Showing posts with label Duke of Burgundy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Duke of Burgundy. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 May 2021
Monday, 25 May 2020
Covid-19 pt 3 .. The Dukes of Butser via Folk on Foot ..
It's the end of another hot and sunny Bank Holiday weekend. We are enjoying the second Folk on Foot "Front Room Festival" of the Covid-19 Lockdown.
Richard Thompson - all but the final act of the festival - is giving a masterclass in both guitar playing and story-telling. Once more I am sorting photos - this time, from a cracking day out on the local chalk.
Having spent the weekend primarily in and around the house and garden we decided to stretch our legs today and venture on foot to Butser Hill, exploring a new approach along the way via Green Lane and Thieves Lane.
Thieves Lane passes through the southern edge of Ditch Acre Copse, a private woodland that comprises (by the looks of things) a very well managed hazel (Corylus avellana) coppice under beech (Fagus sylvatica) and oak (Quercus sp.), the bridleway then continues along the edge of Bryden Copse, meeting the road and we have to turn uphill road wise to join the South Downs Way.
As we approached the South Downs Way, it was apparent that many people were taking full advantage of both weather and the recent easing of Covid-19 exercise restrictions. The Way itself was busy with walkers and cyclists; and the verges on the top road leading to Butser Hill were full of parked cars, and picnickers.
Most people were still observing the social distancing protocol as they passed by each other - with a few rude exceptions. The car park was busy, but not full - the parking charges not liked by all perhaps?
Out on the vastness of the northern slope of Butser Hill it was easy to avoid other people - and we began to search for our quarry the Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina). On the lower hedgerow we flushed a single specimen, but could not re-find it
Taking the precipitous descent from immediately above - and down to - the beech copse at the northern end of Rakes Bottom, we failed to turn up another duke, but enjoyed the abundant common-spotted orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) around the valley floor.
Getting close to the lek site at the southern end of Rakes Bottom, I noted a Duke as it flew around my feet - but again we couldn't relocate it. At the lek site - we successfully connected with another Duke, which variously settled, between vigorously chasing off all other butterfly incomers.
Leaving the lek site for the steep ascent to the top of Butser Hill, we counted at least another four Dukes.
Our return trip took us down the south slope of Butser Hill, and along the bridleway on Oxenbourne Down, which follows the top of the A3 cutting. Altogether notching up a respectable 10 mile walk - here and back again.
Home in time to tune into the latter half of the folk festival. Cracking day out! Cracking night in!
Richard Thompson - all but the final act of the festival - is giving a masterclass in both guitar playing and story-telling. Once more I am sorting photos - this time, from a cracking day out on the local chalk.
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| Richard Thompson - Folk on Foot "Front Room Festival 2" |
Having spent the weekend primarily in and around the house and garden we decided to stretch our legs today and venture on foot to Butser Hill, exploring a new approach along the way via Green Lane and Thieves Lane.
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| Green Lane |
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| Thieves Lane |
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| Thieves Lane passing through Ditch Acre Copse |
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| Fagus sylvatica - Ditch Acre Copse |
Thieves Lane passes through the southern edge of Ditch Acre Copse, a private woodland that comprises (by the looks of things) a very well managed hazel (Corylus avellana) coppice under beech (Fagus sylvatica) and oak (Quercus sp.), the bridleway then continues along the edge of Bryden Copse, meeting the road and we have to turn uphill road wise to join the South Downs Way.
As we approached the South Downs Way, it was apparent that many people were taking full advantage of both weather and the recent easing of Covid-19 exercise restrictions. The Way itself was busy with walkers and cyclists; and the verges on the top road leading to Butser Hill were full of parked cars, and picnickers.
Most people were still observing the social distancing protocol as they passed by each other - with a few rude exceptions. The car park was busy, but not full - the parking charges not liked by all perhaps?
Out on the vastness of the northern slope of Butser Hill it was easy to avoid other people - and we began to search for our quarry the Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina). On the lower hedgerow we flushed a single specimen, but could not re-find it
Taking the precipitous descent from immediately above - and down to - the beech copse at the northern end of Rakes Bottom, we failed to turn up another duke, but enjoyed the abundant common-spotted orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) around the valley floor.
 |
| Dactylorhiza fuchsii |
Getting close to the lek site at the southern end of Rakes Bottom, I noted a Duke as it flew around my feet - but again we couldn't relocate it. At the lek site - we successfully connected with another Duke, which variously settled, between vigorously chasing off all other butterfly incomers.
 |
| Hamearis lucina |
Leaving the lek site for the steep ascent to the top of Butser Hill, we counted at least another four Dukes.
 |
| Hamearis lucina |
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| Callophrys rubi |
Our return trip took us down the south slope of Butser Hill, and along the bridleway on Oxenbourne Down, which follows the top of the A3 cutting. Altogether notching up a respectable 10 mile walk - here and back again.
