Steyning Brimstones and Mill Hill Walls

Brimstone, male, Gonepteryx rhamni

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Yesterday I did my Mill Hill butterfly transect and found the second brood Adonis Blues have increased dramatically since Thursday. I also found 3 Small Tortoiseshells and 3  Walls which obligingly opened their wings in contrast to those at Chantry Hill and Steyning. The rest of the transect results: Adonis Blue 23, Chalkhill Blue 68, Common Blue 5, Gatekeeper 7, Holly blue 1, Meadow Brown 174, Peacock 1, Red Admiral 1, Small Heath 1,  Small White 1, Speckled Wood 1. I saw an adder in a usual basking spot and a Roe Deer dashing across the bottom field.

I then visited Steyning Downland in case the Brown Hairstreaks were out. I arrived to find a dozen other enthusiasts were on the same mission. We saw a male Brown Hairstreak high up on an Ash. It headed down but we lost sight of it. I then went up the far hill and enjoyed an hour with three male Brimstones which were busy nectaring on the thistles and other flowers. I shot about a thousand images at 1/4000sec to capture open wing images and was pleased with the results. A wall patrolled the path, but would not open its wings.

Mill Hill:

Adder, Vipera berus

Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus 

Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae

Wall, female, Lasiommata megera

female Wall on open ground where they bask

Wall, female, Lasiommata megera

Wall, female, Lasiommata megera

male Brimstone and female Small White

Steyning Downland:

male Large White and male Brimstone

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly, Volucella zonaria

Large White, female, Pieris brassicae

Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina on Teasel

Peacock, Inachis io on Teasel

male Brimstone in flight, Gonepteryx rhamn:

Brimstone, male, Gonepteryx rhamni