Slonk Hill Cutting              2009

 including the Buckingham Cutting, Mill Hill Cutting & the Pixie Path to Mill Hill

20 September 2009
On an energy sapping humid morning, both hoverflies and butterflies were active around one large clump of Ivy on the Pixie Path (near the NW corner of Frampton's Field) and it was a flash of orange I saw first which I thought was a Comma, but it turned out to be one of five pristine Painted Ladies and a Red Admiral seen immediately followed by a Comma Butterfly seen in less than a minute and another duller Comma spotted about three minutes after the initial sighting. Two Large White Butterflies were spotted over Frampton's Field.
Full Butterfly Report
 

Painted Lady	Small Copper	Red Admiral

Southern Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies were seen as expected at this time of the year.
 

9 September 2009 An anticipated decline in butterflies was noted: the Pixie Path recorded six Speckled Woods, two Red Admirals and a Holly Blue. There were still plenty of Honey Bees, bumblebees and hoverflies visiting the Ivy.  Full Butterfly Report

22 August 2009
A Common Lizard, Zootoca vivipara, was seen coiled up on the Chestnut fencing at the top of the Pixie Path.
Adur Lizards

21 August 2009
Much too breezy for butterflies, but the Mill Hill Cutting hosted three of each sex Chalkhill Blues, the females both courting the attention of the good condition males as well as crawling through the Horseshoe Vetch to discharge their eggs. The cutting also  hosted Speckled Woods, male Common Blues, and both Large Whites and Small Whites. Holly Blues were occasionally to be spotted amongst the Ivy on the Pixie Path. Meadow Browns were seen in Frampton's Field. A Gatekeeper was not spotted.

19 August 2009
 

The route to Mill Hill went through the Mill Hill Cutting (SW) where there were a dozen Chalkhill Blues, including four females, all seen at the same time. The four female Chalkhill Blues were rather worn and ragged, but at least two of them crawled in amongst the prostrate leaves of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa. A Green-veined White landed on a Bramble leaf and I thought that the triangular shape of the wings was most pronounced and this would help with the practical difficulties in identifying the white butterflies. There were three Wall Browns and two Holly Blues on the northern stretch of the Pixie Path with Meadow Browns and Common Blues in Frampton's Field.
Adur Butterfly List 2009

16 August 2009
On a breezy overcast day, an appointment meant the cycle ride was a passage one through Buckingham Cutting (south) where occasional Large Whites and Small Whites, a Holly Blue and a few Common Blues and at least one Silver Y Moth were noted. Down to the Mill Hill Cutting (SW) where more Common Blues, one Chalkhill Blue, a Painted Lady and a Speckled Wood were seen. The Pixie Path route was then due south to the Waterworks Road noting another Painted Lady more Common Blues of both sexes and a few Speckled Woods with more Large Whites.

13 August 2009
A cycle ride was originally just going to the Old Fort on Shoreham Beach and back but it extended along the towpath past the houseboats, across Adur Recreation Ground and along the towpath adjacent to the Airport and over the Toll Bridge up the Pixie Path to the top and a detour to Buckingham Cutting south.
 

Common Blue	Common Blue (female)	Brown Argus	Brown Argus

The following butterflies were seen on route: frequent Large Whites, Small Whites, Painted Ladies, and Common Blues, occasional Green-veined Whites, Speckled Woods, Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns, three Wall Browns, three fresh Comma Butterflies, two Red Admirals, one Small Tortoiseshell, five Chalkhill Blues (including one female at the Mill Hill Cutting south-west), two Holly Blues, and a confirmed Brown Argus and a Small Blue (both at Buckingham Cutting).
Brown Argus Identification Notes

11 August 2009
A Red Admiral was seen on the southern path of Frampton's Field, Old Shoreham, a species not seen the previous day. In the same general area I counted five Holly Blues in the hedgerow together. The trip was a brief one to pick some apples, and the Slonk Hill south route in the afternoon was not very productive: the species were frequent Large Whites, Small Whites and Painted Ladies in town and country, Speckled Woods in the linear wood, frequent Common Blues and a few Meadow Browns in the verge meadows. On Mill Hill Cutting south-west, the Chalkhill Blue count was ten including one female and the plant they stayed on longest for nectar was Carline Thistle, but they made fleeting visits whilst I was watching to Autumn Gentian, Bird's-foot Trefoil and Eyebright.

