Common Blues, Small Tortoiseshells and a Brown Hairstreak

Common Blue ♂, Polyommatus icarus

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday I did my Mill Hill transect while the weather was suitable. The buddleia by the car park was covered in Painted Ladies, Small Tortoiseshells, Red Admirals and Peacocks - a reminder of childhood. Meadow Browns and Small Tortoiseshells were the winners this week: Adonis Blue 14, Brown Argus 2, Chalkhill Blue 20, Common Blue 11, Gatekeeper 7, Large White 1, Meadow Brown 70, Painted Lady 3, Peacock 3, Red Admiral 4, Small Heath 4, Small Tortoiseshell 7, Small White 1, Speckled Wood 2, Wall Brown 5.

  I then checked out Beeding Cement Factory where the meadow had many pristine Common Blues plus some Brown Argus. Still no sign of Long-tailed Blues on the Everlasting Pea, though sightings have been coming in from other areas of the south coast so we are hoping for a repeat the 2013 influx and subsequent brood.

  Finally I called in at Steyning Downland Scheme where Neil showed me a pristine Brown Hairstreak and Pete later found the first Silver-spotted Skipper on his transect.

 Mill Hill:

Chalkhill Blue, Lysandra coridon

Noon Fly, Mesembrina meridiana

Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui

Painted Lady

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta and Small Tortoiseshell

Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae

Small Tortoiseshell and Painted Lady

Round Hill, Steyning:

Common Blue

Brown Argus, Aricia agestis

Peacock, Inachis io

Small Tortoiseshell

Brown Argus courting pair

Common Blue

Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata

Steyning Downland Scheme:

Bloody-nosed Beetle, Timarcha tenebricosa

Brown Hairstreak ♀

Brown Hairstreak ♀

Common Carpet, Epirrhoe alternata

Harlequin Ladybird pupa, Harmonia axyridis

Robin's Pincushion Gall, Diplolepis rosae on Wild Rose

Russian Vine, Fallopia baldschuanica

Speckled Bush-cricket ♂, Leptophyes punctatissima

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Littlehampton:

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer, Agriphila geniculea

tiny spider - id needed