Red Admirals and Commas at a plum orchard

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

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Yesterday I visited a fruit farm in East Sussex following reports of a thousand Red Admirals feeding on rotting plums in an orchard.  I met Mark at Maynards Fruit Farm, Ticehurst. It is a Pick Your Own farm and although I didn’t have time to pick any, I did buy some delicious Victoria plums and Conference pears. Red Admirals were everywhere, as was the smell of fermenting fruit When the sun burst from behind a cloud the air became full of Red Admirals as I walked between the rows of plum trees. Occasionally I caught one nectaring on the rotting fruit on the ground or on the trees. There were also lots of Commas, perhaps 5% of the Red Admiral numbers. A few Small Whites wandered around but no other butterflies were seen. I saw a Green Woodpecker fly off from the orchard and wondered whether it feasted on Red Admirals though ants are a known target. This was a unique experience which I recommend as a family outing.

On the way back home I stopped at Mill Hill to do my weekly butterfly transect. The results show a considerable decline since last week: Adonis Blue 21, Comma 1,  Meadow Brown 55, Small Copper 1, Small Heath 3, Small White 1. I also saw a Treble-bar moth, Aplocera plagiata. Although this moth is common in West Sussex, it is rare in East Sussex:
 http://www.sussexmothgroup.org.uk/speciesData.php?taxonNum=1867

Bracket fungus on plum tree

Comma, Polygonia c-album

Comma, Polygonia c-album

Comma, Polygonia c-album

Comma, Polygonia c-album

Maynards plum orchard

Red Admiral on plum

Red Admiral on plum tree

Red Admiral on plum

Red Admiral on plum

Mill Hill:

view from Mill Hill

Common Darter, female, Sympetrum striolatum

Treble-bar moth, Aplocera plagiata