17
August 2009
I
was shocked by the unmistakable sighting of a Brown
Hairstreak Butterfly on Mill
Hill south of the upper car park. It flew of rapidly and was lost to
my sight in about 20 seconds, so this was my first ever glimpse of hedgerow
butterfly
that lays its eggs on Blackthorn (Sloe). This
has increased the total species seen in Shoreham and all on Mill Hill to
33.
Other species of butterfly seen on the day on Mill Hill and its approaches and the Downs-Coastal Link Cyclepath from Old Shoreham to Upper Beeding (by the Cement Works), were 54 Adonis Blues, an estimated 75+ Painted Ladies, an estimated 100+ Common Blues, an estimated 80+ Meadow Browns, frequent Gatekeepers, 13 Chalkhill Blues, frequent Speckled Woods, frequent Large Whites, frequent Small Whites, occasional Wall Browns, occasional Brown Argus Butterflies, occasional Green-veined Whites, occasional Small Heath Butterflies, occasional Holly Blues, one Small Tortoiseshell, one Red Admiral, two Comma Butterflies and one Peacock Butterfly. Larger moths noted included a few Shaded Broad-bar Moths, occasional Silver Y Moths, at least one Common Carpet Moth, one Brimstone Moth and occasional Treble-bar Moths.
Lists:
Lower
Slopes of Mill Hill
3
Shaded Broad-bar Moth, 5 Gatekeeper,
3
Wall
Browns, 23 Meadow
Browns,
50Adonis
Blues
(including
3 females), 5 Small Heath Butterflies,
10 Chalkhill Blues,
12+ Common
Blues,
one
Speckled
Wood, two Painted Ladies and
three Treble-bar Moths.
The pyralid micro-moths
of both Pyrausta purpuralis and
Pyrausta
nigrata were both present, but I did
not ascertain their frequency.
Mill
Hill Scrub
10
Meadow
Browns,
two Gatekeepers, one Painted Lady, one Wall
Brown, four Speckled Woods and
one Adonis
Blue.
Middle
Slopes
14
Common
Blues,
8
Meadow
Browns, one Gatekeeper,
one Painted Lady, and at least one
micro-moth Pyrausta
nigrata
Upper
Meadows
Very
frequent estimated 50+ Common Blues,
frequent
Painted
Ladies, one Wall
Brown, 7+ Meadow
Browns,at
least one Large White,
occasionalSilver
Y Moths, one Common Carpet Moth,
one Brimstone Moth
and one Treble-bar Moth.
Plateau
and Shorter Herb Meadows
Red
Admiral, Painted
Ladies, one Brown
Hairstreak, frequent Common
Blues,
two
Small Heath Butterflies,
two Large Whites,
two male Adonis Blues and
a female of either Adonis
or Chalkhill Blue,
four Gatekeepers, one Small
White, one Wall
Brown and it was on the edge of the plateau
area that I was able to positively identify a Brown
Argus
although they were probably frequent over the upper part of the hill.
South
of the Reservoir
One
male male Adonis Blue,
two Common Blues
although
there were undoubtably many more, at least two Painted
Ladies and a Meadow
Brown.
This are was just covered in passage and I could have disturbed many more
butterflies amongst the tall herbs.
Approaches
to Mill Hill
Buckingham
Cutting south
It
was still overcast as I passed through this small area just noting the
presence of a few Common Blues,
Painted
Ladies and three Treble-bar
Moths.
Mill
Hill Cutting (SW)
At
least four male Chalkhill Blues and
a Speckled Wood fluttered
around.
Pixie
Path
A
courting pair of Gatekeepers
rose above my head with five Holly Blues,
a Wall Brown, two
Large
Whites, a Meadow
Brown,
two Common Blues,
and a Small Tortoiseshell.
In the Butterfly
Copse there
were two Speckled Woods and
a Large White.Over
the Waterworks Road
there were three Large Whites, aSpeckled
Wood and the first of the positive sightings
of a Green-veined White.
Coastal-Downs
Link Cyclepath
I
declined to make full notes as I cycled along, but noted frequent Painted
Ladies, frequent Meadow
Browns,
frequent Large Whites,
a few Common
Blues,
at least three Green-veined Whites,
at least one Small
White, 8+ Speckled
Woods and most interestingly two Commas
and
a
Peacock Butterfly.
The latter two were interesting because they were not seen on Mill Hill and brought the total of species seen up to an impressive nineteen.