A few of the butterflies on the wing on the Hampshire Chalk

An hour's sunshine, in the middle of an unsuitably cloudy day, allowed me to catch up with a few of the butterflies in flight at Stockbridge Down, including my first encounter with a Hampshire pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne).

From top to bottom: dingy skipper (Erynnis tages); small copper (Lycaena phlaeas); Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina); pearl-bordered fritillary.

Later that day in Parsonage Field, Catherington common blue were in flight (Polyommatus icarus)

The next day I headed to Portsdown Hill, and walked my old transect in Comps 1 & 2, counting 10spp incl. green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) and small blue (Cupido minimus). The latter out in force in the Chalk Pit where at least 30 were seen on the western slope alone.

Portsdown Hill comps 1 & 2

A quick walk on Portsdown Hill this afternoon, going through Comps 1 & 2 produced singles of large white, small white, brimstone, speckled wood, holly blue, small tortoiseshell and brown argus; two each of red admiral and common blue, along with 20 meadow brown. A couple of distant unidentified whites completed the haul.

Portsdown Hill - patch listing

An hour and a half spent below Fort Southwick, Portsdown Hill, this afternoon walking the old transect in Campartments 1 and 2 produced: large skipper (4), small blue (5), holly blue (2), meadow brown (18), marbled white (13), brimstone (5), speckled wood (2), and singles of comma and brown argus. Silver y, treble bar sp. and a single white ermine moth were also noted.

As is usual with these scrubby grassland compartments chiffchaff, whitethroat and the occasional blackcap were the dominant soundscape. Pyramidal orchid are starting to show in high numbers.

brown argus (Aricia agestis)

small blue (Cupido minimus)

large skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)

white ermine moth (Spilosoma lubricipeda)

Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)

Portsdown Hill - ramblings from the usual compartments

An afternoon wander around the old transect route in Portsdown Hill compartments 1 & 2 this afternoon produced, Comp 1: orange tip (4), peacock (3), holly blue (2), brimstone (5) and a single green-veined white; Comp 2: small white (1), brimstone (6), orange tip (2), peacock (2), comma (1), speckled wood (3).

In Comp 2 I also found a lesser treble bar moth and a fox moth caterpillar. I based my ID of the lesser treble bar -as opposed to the treble bar - on the noticeable kink in the bar on the forewing towards the edge of the wing (as per: Newland, Still & Swash 2013). I have since been advised that this feature is highly subjective in the field, and that in males at least the shape of the abdomen is the key ID feat (Mike Wall, Hants BC pers comm.).

The pond in the chalk pit had at least 14 newts, which I presume were all smooth newts, based on the couple I managed to ID from the photos. I also found a single juvenile slow worm on the path up the western slope, sadly the specimen was dead when I found it.

Local patch - weekend round up

Two med gulls (Ichthyaemus melanocephalus) an ad + 2nd sum, on Swan Lake, Milton Common on the evening of the 10th. A single foraging pipistrelle (Pipistrellus sp) was seen along the path and foreshore shortly after. Cetti's (Cettia Cetti) were still calling across the site.

On the 11th a walk into the city centre, produced my first singing willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) of the spring, amongst a mixed flock of five willow/chiffs at the entrance to Victoria Park.

A welcome return to Compartments 1 & 2 on Portsdown Hill on a sunny but somewhat blustery afternoon - produced singles of comma (Polygonia c-album), orange tip (Anthrocharis cardamines), and brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni); along with seven each of small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), and peacock (Aglais io); a flighty white failed to nail the ID.

A single whitethroat (Sylvia communis) in song at the top of Compartment 1 and two very vocal blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), and a half dozen chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collibyta) made it a four warbler day! And a five warbler weekend.

A late start on the 12th found two swallow (Hirundo rustica) flying through at Milton Common Ca. 11:30 a pair of med gull, Ca. eight cetti's warbler (Cettia cetti), willow warbler, chiffchaff and a half heard blackcap added further interest.

Fort Cumberland between and 12:00 and 13:00 was generally quiet, although four very mobile linnet (Carduelis cannabina) were very noisy. The site did produce my first reptile sighting of the year, with five common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) found sunning themselves on a scrap of wooden pallet, half hidden in the gorse (Ulex europaeus).

On / Off transect Comp 1 & 2 Portsdown Hill

I have just completed, what may well be my last butterfly transect of this year on Portsdown Hill. My circumstances have changed and I have taken up full time employment in West Sussex - this will considerably compromise my flexibility to head to the hill in good conditions to carry out the transect.

I have learnt a lot undertaking the transect, it has honed my butterfly identification skills, introduced me to new species - and stimulated a greater understanding of butterfly ecology, their food plants and flight times. It has also extended this interest to day-flying moths - and no doubt in the near future I will be turning to the dark side as well.

In conjunction with volunteering with Portsdown Hill Conservation Volunteers, undertaking the transect has made me take a much closer and critical appreciation of chalk grassland; helped develop a wider vocabulary of botanical ID skills; and let's be honest - turned what was an aside to birdwatching into a passion in its own right.

