MILL
HILL: Horseshoe Vetch
Trail (Lower Slopes) :
Shoreham BankWILDLIFE REPORTS
Link
to the Wildlife Reports for 2005
6 December
2004
A
few Hairy Violets,
plus a hand-sized patch of dried out and powdery Mucilago
crustacea (a slime mould) near
where the Devil's Bit Scabious was
at the northern end, were the sum of interest on an unseasonably warm 13.4
ºC afternoon. There was also at least
one patch of the blue-green cyanobacteria
known
as Nostoc
commune.
Mucilago
Discussion on UK Wildlife
30
November 2004
With
nothing of newsworthy interest, I noticed that a Sweet
or
Hairy
Violet had holes in its flower as though it
had been eaten by some microscopic bug and the Carline
Thistle had lost the green
on their prickly leaves and looked like the photograph on the right.
22
November 2004
There
were a handful of violets
in flower. As always there was a problem identifying them between Sweet
Violets and Hairy
Violets.
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A few shallow earthy depressions had appeared. I could not decide whether these were a Privet bush had been pulled out of the shallow soil, or were a Rabbit had attempted to burrow before coming up against the harder chalk bedrock below. I am inclined towards the latter from the visual evidence.
8 November
2004
The
particular mushroom which is regularly found on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill presents a bit of identification problem in its deteriorated state,
and it appears to look in a rather poor condition rather rapidly.
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It
is probably a very old example of Leucoagaricus
leucothites, without a stem ring and with the mushroom turning
from white to brown in a week.
More
Images
1
November 2004
Nothing
of special interest but a small brown mushroom
on the lower slopes. This looks like the one I have seen before but been
unable to identify. However, the creamy stem colour is different from the
brown stem last seen. The Devil's Bit Scabious
was virtually finished and there were just a few other flowers on show.
Sheep were grazing down in the valley in the field to the west. In the
Old Erringham pasture to the north of the stile, Carline
Thistle was noted to have avoided the attention
of the grazers. The solitary bee was not to be seen and there were no large
flying insects at all.
Fungi
of Shoreham
Autumn
2004 Fungi of Mill Hill
28
October 2004
After
heavy rain yesterday, the Nostoc
commune seems to have disappeared.
Not so the Lasioglossum solitary
bee which was still attracted to the Devil's
Bit Scabious. I declined to collect this specimen
for examination as there seemed to be only one. In the absence of identification
to species level, I have christened this one as the Zebra
Lasioglossum
and
the scientific species name will have to wait until I can find a book with
the identification features. It is was a reasonably obliging insect which
could be examined moving around under a magnifying glass. From the side
view I noticed the black abdomen underneath the black and white stripes.
The
solitary bee is Lasioglossum
xanthopus -
the largest British species of the genus, with males that peak much later
than any other species. It is a rather calcicolous species and frequent
on the Sussex downs. It is graded Nationally
Scarce at the moment.
The small spider on the right was in the centre of a web amongst the Devil's Bit Scabious. The web looked similar to the one made by the Garden Orb Spider, Araneus diadematus, but this spider was smaller and its markings appeared different.
The spider is a female Metellina sp., a long-jawed spider. At this time of year it is probably Metellina segmentata, (=Meta), a common species.
Line
Drawing
Spiders
of Wiltshire
Checklist
of British Spiders
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The
white
mushrooms on the slopes lacked a ring and were beginning to turn a
pale brown. These are ones seen before.
Flowers
were exiguous but included what looked more like a Hairy
Violet (rather than a
Sweet Violet), a few broken Milkworts,
even
a few remnants of Self-heal,
Common
Centaury and Stemless
Thistles were noted, as well the inevitable
Hawkweeds
and
Wild
Basil.
Some
Devil's
Bit Scabious flowers looked like they have
been snipped off. I do not know if this was by animal or man. It looked
too high up the stem to be the work of a Rabbit.
Empty
tower-like
snails were found on the steep slopes for
the first time. The tower-like snails are probably Cochlicella
acuta. Garden
Snail shells were common as usual.
Fungi
of Shoreham
Adur
Violets
25
October 2004
Nothing
of special note apart from the small bee
(photographed below) on the Devil's Bit Scabious.
It was much slenderer and smaller than the Carder
Bee. Its abdomen was also more distinctly
striped in black and white and not furry like the usual Carders.
The legs are partly white in this specimen when bumblebee
legs are usually black.
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The consensus on the British Insects (Yahoo Group) is that it is not Colletes and this small bee is a species of Lasioglossum, but the species is unlikely to be identified by a photograph (I did not think it was anything special when I photographed it).
