BUTTERFLIES
 DRAGONFLIES
 HOVERFLIES
 BUMBLEBEES

Bumblebees
Hoverflies
Butterflies
Solitary Bees
Adur Bees, Wasps & Sawflies
Flies
Ladybirds
Beetles
Moths
Grasshoppers & Crickets
Damselflies & Dragonflies
Bugs
Spiders

WILDLIFE REPORTS
 

29 July 2016
On a cloudy and cool afternoon inimical for butterflies, a brief casual visit to  Mill Hill, resulted in my first Wall Brown Butterfly of the year immediately as I stepped on the southern steps to the lower slopes, where I spotted my first female Chalkhill Blue Butterfly of 2016. Male Chalkhill Blues were frequently seen. I also noted Carline Thistle budding for the first time this year a well as my first Round-headed Rampion in flower. At the top I was buffeted around by the breeze to distraction and soon headed home. I did spot a male Chalkhill Blue on the top though and more Round-headed Rampions. The ten species of butterfly without trying at all was the equal the most species in day so far this year. 
Butterfly Report

26 July 2016

Peacock Butterflies were the most noticeable butterflies on Mill Hill because they were big and fresh and visited Hemp Agrimony, Marjoram and Ragwort.
Mill Hill Report

21 July 2016

Cloudy and a bit of an afternoon breeze was welcome after the two day heat wave. On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the male Chalkhill Blue Butterflies (36) were numerous and settled enough for a photograph. They were joined by Marbled Whites, Gatekeepers, Red Admirals and Meadow Browns, Large Whites, unidentified whites, and Silver Y, Yellow Shell and 6-spotted Burnet Moths. 
Butterfly Report

19 July 2016

Lucky a breeze (Force 4) was blowing as it was very warm > 26.8° C during the day rising to 28.9° C in the evening and 25.9° C at midnight when the rain started with gusts to Gale Force 7. 
Adur Weather
Shoreham Beach Weather Station

18 July 2016
On the first warm day (>25.3° C) of the year, the male Chalkhill Blue Butterflies (16) finally emerged on the lower slopes of Mill Hill when I visited in the middle of the day. They were all flighty and once in flight they rarely stopped. The rain earlier in the year had caused some vegetation to grow quicker than normal and the path at the bottom was covered in Brambles to such an extent I nearly trod on a large Black Adder coiled up on the path in front of me. 
Mill Hill Report

13 July 2016
The first Gatekeeper Butterfly of the year appeared on a rainy Mill Hill. 

12 July 2016
A commotion over the River Adur north of the Tollbridge attracted my attention, as the gulls nosily mobbed a Grey Heron. On a breezy cloudy day, it was inimical for even photographing wild flowers as they were constantly blown about in the late morning. 

Thousands of small grasshoppers were easily disturbed in the verges of the Steyning Line Cyclepath (from Old Shoreham to just north of the Erringham Gap). A score or more of Green-veined White Butterflies were disturbed and were fluttering about but the other butterflies were reluctant to take flight. A variety were seen and they were one Small Skipper, occasional Meadow Browns, a few Ringlets, at least two Red Admirals and a Marbled White. Two of the first 6-spotted Burnet Moths of the year were spotted, the first settled on a Pyramidal Orchid. More plants appeared in flower, notably a species of Mullein, Red Bartsia and the first budding Wild Basil. Later in Shoreham a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly landed briefly in front of me. 
Adur Butterfly List 2016

6 July 2016
A large Buzzard was perched on the hedgerow at the bottom of Mill Hill. It made a leisurely take off and glided over the meadow below. The afternoon sunshine persuaded a few butterflies into flight: Marbled Whites led the way with 35 seen, mostly on Mill Hill, where Meadow Brown males were the second most common of ten species seen on the day. 
Butterfly Report
 

Grasshoppers on Mill Hill Meadow Grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus, at least one Common Green Grasshopper, Omocestus viridulus.

The most interesting find was my first white version of the common purple-blue Self-Heal plant illustrated on the right above. And the second most interesting discovery had to wait until I viewed the photographs and was my very first Green Grasshopper, Omocestus viridulus, from Mill Hill or anywhere in Shoreham and Adur. I also found a tiny web spinning Candy-striped Spider, Enoplognatha sp. on the underside of a Field Scabious on the middle slopes. 
Adur Spiders
Adur Grasshoppers 2016

5 July 2016

At least a day without rain and even in the very late afternoon there was as brief spell of sunshine and the breeze had died down. The meadow-like verges of the Steyning Line Cyclepath had grown higher than normal. The late sunshine cast long shadows but brought seven species of butterflies out: one fresh Comma*, four Red Admirals, and few Large Whites, my first handful of Small Skippers of the year, at least two Marbled Whites, occasional Meadow Browns, about ten Ringlets and occasional Silver Y Moths.  (* Waterworks Road.)

1 July 2016
Still cloudy and overcast and too breezy for the open downs, I made a detour to Buckingham Cutting (south) where the Giant Hogweed had grown much higher than a person towering at least three metres above the path.  The orchids and other plants in flower did not seem to have changed all that much in a week. Restharrow was now flowering. Self-heal grew tall in the tall vegetation. A few small Perforate St. John's Wort were budding.

I stayed long enough for a few butterflies to be disturbed. The first a lively Meadow Brown of several males only, followed by a languid flight of the first of a handful of Ringlets of both genders, followed by the lively flight of about the same number Marbled Whites and lastly two Small Blues. 
Adur Butterfly List 2016
 
 
 

July 2015 Reports

Wild Flowers 2016
Shoreham Weather 2016

EasyTide (Shoreham)

Shoreham Beach Weather Station
 

Adur Nature Notes 2013