10 August 2009
Approaches to Mill Hill:
Pixie Path and Frampton's Field
Common Blues were conspicuous in the north-west corner of Frampton's Field with a few Meadow Browns. By the hedges there were two Holly Blues and two Speckled Woods as well as Small Whites and the omnipresent Painted Ladies.
Mill Hill Cutting (south-west)
After a few minutes the Chalkhill Blues appeared with nine spotted including a female with at least four Common Blues.
Buckingham Cutting (south)

Wall Brown	Female Common Blue	Female Chalkhill Blue	Female Chalkhill Blue

Mill Hill Cutting (SW) and the Pixie Path

Mill Hill Cutting (south-west)
This is another slightly larger garden-sized verge plot carved out of chalk with Cotoneaster and Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa.. At first there were no butterflies to be seen, but after about three minutes the first Chalkhill Blue fluttered up from the Horseshoe Vetch where the first mating pair of the year was seen. There were six males and two females which was still an extremely low count at the peak period when between 20 and 50+ would normally be expected. There were also two Common Blues, a Large White, a few Gatekeepers and a Speckled Wood. A Red Admiral flew over my head. The first Autumn Gentian of the year was seen in flower.
Adur Sawflies
 

	Chalkhill Blue	Autumn Gentian	Sawfly Tenthredo arcuata ?

Pixie Path and Frampton's Field
This path leads from the Mill Hill Cutting, south-west, to Mill Hill Road at the top. No butterflies were seen at first on the northern stretch until a Meadow Brown showed in the horse pasture field, followed by three Gatekeepers and two Common Blues in the partitioned field as I walked by bicycle past. A Wall Brown settled on the path itself and there was a Speckled Wood at the top. A Small Tortoiseshell wasn't a definite as it flew too quickly to be sure.

28 July 2009

27 July 2009

26 July 2009 Female Common Blue Butterflies were spotted, but there were nine males and just the one female noted, on the southern bank of Buckingham Cutting. Small Blues were still numerous with over fifteen seen.  Full Butterfly Report
	Common Blue (female)	Small Blue Butterfly

This small bumblebee was recorded on the on the Pixie Path,  just north of Old Shoreham.  I think this is the smaller male Red-tailed Bumblebee.

Under a cloudy sky a definite first of the year Southern Hawker (dragonfly) hawked to and fro in the wooded area at the top of The Drive in north Shoreham. Despite the overcast condition, the cutting was full of flying insects, mostly butterflies and in two minutes six Small Blues appeared, three very noticeable male Common Blues, four each of Gatekeepers, Speckled Woods and Meadow Browns of both genders, as well as a Small White, a Large White, a Peacock Butterfly, and two each of Six-spotted Burnet Moths and Silver Y Moths. At the top of the Pixie Path the first Hornet Robber Fly of 2009 settled briefly.
Full Butterfly Report
Adur Flies 2009

20 July 2009
The weather was still too inclement for butterflies after a wet and breezy weekend, but despite the poor conditions a few Painted Ladies were seen on the Buckingham Cutting south), with occasional fresh Red Admirals and Peacocks.
 

On Buckingham Cutting (south) this undisturbed (by passing humans) piece of roadside verge instantly revealed three male Common Blues, a Small Skipper, courting Gatekeepers, a few Speckled Woods, mating Small Blues plus handful of solitary ones, a Six-spotted Burnet Moth and a Burnet Companion Moth. Over the hedgerow at Buckingham Cutting a blue butterfly flew and I very much suspect that this was a Holly Blue, but it was much too restless and disappeared towards even denser foliage. The sawfly Tenthredo arcuata was my identification of a small insect on a yellow flower. The County Council have mown the grasses and flowers immediately in front of the road sign (including some Kidney Vetch) but most of the meadow-like habitat remains unmown.
Adur Butterfly List 2009

1 July 2009
 

Ringlet Butterfly	Ringlet Butterfly

Full Butterfly Report

15 June 2009
On Buckingham Cutting south in the early evening (it was still light approaching the Summer Solstice) there were the usual fifty or so Small Blue Butterflies, a few male Common Blues and one Speckled Wood. A Red Admiral fluttered rapidly in the breeze over the top section of the Pixie Path.

13 June 2009
On a humid warm Saturday, I detoured a route that took me from the Buckingham Cutting along the linear path on the southern side of the Slonk Hill Cutting I spotted my first three Large Skippers of the year, 100+ Small Blue Butterflies, at least two tatty male Common Blues and a few male Meadow Browns.
Adur Skippers

12 June 2009
A Red Fox trotted along the Pixie Path just where I usually expect to see Rabbits running for cover. It turned to face me before diving off into the undergrowth with more wariness than the town Foxes.

8 June 2009
Common Spotted Orchids and a few Pyramidal Orchids were now in flower on the southern side of the Buckingham Cutting. The Pixie Path was mown and with it the Crow Garlic or Wild Onion, Allium vineale. Wild Thyme was seen for the first time this year on the Mill Hill Cutting (south-west).
Adur Orchids
 

About twenty of the small brown beetles illustrated above were flying around in the undergrowth. It could be Lagria hirta.

This orchid on the Mill Hill Cutting (south-west) was a mystery at first. I think it is probably a variety of the Common Spotted Orchid. There are seven votes for the Southern Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza praetermissa previously Orchis praetermissa. This orchid was a new addition to the local list.