Wild
Bee Photo Gallery
Solitary
Bees of Adur
Invertebrates
and Calcareous Grassland
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When
I had got over thinking how horrid and slimy (because of the rain) this
vegetation was I decided it looked more like a seaweed than anything else
and it was probably an algae.
This
was identified as a blue green algae (Cyanobacteria)
This organism is classified (not really a species) as Nostoc commune. The Nostoc commune is found on the ground, and is ordinarily not seen; but after a rain it swells up into a conspicuous jelly like mass. It is very common and widespread but rarely mentioned. |
A single Common Darter (dragonfly) was noted.
The white mushroom mentioned on my last visit to the slopes, lacked a ring and its gills were light brown. The poor quality spore print was a a pale brown/fawn colour. A small brown mushroom had dried out. Few plants were in flower; but they included Milkwort, Common Centaury, Stemless Thistle, Carline Thistle, Devil's Bit Scabious, Wild Basil, Hawkweeds and Yellow Wort. I was not making any special notes and these were just noticed in passing. One of the Yellow Wort flowers had just five petals instead of a normal eight. The other petals appear to grow behind the early petals which are less in number. Around midday, most of the flowers were closed up.
20
October 2004
Approaching
dusk, it was nearly dark when I squelched the muddy trail.
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There
were a couple of species of mushrooms,
a handful of a white species (now
turning slightly brown, and without a ring) and a smaller one with brown
gills illustrated above. The smaller brown one had a cap 20 mm across.
The spore print was dark brown
(my first successful spore print: not a work of art as when I broke the
stem off the mushroom fell apart).
ID
notes: the radial
grooves on the cap make me suspect that is a Coprinus
(Ink Cap) but I do not know which one it could
be? It seems to flatten rather than turn into the conical shapes of Ink
Caps though. And Ink Caps are usually associated with woody plants or hedgerows
rather than pasture.
How
to take a Spore Print (Link)
Fungi
of Shoreham
A Carder Bee (bumblebee) was asleep on the underside of a Devil's Bit Scabious flower.
14
October 2004
In
three of the bare patches on the lower slopes, out of about fifty, I observed
the definite signs of new growths of Horseshoe Vetch, but a mixture if
ruderal plants including arable crops, thistles and nettles were more common,
as well as the beneficial Wild Basil.
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Just
one butterfly was seen in a twenty minute
sojourn on the lower slopes. A Small Copper
was at the northern end and probably the one seen before. A single Silver
Y Moth chose the shelter amongst some
Wild
Privet. A black Devil's
Coach Beetle was seen crawling near the
top of the slopes.
Adur
Beetles
11
October 2004
A
few Swallows
flying over Mill
Hill, with just one Wall
Brown Butterfly near the Wayfaring
Bush by the path in a fleeting visit to the
lower slopes. A white mushroom
was discovered amongst the Horseshoe Vetch. This is the one with a ring.
The cap measured 20 mm in diameter. I have tentatively
identified this one as a species of Lepiota.
The trouble is there are 59 species of Lepiota
in Britain, although not all of them are white. I do not know if the other
white species is the same mushroom that has lost its ring and looks tatty
as it gets older.
This
species is almost certainly the White Dapperling,
Leucoagaricus
leucothites. I do not think that the common name is actually used
for this frequently encountered species. It used to be called Lepiotes
leucothites
Fungi of Shoreham
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10
October 2004
In
the lee of an easterly Force
6 Strong Breeze, it was relatively calm
on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill, but there was only one butterfly
seen on the brief passing visit and this was an good condition Wall
Brown, which was seen at the southern
end of the path before the Wayfaring Tree.
At the northern end, a Common Lizard
was basking in a bare earth hollow, but it seemed to find a hole to disappear
into under the Horseshoe Vetch. There were well over a dozen Common
Darters around.
Most were a weak orangey-red, but there was one that looked more purple
than any other hue.
The
Yellow
Wort usually has eight petals, but I think
quite often with small plants, as shown in the photograph of the flower
on the right, it will only have six.
Wild
Plant Study Page (Large Colonisers of Bare Patches)
7 October
2004
Early
morning and their was a chill in the air with the temperature falling to
10.2 ºC, only rising to 15.5 ºC despite the sun being out in
mid-afternoon. Could this explain the dearth
of butterflies? Just a handful of Meadow
Browns at the northern end of the lower
slopes and a Clouded Yellow Butterfly.
More than a dozen Common Darter dragonflies
seemed
to have replaced the butterflies.