This afternoon I was chuffed to add clouded yellow (Colius croceus) in at # 26 of the total spp. recorded on transect across Compartment 1 & 2, so far this year. A single (perhaps 2?) clouded yellow zooming along the bottom path, giving me no opportunity for photographs.

Post transect I went off piste .. and managed to catch a quick record shot a painted lady (Vanessa cardui) - bringing my compartment total to 27.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) Portsdown Hill, Compartment 1

Three small copper were recorded in Compartment 1 on 29th July 2014 (week 18 transect) - bringing the current butterfly spp total to 25 recorded spp across Comp 1 & 2 this year.

Although having returned from a weekend in Dorset - I was gripped to see a report of Queen of Spain
fritillary (Issoria lathonia) seen below Fort Southwick on the 26th July 2014, the record reported on:

http://www.havantnature.net/

Today, I caught up with John Goodspeed - who runs the website, and he knows the reporter and was satisfied with their account of the species. This is a very exciting record - and it will certainly keep me on my toes for the next couple of visits.

Not a Queen of Spain fritillary - small copper
recorded 29th July 2014

.. "Don't it make my brown eyes, blue .."

I was almost / I was (?) caught out this morning, undertaking the butterfly transect on Portsdown Hill (Compartments 1 and 2), when a new butterfly species appeared on the wing.

Expecting small blue (Cupido minimus) - as per the last transect - I watched as a small flashing silver blue / brown butterfly launched an airborne assault on a passing common blue (Polyommatus coridon) - plucky small blue - I thought. Then it landed, and I stalled as the underwing was completely wrong - resembling at best a small female common blue?

Hasty photographs were taken, and I consulted Lewington, R., (2003) Pocket Guide to the butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, British Wildlife Publishing.

".. specimens are best confirmed from the underside, where the lack of a spot in the cell of the forewing, near the body, and the almost vertical twin spots on the top edge of the hindwing are conclusive." (Lewington, R. 2003)

I found that the noticeable lack of spot on the forewing was very obvious - but the almost vertical twin spots on the hindwing, were very subjective in the photo given the angle of the wings at rest. Still I was pretty sure that I had now successfully recorded brown argus (Aricia agestis).

A second similar individual was also seen, and small blue were also seen in flight alongside them.

The record was later confirmed when I submitted the photo to scrutiny on the "Butterfly Conservation in Hampshire" FB page.

This record is the 24th butterfly species that I have recorded in Compartments 1 and 2 so far in 2014, and the 25th (possibly 26th) that I have so far recorded on the whole of the hill this year.

brown argus

small blue

brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)



Robin's pincushion gall -  gall on rose spp
produced by Diplolepis rosae
Compartment 2

mid July update from Portsdown Hill and elsewhere

Essex skipper (Thymelicus lineola) were recorded on the transect for the first time this year on 2nd July (Week 14) with six individuals successfully ID'd along with four small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) and a further six small/Essex. The transect also recorded two dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja).

Along with the butterflies - a great green bush cricket (Tettigonia viridissima) was also noted:

great green bush cricket - 2nd July

A quick walk on the hill on the 5th July, in less than suitable conditions (heavily overcast, with strong cool winds) - still managed to produce our first sighting of the year for chalk hill blue (Polyommatus coridon) a very wind blown male - persistently flighty - whilst I tried to grab a record shot. Essex skipper also provided a brief opportunity to get off some photos.

Also seen yellow shell moth (Camptogramma bilineata).

chalk hill blue - record shot 5th July

yellow shell 5th July

Essex skipper 5th July

Returning to undertake the weekly transect on the 9th July (Week 15) two chalk hill blue males were recorded along with 13 other species of butterfly.

chalk hill blues 9th July

marbled white (Melanargia galathea)
9th July

The Week 16 transect undertaken on 15th July - and saw the return on the wing of both small blue (Cupido minimus) - last recorded 20th June; and common blue (Polyommatus icarus) - last recorded 25th June. Strongly suggesting that a second brood had occurred with both species.

In total 20 butterfly species were recorded on the wing.

small skipper 15th July

Following the transect a quick afternoon's visit to Hook Heath on the north of Portsdown Hill was rewarded with sightings of only one of the three target species - silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia); failing to connect with white admiral (Limenitis camilla) and purple hairstreak (Favonius quercus).



silver-washed fritillary Hook Heath 15th July

Portsdown Hill June 2014

Photos are mainly taken within Compartments 1 and 2 along the transect route - although the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) - was recorded in the compartment above Paulsgrove Chalk Pit - a singing male was heard within the compartment on the 20th June.

Butterflies seen this month include: small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris); marbled white (Melanargia galathea); meadow brown (Manolia jurtina); dark-green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja) - all recorded from 13th June onwards. Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) - recorded on the wing from 20th June. These dates are record dates from transect not emergence dates.

marbled white



comma



dark-green fritillary

C.f. narrow bordered five spot burnet moth
(Zygaena lonicerae)

dark-green fritillary

emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator)

large skipper (Ochlodes venata)



roe (Capreolus capreolus) hind with twins



speckled wood



yellowhammer

ringlet