Dukes of Heyshott

Duke of Burgundy

To view a Slideshow, click this photo, then choose Fullscreen (top right) then Fast (top left)

I first visited Kithurst Hill car park near Storrington and found a Green Hairstreak in the meadow. Also Brimstones, Orange Tips and a Dingy Skipper. A lizard sat on top of leaves

and allowed me some photos before scuttling off.

I then went on to Heyshott Down west of Petworth where I met Neil and Hannah. Neil had already seen six Duke of Burgundy butterflies. I saw four, including two females and we watched one laying. I also saw Brimstones, Orange Tips, a Green Hairstreak and a Grizzled Skipper.

A final visit to a woodland site yielded four more Dukes, including a female, Speckled Woods and a Red Admiral.

Green Hairstreak on Dogwood

Brimstone 

Field Pansy 

Common Lizard 

Dingy Skipper 

Cowslips 

Primroses 

Speckled Wood 

Road running female pheasant 

Blackthorn 

views from Heyshott Down 

 Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy on cowslip 

Neil in photo mode 

 Female Duke of Burgundy using natural light

Female Duke of Burgundy using flashlight 

Duke of Burgundy egg freshly laid on underside of cowslip leaf by female above 

Gorse Orbweaver, Agalenatea redii

wonderful views from Heyshott Down 

Primroses 

Small White, Pieris rapae

Bluebell bank 

Duke of Burgundy 

Red Admiral, shot from above which gives greater contrast (more black, less detail)

using Nikon DSLR giving neutral background due to shallow depth of field. 

The side angle gives different tones compared to above.

same subject using Canon compact camera which gives greater depth of field