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The first two photographs (on the left) above is an unnamed yellow flower in an small path of disturbed land near the path. Although the leaves cannot me seen, I think this is a stunted, or diminutive, Ribbed Melilot striving to push through in a patch of long grass that has become established. Yellow Wort was in flower in the afternoon for the images on the right hand side above.
7 October
2004
The
male Kestrel flying
above the ridge engaged in a courtship ritual with the larger female which
was on the ground on the steep slopes of Mill Hill. The male dived at the
female who had one wing displayed like a bird feigning injury and one of
the two birds (I think was the female) uttered a piercing scream-like call.
6 October
2004
A
good condition Wall Brown
fluttered over the lower slopes of Mill
Hill and then more were discovered with
four at one time, plus a damaged specimen which gave a minimum of five
of these flighty butterflies and maximum of ten, the two counts because
the higher one may have involved the same butterfly being counted twice.
They visited Milkwort
and Stemless Thistle
but as usual with this butterfly they preferred to land on bare earth where
available. Again it was the Devil's Bit Scabious
that attracted a dozen plus Meadow Brown
Butterflies. The worn Adonis
Blue and a ragged female
Common Blue (not
the Brown Argus, too large and too much blue
on the upper wing)
were both present at the northern end of the Shoreham Bank after a five
minutes wait and a wander around to see if they would appear.
Butterfly
Report
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About
a dozen Common Darter dragonflies
buzzed around and mated.
It
seemed that some of the Autumn Gentian
(or Felwort) were just coming into flower,
the small plants easily missed. The Yellow
Wort had opened flowers late in the afternoon
under an cloudy sky. The Robin's Pin Cushions
had
turned a dark brown and looked redundant.
4
October 2004
Rain
was spitting just after midday, but for a very brief interlude there werea
few rays of sunshine, which brought a few butterflies
in flight, definitely confirmed were a handful of Meadow
Browns, one dazzling bright Clouded
Yellow that flew incessantly over the
slopes without stopping, a Small Copper
near the Tor Grass, a battered and worn Brown
Argus, even more ragged than before, the
worn and almost unrecognisable Adonis Blue,
one Small White Butterfly and
that was it for the butterflies, although there was the small moth Pyrausta
nigrata. (A Wall
Brown was not confirmed and Small
Heath Butterflies appeared to be absent.)
Other insects included a handful of Common
Darters and an ominous looking black Devil's
Coach Beetle. The abdomen/tail of this
beetle arches up like that of a scorpion to further enhance its fearsome
appearance. It crawled away to hide underneath the pinnate leaves of the
Horseshoe Vetch.
Adur
Butterfly List 2004
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There was one mushroom on the steeper slopes which still remains unidentified. This mushroom may not be the same as the others. The steeper slopes location was near a rabbit warren and the flora was not typical of the lower slopes.
1 October
2004
No
either brief sign of the sun breaking through the clouds, although
the temperature was 17.6 ºC in a Moderate Breeze; but
still it was only just about warm enough to send the few worn and battered
butterflies
and bumblebees into flight. Again, I had to thank
the Devil's Bit Scabious for
any butterflies at all. A dozen Meadow
Browns, some new, some badly worn, at
the northern end, with one new Wall Brown,
and a badly worn and slightly damaged blue butterfly, which was so damaged
that a positive identification was not possible. It looked like an Adonis
Blue, but not the one seen on 24
September 2004 as the wing damage was
different. It had the same wing damage as the one seen on 26
August 2004.
The
Wall
Brown was observed nectaring on Wild
Basil and the flightly Adonis
Blue on Carline
Thistle.
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There
were quite a few of the diminutive and slightly larger herbs still in flower,
notably Dog Violets, Hairy Violets, Milkwort,
Common Centaury, Stemless
Thistle, Carline Thistle, Devil's
Bit Scabious, Wild Basil, Hawkweeds,
Eyebright
(few), Squinancywort (few), Autumn Gentian,
Hardheads, Vervain,
Greater Knapweed (few), Field Scabious (two),
Yellow
Wort,
Scarlet
Pimpernel, Burnet Saxifrage (probably, few),
Common Mouse-ear (few) and others as
I did not make any special notes. All but
one mushroom had disappeared.
27
September 2004
Some
more white mushrooms appeared and a very small
orange species as well all in the same area as before, in the herbs and
grasses to the south of the Tor Grass on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill. The
best suggestion was the species Stropharia coronilla.
