullish day the butterfly numbers somewhat diminished, but still plenty of Ringlets, Marbled Whites & Meadow Browns about. Also saw one pristine Silver-washed Fritillary, a couple of Commas & a Red Admiral. Still no sign of any Blues.
The Common Spotted Orchid display is now over but some fine Pyramidals scattered around the site. One Buzzard seen soaring above.

Video

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-07-07T16:45:01+01:00

Here’s a short(ish) video taken on the Rifle Range recently. Please let me know if it doesn’t play on your system.(sdsblog@me.com) Starring: Marbled White, Meadow Brown, 6 Spot Burnet Moth, unidentified Hoverfly, Ringlet, Skipper (large, I think), Gatekeeper, Common Spotted Orchids, & unsuspecting residents of Steyning!
PV

Summer!

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-07-02T11:49:55+01:00

Lots of butterflies about at the moment, especially Marbled Whites which are in profusion.
I must have seen at least a dozen at the same time. Also lots of Meadow Browns, Large Skippers & a few Ringlets. These look almost black as the flutter past, but on closer inspection prove to be rather lovely. Where are the Blues?

A fine display of Common Spotted Orchids on the Rifle Range ‘Orchid Bank’, with the odd Pyramidal among them.

PV

Orchids

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-06-24T11:01:32+01:00

I found the first Pyramidal Orchid of the year on the Rifle Range today & they’re also starting to appear on the Steyning Coombe. Interestingly, they are more common on the south facing slope, whereas the Common Spotted seem to like the north facing slope where there are hundreds flowering now.
Lots of Meadow Brown butterflies today, several Large Skippers & a Red Admiral, but a total absence of any blue butterflies. The Common Blue, like most of the blues, is in-between broods at the moment, so we’ll hopefully see more towards the end of July.

Botany

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-06-21T21:13:30+01:00

In spite of having walked the Rifle Range for many years, it’s amazing to still come across things I’ve never noticed before. Today I came across a small patch of Adder’s Tongue fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum). I don’t know if the botanical surveyors found this, but it’s an indicator of ancient meadows, relatively uncommon & apparently prefers damp conditions!
There is a fine display of common spotted orchids on the Orchid Bank at the moment, and many up on the Steyning Coombe as well.PV

Surveys

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-06-14T13:45:26+01:00

Good to see a group of local volunteers getting down to some serious botanical surveying on the Rifle Range & the Steyning Coombe. Today’s survey is part of an on-going series throughout the summer months.

I saw 3 Meadow Brown butterflies today, the first of the year, and also a few Large Skippers, Common Blues, a Grass Snake and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth collecting nectar in the Rifle Range. The Common Spotted Orchids are finally looking good on the Rifle Range orchid bank. They also seem to be thriving on the Steyning Coombe, especially where the trees & scrub have been cut along the new fence.
PV

Painted Lady

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-06-08T19:45:43+01:00

Some new butterflies today. On the Rifle Range, the first Painted Lady of the year, & also a Speckled Wood near to the woodland.
On the Steyning Coombe, a pair of Red Admirals sparring in the sky.
Also a Red Fox hunting rabbits on the Rifle Range, and a possibly leucistic deer glimpsed in the woods.
PV

Butterflies & Orchids

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-06-07T14:58:52+01:00

On the Rifle Range today, at least 4 Common Blue butterflies, 2 Dingy Skippers and several Small Heath and a Cinnabar moth.
On the Steyning Coombe, a much richer chalk downland habitat, several Common Blues, many Small Heaths, Grizzled & Dingy Skippers,
1 Green Hairstreak, 1 Large White. Also, lots of Crickets & Grasshoppers everywhere.
The Common Spotted Orchids are doing well on the Steyning Coombe, but not nearly so well on the Rifle Range compared to this time last year. This is probably due to the Cattle having been allowed to remain longer than was necessary. They will certainly recover and the grazing will, in the long term, have a beneficial effect.PV

More Cattle

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-26T15:04:37+01:00

Great to see that we now have a new herd of Sussex Cattle grazing on Pepperscoombe Bank. This area has not been grazed for many years & will benefit greatly from the attention of livestock! They should be there for about 4 weeks or so.
One Adonis Blue butterfly spotted by Neil Hulme around the Upper Horseshoe area. This species is rare on the SDS site, so great to know they are still around. The above-mentioned grazing will definitely improve the habitat for this beautiful butterfly.
Also the remaining stumps on the Steyning Coombe have now been cut down. All that remains is a work party to help clear up the debris. If you’re interested in helping please go to the Community page, or HERE.