An afternoon outing on an overcast day on the southern side of Buckingham Cutting, the small blue butterflies amongst the Brambles were all Small Blues and the estimate was 75+ in this small area. My first Marbled White Butterfly of the year made a sudden appearance.
Full Butterfly Report

21 May 2009
 

Small Blue Butterflies	Small Blue Butterfly	Female Common Blue Butterfly

In the late afternoon there were about twenty Small Blues in a three square metre patch of Buckingham Cutting south all fluttering about before they settled down to roost. Some of them were fluttering around the Bramble where I would expect to see Holly Blues, and one noticeably larger blue butterfly was seen flying over the hedgerow. There was also a Red Admiral and a female Common Blue.
Full Butterfly Report

20 May 2009
In the early evening I ventured up to Buckingham Cutting south and I immediately spotted a handful of my first Small Blue Butterflies of the year. None of them were pristine and a few were faded so they must have been out for a few days, probably at least a week. Salad Burnet was now showing on the Buckingham Cutting south. The Spotted Orchids were showing leaves but not yet seen in flower on the Slonk Hill Cutting south embankment.
Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, and Ox-eye Daisies were seen flowering in large expanses on the Slonk Hill Cutting northern bank.
On the Pixie Path there was prevalent Milkwort, common Bulbous Buttercups and occasional clumps of Horseshoe Vetch.
Full Butterfly Report
Adur Butterflies: First Dates

29 April 2009
I spotted my first Common Lizard, Zootoca vivipara, of the year skitting over the Pixie Path. It was an intact juvenile. A Large Red Damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula, was seen amongst largish patches of Milkwort on the side of the path. There were a few Speckled Woods but these were the only butterflies seen on the upper part of the path.
Adur Lizards
 

8 April 2009 The first nest of the Brown-tailed Moth of the year was discovered on the Slonk Hill Cutting south in the overgrown clearing alongside the path.  Adur Moths

3 April 2009
 

Further observations of the Allium covering about three square metres on the Pixie Path indicate that the majority were curly on the path but nearer the shelter of the chestnut fencing and shrub, the plants were much more upright to at least 20 cm and some of them did not curl at all. The stems were hollow. The correct ID is the original one of the Crow Garlic or Wild Onion, Allium vineale.

2 April 2009
Two Comma Butterflies were spotted, one in the Butterfly Copse near the Waterworks Road and the other on Alexanders on the south-north section of the Pixie Path.

30 March 2009
My first passage trip of the year along the southern side of the Slonk Hill Cutting produced a yellow Brimstone Butterfly in the linear wooded section and a Peacock Butterfly at Buckingham Barn Cutting (at the top of The Drive, north Shoreham).
Adur Butterfly List 2009

29 March 2009
The first Dog Violet of 2009 was seen in flower on the Pixie Path to Mill Hill.  My first Common Carder Bee (bumblebee) visited a Common Daisy on the Pixie Path.
Adur Violets
 

The grass-like plant on the far right above is believed to be a trampled version of the Crow Garlic or Wild Onion, Allium vineale.

The grass-like plant on the far right above is probably the Serpentine Garlic, Allium sativum ophiuscorodon, but I'm not certain.
This cultivated escaped alien is a new addition to the Shoreham flora list.

23 March 2009
Although Buff-tailed Bumblebees had been frequent every day this month, a special large emergence occurred with at least thirty in five minutes rising from their burrows into flight from the grassy are at the top of Chanctonbury Drive, Shoreham, south-east of the bridge over the A27 to Mill Hill. At least two Common Bee-Flies, Bombylius major, were also spotted hovering in the same area.
Adur Bumblebees
Adur Flies

15 March 2009
I was surprised by a bright yellow Brimstone Butterfly over the Pixie Path at the northern end by the north east part of Frampton's filed, but skirting the chestnut fencing that separates the path from Mill Hill Cutting. This was the first of the year. There was a Red Admiral  over the grass and the edges of the copse at the top of Chanctonbury Drive, and probably the same one that was seen a week earlier.
Adur Butterfly Flight Times
Adur Butterflies: First Dates

8 March 2009
My first butterfly seen this year was a Red Admiral induced out of hibernation by the weak sunshine over the grass and the edges of the copse at the top of Chanctonbury Drive, south-east of the bridge over the A27 to Mill Hill.
 

A Sparrowhawk swopped in a low flight from the Mill Hill Cutting (south-west) over the north-west corner of Frampton's Field. This was in contrast to the more colourful Kestrel seen in a similar low swooping flight over the path immediately to the west of the copse on Mill Hill.

2 March 2009
There were scores of Sweet Violets seen in flower on the north-south section of the Pixie Path to Mill Hill and scores more on the edge of the grass adjoining the copse at the top of Chanctonbury Drive, south-east of the bridge over the A27 to Mill Hill.
Adur Violets

8 February 2009
Wrens were noted occasionally amongst the bare shrubbery, most of them at the southern end of the Pixie Path by the Butterfly Copse at the southern end of the Waterworks Road. This is a very common bird so the report is not newsworthy, but there was nothing else of note.
 

Slonk Hill 2008
Pixie Path 2008
Dovecote & Buckingham Bank