Cissbury afternoon

Small Skipper, male, Thymelicus sylvestris

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This afternoon I enjoyed a stroll around Cissbury Ring. There was plenty of butterfly activity and I saw the following species: 15 Dark Green Fritillary, 12 Marbled White, Large and Small Skippers, a Small Tortoiseshell, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, 20 Chalkhill Blue and Meadow Brown. My impression is that this year there a far fewer Dark Green Fritillaries. The grass is long on the top whereas the last two years the brambles and their flowers were dominant and the DGFs were nectaring on them. There are less bramble flowers visible. Six-spot Burnet moths were mating and Cinnabar caterpillars were munching ragwort.

Cinnabar moth caterpillar, Tyria jacobaeae

female Dark Green Fritillary, Argynnis aglaja

Marbled White, Melanargia galathea

Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina

Rosebay Willowherb, Epilobium angustifolium

Six-spot Burnet empty pupa

Six-spot Burnet moths mating and empty pupa

Six-spot Burnet moths mating, Zygaena filipendulae

Six-spot Burnet moths mating, Zygaena filipendulae

Six-spot Burnet moth, Zygaena filipendulae

Six-spot Burnet moth, Zygaena filipendulae

Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae

Stonechats, Saxicola rubicola

Umbellifer