Still Getting The Blues

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-24T12:26:20+01:00

A new butterfly for this year, spotted a lovely Brown Argus on the Steyning Coombe.

At the risk of becoming repetitive, also saw Green Hairstreak, Brimstone, Common Blue, Wall Brown, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, & Small Heath.
Also, on the Rifle Range, saw my first Adder of the year, female I think, slithering rapidly across a path. Also brief glimpses of one of their food species, the Common Lizard.

I Got The Blues

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-21T16:04:18+01:00

Hottest morning this year so far. In addition to all the other butterflies mentioned in my last two posts, finally saw 3 Common Blues up on Steyning Coombe. Two male & one newly emerged female. After some careful stalking, managed to get some half-reasonable photos. Here’s a male:

and a female:

and another Green Hairstreak for good measure:

PV

More Butterflies

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-19T12:28:21+01:00

We are so lucky to have an area bursting with so much wildlife just outside Steyning. It’s amazing what’s out there when you take the time to have a good look.A beautiful warm morning. On the Rifle Range there were several Grizzled & Dingy Skipper butterflies flitting about along with Small Heath & the first Wall Brown of the year & also a beautiful male Brimstone.

Further up on the Steyning Coombe were more Skippers & Small Heaths, male & female Brimstone, 2x Wall Brown &, best of all 5x Green Hairstreaks, the first I’ve personally seen up there. Fantastic! Also some day flying moths, Green Carpet & Treble Bar.

The birds were also in abundance, Yellowhammers, Whitethroats, 2x Buzzards overhead being harassed by Crows, a Kestrel flying past with mewing youngster in tow.
Having already found three destroyed Long-tailed tits nests this year, it was heartening to see a pair busy with beaks full of insects, presumably feeding their young in a well concealed nest.
PV

Skippers

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-18T18:29:56+01:00

Another sunny & warm morning produced, on the Rifle Range, 2x Small Heath Butterflies,

a Grizzled Skipper

& a Dingy Skipper. These Skippers are classic chalk downland species.
Sorry about poor photos!
PV

Life & Death

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-17T16:26:45+01:00

Lovely sunny morning & actually reasonably warm for a change. On the Steyning Coombe, 4x Small Heath Butterflies. These are really small & easily mistaken for a moth as they fly by.Early Purple Orchids will be out soon, Twayblades already flowering.Curiously, not a single butterfly seen on the Rifle Range.

A pair of Kestrels flew over, one disturbed from a tree, also a noisy Jay.
On the Rifle Range, mother & offspring doing well! (Life)

Also saw a fox running off with a freshly caught rabbit. (Death). Nature will always find a balance between predators & prey. It’s only us humans who disturb this. Then wildlife becomes ‘vermin’....

PV

Steyning Coombe

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-12T12:16:12+01:00

Fencing contractors have already nearly finished work on the Steyning Coombe. As usual they have done a great job with minimal disturbance. Here’s a photo of some emerging Early Purple Orchids that have been run over by the post-bashing machine. Its caterpillar tracks have done very little damage, & I’m sure they’ll be fine!

Rifle Range Walk

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-13T11:56:12+01:00

Another beautiful, if chilly, May morning. Fencing contractors busy finishing off the Rifle Range fencing. Many Yellowhammers in the bushes along with Whitethroats, Longtailed Tits, & Dunnocks. Saw the first Early Purple Orchid of the year, and Cowslips in isolated clumps. The Sussex cattle have make a huge difference to the amount of coarse grass growth all over the Rifle Range. It will be interesting to see how this affects the less vigorous chalk downland species, hopefully giving them more of a chance to flourish.

Birds Nesting

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-05-01T17:29:19+01:00

Much evidence of bird nesting all over the site.
On the Rifle Range, a Yellowhammer seen with a beak full of dry grass.
Whitethroats seem very abundant this year.
Chiffchaffs exhibiting mating behaviour.
Great Spotted Woodpeckers heard drumming.
Male Blackcaps singing with great gusto
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Audio Quiz Answers

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-03-06T15:25:03+00:00

The birds heard in the audio snippet were:
Green Woodpecker
Coot
Great Spotted Woodpecker (drumming)
Background birds....not sure, help needed! :-!

Audio Quiz

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-03-05T15:04:48+00:00

Down by the ponds
Lots of signs & sounds of Spring around. See if you can identify the birds in this audio snippet. Answers tomorrow!

Birds

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-03-04T14:53:38+00:00

Kingfisher :-)
Chaffinches
Greenfinches
Goldfinches
Magpies
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen

Birds

petevarkala@mac.com — 2010-03-30T14:40:48+01:00

Great Spotted Woodpecker
Yellowhammer
Long-tailed Tit