Home in time to tune into the latter half of the folk festival. Cracking day out! Cracking night in!
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Covid-19 pt 2 .. venturing further abroad .. (daily exercise restrictions relaxed)
Having heard the rumours that Butser Hill was a honey-spot for visitors following the easing of COVID-19 exercise restrictions, I ventured my way east instead, to a quieter site to find my quarry.
Fairmile Bottom has recently seen the Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) start to colonise its grassland slopes. If I recall correctly this will be only their third year recorded on site - but already they are being found in several small discreet locations across the expanse of the chalk grassland.
Today, I only found a single specimen, but that was enough to warrant the additional journey. Especially given the very low number of people I had to socially distance from during my search.
I will always associate this iconic butterfly with that of the fly-orchid (Ophrys insectifera) - having experienced them both for the first time, on a visit to Noar Hill some years ago. Fairmile now also provides an opportunity to visit both species on the same site.
Blessed Be
Fairmile Bottom has recently seen the Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) start to colonise its grassland slopes. If I recall correctly this will be only their third year recorded on site - but already they are being found in several small discreet locations across the expanse of the chalk grassland.
Today, I only found a single specimen, but that was enough to warrant the additional journey. Especially given the very low number of people I had to socially distance from during my search.
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| Hamearis lucina |
I will always associate this iconic butterfly with that of the fly-orchid (Ophrys insectifera) - having experienced them both for the first time, on a visit to Noar Hill some years ago. Fairmile now also provides an opportunity to visit both species on the same site.
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| Ophrys insectifera |
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| Cephalanthera damasonium |
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| Callophrys rubi |
Blessed Be
Friday, 10 May 2019
Friday, 19 April 2019
Good Friday on Butser Hill
Our primary target for the Good Friday was always going to be Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina). With reports of the species emergence coming in thick and fast from other well known Hampshire sites - nobody was reporting from Butser Hill.
A search along the hedgerow at the bottom of the hill adjacent the green lane produced plenty of butterfly sightings - most notably grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae) - but didn't turn up a Duke.
So we turned our attention to Rakes Bottom - where only last year, I had been shown an area in the southern end of the feature, by a couple who had recorded first sightings of Duke there for the past six or seven years.
We were not to be disappointed, finding at least two - if not three - newly emerged Dukes who were most obliging (as always) for photographs.
In the vicinity of the Dukes was a pair of green hairstreak (Callophrys rub), seemingly faithful to a single hawthorn (Cretaegus monogyna) whilst engaging in territorial dispute.
Other butterfly species seen on the wing: peacock (Aglais io), speckled wood (Pararge aegeria), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus), red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines), small white (Pieris rapae) & small tortoiseshell (Aglais urtica).
A search along the hedgerow at the bottom of the hill adjacent the green lane produced plenty of butterfly sightings - most notably grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae) - but didn't turn up a Duke.
So we turned our attention to Rakes Bottom - where only last year, I had been shown an area in the southern end of the feature, by a couple who had recorded first sightings of Duke there for the past six or seven years.
We were not to be disappointed, finding at least two - if not three - newly emerged Dukes who were most obliging (as always) for photographs.
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| Duke of Burgundy |
In the vicinity of the Dukes was a pair of green hairstreak (Callophrys rub), seemingly faithful to a single hawthorn (Cretaegus monogyna) whilst engaging in territorial dispute.
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| green hairstreak |
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| grizzled skipper |
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| early purple orchid |
Other butterfly species seen on the wing: peacock (Aglais io), speckled wood (Pararge aegeria), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus), red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines), small white (Pieris rapae) & small tortoiseshell (Aglais urtica).
Thursday, 10 August 2017
"In search of Dukes and Black Adders" - May 28th 2017
Our good friend Ian has blogged about a shared day that we spent exploring local sites to Horndean, Hampshire in search of butterflies and reptiles. Ian's blog entry can be found here:
Mammal Watching Birder
Mammal Watching Birder
Sunday, 23 April 2017
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Tired old dukes and painted ladies
A hot summer's afternoon spent on Butser Hill found some tired old dukes still battling their territories, with fresh painted ladies in from the continent to brighten the spirits.
A supporting cast of hairstreaks, skippers, blues, heaths, woods and whites; and a handful of day-flying moths completed the interest.
A supporting cast of hairstreaks, skippers, blues, heaths, woods and whites; and a handful of day-flying moths completed the interest.
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