Mushroom
Report
Fungi
of Shoreham
After the rain and with the misty clouds rolling over the downs, it was humid (87 %) but still warm, up to 19.2 ºC, although it did not feel warm, it was certainly sticky. Butterflies were frequently seen but there were not all that many, just the one Small Heath Butterfly, the first seen, followed by a dozen or so Meadow Browns, four or five Wall Browns (northern end, not near the Tor Grass), one Brown Argus sparring with a Small Copper, and two amorous Common Blues, the bright blue of the male particularly noticeable as they chased each other rapidly. There were a handful of the "bleached" white Common Carder bumblebees, mostly on the Devil's Bit Scabious.
24
September 2004
It
was over five minutes down on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill before I spotted by first butterfly
flying in the distance. It was too far away, but when I arrived amongst
the Tor Grass at the bottom of the slope in the central area, it looked
like the same butterfly appeared again and it was a Wall
Brown. It was unusual for this one to
be the first butterfly of the day on the slopes (third of the day overall),
although a suspected third brooder was observed in the same area last
year. Less than a minute afterwards an splendidly iridescent blue butterfly,
a strong flying Clouded Yellow
and a Small Heath Butterfly
appeared. Such a bright blue, I strongly suspected an Adonis
Blue Butterfly, although the upper wing
photograph made look like an exceptionally bright Common
Blue Butterfly. The Devil's
Bit Scabious and surrounding flora then immediately
produced at least three Meadow Browns
and the same Small Copper Butterfly
as seen on my last visit. There were over 15 Meadow
Browns, and a single Brown
Argus Butterfly was definitely and clearly
spotted as well as two or three or more female Common
Blues*. A Large
White Butterfly fluttered past. Later
a Small White Butterfly
was also seen. In the field to the north-west of Mill
Hill Nature Reserve a Red Admiral
fluttered amongst the Brambles.
There were at least ten different species of butterfly on the lower slopes
in 30 minutes and eleven if there were female Common
Blues.
(*
identity not confirmed)
PS:
I At least one of the brown females was a Chalkhill
Blue.
Adur
Butterfly List 2004
A handful
of Common Darter
Dragonflies were noticed. There was a black and white furry bumblebee
that looked like a Common Carder except
there was no orange or brown showing. This been confirmed as the Common
Carder that has been "bleached" and lost its
orange appearance.
Adur
Bumblebees
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Leucoagaricus leucothites |
New Image of the same mushroom on 27 September |
One
species of mushroom was spotted in a short grass and herb area to the south
of the Tor Grass.
Mushroom
Report
Fungi
of Shoreham
The
purpose of my visit in the brief spell of sunshine around midday was for
a close examination of some wild plants to make sure of their identity.
Two of the large colonising plants were Hound's-tongue,
Cynoglossum
officinale and Great Mullein, Verbascum
thapsus.
Wild
Plant Study Page (Large Colonisers of Bare Patches)
Ground
Flora of the Lower Slopes (Technical Flora Images)
21
September 2004
In
the breeze under an overcast sky, few butterflies
were expected and there may have been under twenty on the lower slopes
of Mill
Hill. The first to appear were a handful
of Meadow Browns,
a few Small Whites,
at least one Large White
until I reached the Devil's Bit Scabious
at the northern end when one good condition female
Common
Blue with her wings closed nectaring on
a the blue flowers, two more Meadow Browns
and a Small Copper Butterfly
were seen simultaneously. Less than a minute later there was a good condition
male Common Blue Butterfly and
more Meadow Browns and
maybe another female Common Blue (may be a
female Adonis), although it could have been
the one seen before. Small Heaths
were not seen. They are usually obvious and I kept an eye out for them.
They had either finished for the year or were hiding in the breeze or roosting?
All the butterflies on the day were very flightly. A few Common
Darter Dragonflies were seen.
The
black
Privet berries were appearing on the bushes.
The Wild Privet
is threatening to incurse onto to the Horseshoe
Vetch ground. Left unchecked it will completely
swamp the lower slopes. Wild Basil and
Milkwort
were still in flower with one Greater Knapweed
settled on my a Meadow Brown Butterfly
for a brief moment. The small white flowers I have identified as belonging
to Fairy Flax
and Common Mouse-ear.
Extra
Flora Images
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What plants is this?
An early coloniser, in bare patches near Rabbit warrens and occasionally in bare patches on the lower slopes as well. Hound's-tongue, Cynoglossum officinale Identified
by Paul Kennett on UK
Botany (Yahoo Group)
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NEWS
AND EVENTS
16
September 2004
Community
and Leisure Services Adur District Council
Committee meeting
Management
of Mill Hill and Lancing
Ring
Adur
Civic Centre 7:00 pm
The Councillors passed the inadequate Management Plan prepared by the South Downs Conservation Board.
