29 April 2022

Dappled sunlight filtered through the freshening green canopy of Tottington Wood to swathes of Bluebells, and clumps of Wood Anemones, Greater Stitchwort, Lesser Celandine, Primroses and occasional Dog Violets.
 

Tottington Wood filtered the sunlight through the tree tops making photographing the ground flora very tricky which was not helped by the woody debris. However, the main barrier to a capturing the Bluebell swathes was the extensive anti-Deer fencing. Wood Anemones, Lesser Celandine, Primroses and Dog Violets were common on the edge of the narrow paths through the wood. Speckled Wood Butterflies were seen as I walked a short circular route.

6 July 2017

My first of the year Silver-washed Fritillary was seen at Tottington Wood, near Small Dole.
Adur Butterfly List 2017

18 April 2017

Breezy and cloudy, I cycled the downs route against a Force 4 passing Mill Hill and north of Beeding Hill down the narrow bridleway to Tottington Wood. The bridlepath was a difficult passage for cycling, but rewarded with a dozen Speckled Wood Butterflies, a Green-veined White and a Comma.  In Tottington Wood, I spotted a handful of my first Early Purple Orchids of the year with flowering Wood Anemones and Primroses amongst the Bluebells. A damaged Red Admiral landed in the shade of the trees.
Magic Map of Tottington Wood
 
 

White Admiral	White Admiral	Silver-washed Fritillary

There were frequent flights under the canopy of Oak and Willow of the large and splendid Silver-washed Fritillaries flying up to about five metres above the ground vegetation and wood piles and occasionally landing for a photograph. Two splendid White Admirals were spotted, the first one slightly worn and intact, and the one that landed in front of us was damaged with two chunks missing out of its left forewing.
 

	Large Skipper
Silver-washed Fritillary	Ringlet	White Admiral

Other butterflies seen in the woods were frequent Large Whites, occasional Small Whites, frequent Peacock Butterflies, frequent Speckled Woods, frequent Gatekeepers, occasional Meadow Browns, occasional Comma Butterflies, a few Small Skippers, at least two Large Skippers, at least one Red Admiral, frequent Ringlets in the shade, and on the mown field immediately outside of the woods to the south-east a Marbled White fluttered amongst the shorn grass.

There were two ponds in Tottington Wood. The pond in the photograph at the eastern end hosted a Small Red Damselfly. A Migrant Hawker (dragonfly) was seen in a woodland ride and on the edges of the duckweed covered duck pond at the southern part of the wood, Common Blue Damselflies mated over the Gypsywort-covered edges. It was in this area where most of the Peacock Butterflies and occasional Comma Butterflies were to be seen.  Adur Dragonflies 2009

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