Adonis and Dark Green Fritillaries

Dark Green Fritillary, Argynnis aglaja

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Yesterday a couple of hours wandering over Cissbury Ring yielded a surprise appearance by a male Adonis Blue in reasonably good condition plus Meadow Browns and Small Heaths I had about 20 sightings of Dark Green Fritillaries, though photographic opportunities were few as they used the wind to fly a long distance when disturbed. Most were on the top of the southern end among the long grass mixed with brambles and clover. A slow walk through the vegetation enabled me to spot a few resting low down with wings open. I also found a few in the north-east ditch. I also saw the following moths: Silver Ys, a Brown Plume, a Common Heath, Five-spot Burnets and a Cinnabar

male Adonis Blue, Lysandra bellargus

male Adonis Blue, Lysandra bellargus

Agrimony, Agrimonia eupatoria

Agrimony, Agrimonia eupatoria

Brown Plume, Stenoptilia pterodactyla

Brown Plume, Stenoptilia pterodactyla

Common Heath, Ematurga atomaria

Dark Green Fritillary, Argynnis aglaja

Five-Spot Burnet, Zygaena trifolii

Five-Spot Burnet, Zygaena trifolii

Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa

Large Skipper, Ochlodes faunus

Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis

Tufted vetch, Vicia cracca

Valerian, Valeriana officinalis

Valerian, Valeriana officinalis

Wild Thyme, Thymus serpyllum

Ids needed for these 3 fungi

Wood White laying egg

Wood White with freshly laid egg on Meadow Vetchling

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Yesterday Mark Colvin showed me round Hog Wood by Oaken Wood near Botany Bay. The humidity was 37% and temperature 30°C. We didn’t see large numbers of butterflies but we did find 14 species: 1 Silver-washed Fritillary, 3 White Admirals, 2 Marbles Whites, Large Skippers, Speckled Woods,  Ringlets,Small Heaths, Meadow Browns,  6 Woods Whites, a Small Skipper, a male Brimstone and 2 Red Admirals, including one imbibing salts from poo! Mark also saw a Comma and Common Blue.  A young frog and a brown female adder also showed up. The highlight for me was witnessing a Wood White laying an egg on vetch by the Tugley Wood main path.

Wood White laying the egg on Meadow Vetchling

The egg

juvenile Common Frog, Rana temporaria

Common Frog, Rana temporaria

Heath Bedstraw, Galium saxatil

Honeysuckle, Lonicera caprifolium

Marbled White, Melanargia galathea

 I tried for a side shot, but he turned round to face me!

Mark photographing Red Admiral imbibing salts from poo!

Small Skipper, Thymelicus sylvestris

Spotted Longhorn beetle, Rutpela maculata on Wild Rose

Dark Green Fritillaries

Dark Green Fritillary, Argynnis aglaja

To  view  a  Slideshow,  click  here  then  choose  Fullscreen  (top  right)

Another cloudy, dry morning so I went to Cissbury Ring again to hunt for the Dark Green Fritillaries. It was windy and I saw around 12, but each time one rose nearby, it went with the wind and was soon 50 yards away. In spite of this I managed to get a shots of a few of them. At one point I nearly trod on a fat brown female adder curled up on the grass. We looked at each other and as I got a camera ready it slithered off into the long grass - a lovely encounter. A lark sang loudly above. The were hundreds of Meadow Browns and dozens of Small Heaths plus an old Common Blue and Small Copper.

worn Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus

worn Dark Green Fritillary, Argynnis aglaja

Dark Green Fritillary, Argynnis aglaja

Field Scabious, Knautia arvensis

Five-Spot Burnet, Zygaena trifolii

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum

Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina

Bramble, Rubus fruticosus

Cinnabar moth caterpillar, Tyria jacobaea

Red Poppy, Papaver rhoeas

bank of Rock Rose

Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas

Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus

White Bryony, Bryonia dioica

Wild Mignonette, Reseda lutea

Wild Thyme, Thymus serpyllum

Wood Sage, Teucrium scorodonia