17
August 2004
PUBLIC
MEETING
Management
of Mill Hill and Lancing
Ring
Lancing
Parish Hall, South Lancing
7:00
pm
This
is the Public meeting to proceed the Scrutiny Meeting* decided by an Adur
Council Committee meeting on 4 May 2002.
(*
Adur
Council ignored this Committee decision. A Scrutiny Committee has not been
held and it appears that that Adur Council are not going to hold one.)
Article
on Mill Hill and the Disadvantages of Grazing
WILDLIFE REPORTS
16
September 2004
It
took until just after midday before I saw my first Small
Copper Butterfly of the year on a clump
of Devil's Bit Scabious
with at least three Meadow
Brown Butterflies, one Small
Heath, and two Common
Blue
Butterflies all at the same time, at the
northern end of the lower slopes of Mill
Hill. A few Dog
Violets and at least one Dropwort*
was in flower out of their normal spring season. (*
maybe a Bramble misidentified?)
Adur
Violets
Butterflies
numbered under a hundred in 25 minutes on the lower slopes including a
total of 25+ Meadow Browns,
15+
Small Heaths,
10+
Common Blues,
1+
Small
White, 1 Large White,
1 Small Copper
and one
Wall Brown
(near the Wayfaring Bush
by the path). One particularly worn blue butterfly, so worn it could not
be identified, although probably a Common
Blue, seemed to follow me wherever I went.
Extra
Images
Adur
Butterfly List 2004
15
September 2004
After
the gales and late in the afternoon, it was unlikely that I would spot
more than a handful of butterflies
on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill in the fading light. The butterflies
could still be around but they had already chosen to roost and two Small
Heath Butterflies were actually discovered
roosting on two Devil's Bit Scabious
flowers, so torpid that they did not fly off even when tickled. This
was despite an air temperature of 17.8ºC at 5:00 pm.
Later I disturbed a two Meadow Brown Butterflies
which took flight and a Small Heath
and a Large White Butterfly
were seen fluttering, the latter rather languidly.
Images
of the Torpid Small Heaths (Link)
A
small
yellow herb, photographed on the right and
found on the periphery of the herbland, has been identified by
Tina Teearu on UK
Botany (Yahoo Group) as probably a chewed or stunted version of Agrimony,
Agrimonia
eupatoria. This is usually a tall wayside plant, and is common.
This specimen seems to have just the five stamens.
As
ominous rain clouds rolled in from the west a Roe
Deer grazed in the middle of the field
immediately to the west on the Adur Levels.
7 September
2004
The
lower slopes of Mill
Hill on a breezy sunny day hosted 8 male
Chalkhill
Blue Butterflies, at least 5 male Adonis
Blues, a dozen or more Common
Blues of both sexes, one or two Clouded
Yellow Butterflies, 20+ Small
Heaths, 15+ Meadow
Browns, a handful of Small
Whites and a Speckled
Wood or two amongst the Brambles
at the top of the slope near the Wayfaring
Tree (near where the stile used to be).
Adur
Butterfly List 2004
5 September
2004
Late
in the afternoon from five o'clock because it was too
hot (26.7 ºC
at 3:30 pm) and humid (74%) before then, it
is rarely a good time because the blue butterflies would have already gone
to roost. And so it proved on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill with just six confirmed Adonis
Blue Butterflies,
of
which five of them were females, about ten Common
Blues with eight smaller than normal females
and just two males, two Brown Argus,
and just the one intact Chalkhill Blue,
which was a male with a lot of brown on the wings.
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|
Rosehips of the Dog Rose in the foreground |
(=Felwort) Felwort is the OE name |
|
Five
Clouded
Yellow Butterflies fluttered by, one a
particularly vivid yellow, 25+ Meadow Browns,
25+ Small Heaths some
in an amorous mood, and a handful of Small
Whites.
At
least a dozen Hairy Violets
were flowering on the lower slopes. There was also Milkwort
and Bird's Foot Trefoil
occasionally in flower, as well as the expected plants in September (e.g.
Stemless
Thistle).
4 September
2004
More
Adonis
Blue Butterflies
could have emerged on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill as I counted 31 and I think there
were more as the females were harder to spot. In contrast the Chalkhill
Blues were over with only eight definitely
seen. Two Clouded Yellow Butterflies
were seen fluttering strongly over the short herbland on the steepest slopes.
