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.

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.

green hairstreak

grizzled skipper

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).