The only surprise was a very late Peacock
Butterfly flying east to west south of
the reservoir on Mill Hill.
Full
Butterfly & Moth Report
2 September
2004
With
many of the Adonis Blue Butterflies
worn at the edges, it was not easy to immediately differentiate them from
the Common Blues
that were also on the wing. There were more than 30 of each on the lower
slopes with at least a dozen possibly 20 worn Chalkhill
Blues.
Small
Heaths were frequently seen almost constantly
just in ones, numbering about 30+ almost all female Meadow
Browns were erratic, not so many, but
all the butterflies clustered around the
Carline
Thistle plants and there were five Meadow
Browns and two Adonis
Blues on one plant with two Adonis
Blues
mating adjacent to it. The total of Meadow
Browns on the lower slopes alone exceeded
25. There was at least one confirmed
Brown
Argus and one Small
White Butterfly. One small brown butterfly
with brown and golden wings (probably worn) and orange upper wing spots
was probably an old female Common Blue.
Altogether there were at least 150 butterflies
of six species in 15 minutes.
Adur
Butterflies
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| This
is one of the smaller female Common Blues.
It is 20% smaller than normal. |
on Devil's Bit Scabious |
Mushroom in the short
herbland next to a Rabbit warren.
Fungi Report |
Violets
were in flower with one example on the lower slopes and another cluster
beneath the ridge near the rabbit warren where a mushroom
was growing. These appear to be Hairy Violets,
although they were originally thought to be Sweet
Violets. Devil's
Bit Scabious was in flower and it began
to show a few days before.
Fungi
of Shoreham
31
August 2004
The
butterfly
season looks like coming a close with very few flowering plants apart from
Stemless
Thistle and Carline
Thistle attractive to them. Adonis
Blues and Common
Blues, mostly in new condition were around
on the lower slopes in about equal numbers, about a dozen males each with
the brown females hiding in the grass and the same number of Chalkhill
Blues which were battered and worn. There
were at least two Brown Argus Butterflies
on the lower slopes with 20+ Small Heaths
and
few Small Whites. The
Meadow
Browns were worn with plenty of females
and over 30 on the lower slopes and more of the females close to the scrub
everywhere on the hill.
26
August 2004
The second
brood Adonis Blue Butterflies
were out on Mill Hill, a count of
29 males were recorded, all on the lower slopes. A similar number of at
least 29 Chalkhill Blues
were also out on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. The female
Chalkhill Blues were observed to be well hidden
and I am inclined to think that I missed most of them and the total was
more like 40, half of which were females. The commonest butterflies
were the Small Heaths
with fifty plus. Other species included Meadow
Browns,
Common Blues,
Holly
Blues and Small
Whites. There were unconfirmed possibles
of at least one each of Large Whites
and a Brown Argus.
Adur
Butterfly List 2004
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There
was a small mushroom amongst Goosefoot
and near the Tor Grass
on the lower slopes (illustrated above).
The
best suggestion was the species Stropharia coronilla.
A Green
Woodpecker called drawing attention to itself as it flew with a characteristic
dipping flight over the Old Erringham pasture to the north-west of Mill
Hill Nature Reserve. I had a close look
through my binoculars at the hovering Kestrel
parallel to the ridge edge as it hovered and then descended. I was struck
by thethick black border on the wings, both on
the upperside and underwing.
22
August 2004
In
the late afternoon, the lower slopes produced a count of 7 male and 10
female Chalkhill
Blue Butterflies in a half
transect which took 15 minutes with only
a couple of stops for photographs. The lower slopes produced the first
confirmed Brown Argus Butterfly, 50+
Meadow
Browns, dozens of Small
Heaths and Common
Blues. Carline
Thistle was a favoured nectar plant for Chalkhill
Blues.
Brown
Argus Images
The
Privet
growths seem to be increasing faster than they are being cleared. In the
bare patches, ruderal thistles and arable crops have settled and in other
areas bare earth remains.
20
August 2004
The
Chalkhill
Blues
all almost over with just 17 males and 12 females on the lower slopes,
with one male Adonis Blue,
40+ Meadow Browns,
Common
Blues,
Small
Heaths and a few Small
Whites.
16
August 2004
The
Chalkhill
Blues were past their best with 45, 39
on the lower slopes and six above the ridge.
Other butterflies in order of prevalence
were both male and female Meadow
Browns
and
Small Heaths, a
handful of Small Whites and
a few Large Whites,
7 August
2004
In
a heatwave (25.3 ºC),
it was disappointing as I seemed to have missed the peak for the emergence
of the Chalkhill Blue Butterflies this
year. On the lower slopes of Mill Hill;
my estimated count was about 175 evenly distributed over the slopes with
a few in the long grasses on the top, giving a total number of about 500.
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 |
 |
At
the northern end of the lower slopes a pristine Adonis
Blue was immediately distinctive from
the Chalkhill Blues,
which were all worn and battered to some extent. Wall
Browns numbered about ten mostly just
south of the reservoir where the Cocksfoot is, it was difficult to be sure
of their numbers because of their repeated sparring with the Meadow
Browns. These Wall
Browns fluttered over the southern end of
the lower slopes. Small Heath Butterflies
were frequently seen, and their numbers must have been underestimated before.
Mill
Hill Nature Reserve
Adur
Butterfly List 2004
2 August
2004
I
visited Anchor Bottom, (Dacre Gardens entrance),
near Upper Beeding, for a comparative look at the lower part of this downland,
which in historical times (pre-1950), before the "improvement" and cattle
gazing, had a reputation for butterflies.
Dodging the cow pats in the long coarse grasses, I observed just a dozen
butterflies of four species, including one smaller than usual Chalkhill
Blue.
I
also visited the Slonk Hill North road embankment
which contains an expanse of more upright Horseshoe
Vetch which is within the dispersal
area of Mill Hill Chalkhill Blues,
but despite being established for over 30 years, this area was noted by
a complete absence of butterflies and no Chalkhill
Blues, not even a vagrant were to be seen.
In
contrast a small garden plot sized area of road embankment south-east of
the bridge, over the by-pass, to Mill Hill contained twenty
male Chalkhill Blues.
The
conclusions I drew were:
- 1) The plan to reintroduce Chalkhill Blues to the road embankment has failed in a 30 year time frame, despite a vast expanse of Horseshoe Vetch. The establishment of Small Blues has succeeded in the same time.
- 2) Anchor Bottom (SSSI) has been destroyed as a worthwhile butterfly site (from 1950 onwards).
- 3) 60% of Mill Hill has been destroyed by ecological succession into woodland and a further 25% has been destroyed by a mixture of scrub, cattle grazing and human activity; all occurring during my lifetime. This has the result of reducing the population of Chalkhill Blues on Mill Hill in 1960 from my estimate of up to 40,000* Chalkhill Blues to an absolute maximum of 6,000 nowadays and this could be considerably less as the maximum daily total I have recorded is 3,000.
- (* There is no confirmation of this figure. However, there are reliable records from just after World War II of 50,000 Chalkhill Blues. The major change to Mill Hill has occurred since 1971.)
1
August 2004
By
far the largest Slow Worm
I have ever seen was basking on the chalk path that leads down to the lower
slopes of Mill Hill. Coiled it completely
covered the path, and it must have sensed the vibrations of my approach,
as it uncoiled and slid off into the wayside scrubbery, revealing its length
to be at least 30 cm.
On
the lower slopes, I must a have missed a few emergences and the Chalkhill
Blue Butterflies I attempted to count
and eventually arrived at a estimate of about 225
on
the half transect ramble (within ten metres each side of my walk*).
This would make me estimate about 600 Chalkhill
Blues on the hill. They were already beginning
to disperse. Females were frequently discovered but they could be outnumbered
by about ten to one by the blue males. Many of the Chalkhill
Blues were worn, not yet frayed at the edges,
but none seemed to be in new pristine condition. A few of the Chalkhill
Blue Butterflies had an extensive brown tinge
on the wings. Fifteen different species of butterfly
were seen during the day. Two second brood Brimstone
Butterflies were on the lower slopes of
Mill Hill, although one was in the scrub to
the north.
Adur
Butterfly List
(*
In 2003, the Chalkhill Blues were much greater in numbers and I only counted
two metres each side of me so the count of 300 were converted to a much
higher estimate of 3000.)
A Green Woodpecker flew arrow-like along the top of the ridge calling loudly.
27
July 2004
Immediately
as I descended the path on to the lower slopes, I disturbed a female Kestrel
in a bush.
Visits
to Mill Hill late in the afternoon
always find a reduced tally of butterflies
and a quick walk around the lower slopes was no exception with just 35
Chalkhill
Blues positively counted on the lower
slopes with another five mixed with half a dozen Common
Blues on the longer grasses of the upper
slopes. It is still a bit early for the Chalkhill
Blue emergence. No Marbled
Whites showed.
Adur
Butterfly List 2004
24
July 2004
A
steady Moderate
Breeze (Force 4) from the south-west were
not the ideal conditions for butterflies
on the exposed downs. It was also slightly
hazy which with the restless butterflies made photography less defined.
The approximate count of eighty Chalkhill
Blue Butterflies, all but two on the lower
slopes of Mill Hill indicated
the peak time was probably still at least a week off. This is not a rounded
up number but an actual count
which included just one female. It was mating as shown in the photograph.
This is at least the second occasion (and probably many more times) that
I have noticed that the mating occurs in the proximity to Brambles.
The Chalkhill Blues
seem to be about 13 days later than 2003, when all the butterflies seemed
between 10 to 14 days early. The similar numbers occurred on 11
July 2003.
The
Marbled
Whites were passed their peak with only
two seen over the slopes in contrast to the frequent Large
Whites. A Small/Essex
Skipper was definitely confirmed from
the northern end and these are usually much more common in the longer grasses
on the plateau, so I do not know if I recorded them specifically before
from the Shoreham Bank. A handful of Small
Heath Butterflies were noticed as well
as a few other species indicated on the database.
Mill
Hill Nature Reserve
Adur
Butterfly List 2004 (including the Database)
19
July 2004
In
the hedgerows and on the road embankments and scrubby parts of Mill
Hill, Gatekeeper Butterflies
were the commonest species around with well over a hundred. Chalkhill
Blues were now appearing in dribs and
drabs with 32 males and one female counted in a half transect trek. Just
three males were on the upper slopes and the rest on the lower slopes.
This is contrast to Marbled Whites
which prefer the longer grass with 20 counted on the upper slopes and just
two flying over the hedgerows on the lower slopes.
Adur
Butterfly List (including the Database)
Adur
Butterfly Database (17-31 July 2004)
Adur
Biodiversity Network: Butterflies, Direct Entry Database
There
were over seven 6-spot Burnet Moths on
the lower slopes with more on the upper slopes. Just one Small
Heath Butterfly was seen on the lower
slopes.
Adur
Burnet Moths
15
July 2004
Half
a dozen Swifts
put on an acrobatic display over the ridge of Mill
Hill. On the lower slopes 8+
Chalkhill
Blue Butterflies were my first of this
year. Just two Marbled White Butterflies
fluttered over the lower slopes scrub with Gatekeepers,
Meadow Browns,
Large Whites and
one or two Small Tortoiseshells.
No Small Heaths were
observed.
Full
Butterfly List
The
photograph on the right shows the plant gall made by the midge Lasioptera
rubi.
Galls on Shrubs and Plants (Thumbnails)
British Gallmakers (List)
12
July 2004
As
the Kestrel
hovered over the ridge, on my half transect walk on an overcast morning,
just a couple of the Marbled Whites
flew over the lower slopes, where a handful of Gatekeepers
were amongst the brambles at the northern end. The Small
Heath Butterflies were not observed. No Chalkhill
Blues were seen.
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 |
There
was a small mushroom
in the grass by the path in the dog mess zone.
Chalk
Hill Fungi
Fungi
of Shoreham
At least half a dozen Robin's Pin Cushions were seen, these red galls very distinct without searching for them.
10
July 2004
The
first Chalkhill Blue Butterflies
of 2004 are seen on Mill Hill. Two
blues emerged in the morning.
9 July
2004
Overcast
with a few spots of rain, the three Marbled
White Butterflies were seen almost immediately.
After the rain, I did notice that the Round-headed
Rampions were about a dozen that I saw
in the shelter of the hedgerow, with at least four red Robin's
Pin Cushions, a
handful of orange or orange-red Bird's Foot Trefoil flowers,
and a linear patches of Eyebrights that
bordered the path.
The
Scabious
looked
rather stunted.
Images
6
July 2004
Marbled
White Butterflies were the first butterflies
easily noticed fluttering over the short grass and herbs. Only three were
seen on the lower slopes, but this is most seen amongst the short herbs
and grass. There were the usual Small Heaths
(15+) and a handful of Meadow Browns,
a Large White,
and one very orange Skipper with
black marks (flying over the Bramble hedge at the north end). The all dark
moth (without the burgundy red of Pyrausta
aurata) Pyrausta
nigrata is thought to be the second
brood (although the books will say that there is not an earlier emergence).
The most eventful observation was the disturbance of a large glaucus-coloured
(more green than brown) lizard that skittered ophidiously (with a pronounced
undulation) into the undergrowth. The most likely species is the Common
Lizard, Lacerta
viviparous. The view was fleeting, less
than a second, just enough to recognise it as the first lizard I have seen
on the lower slopes of Mill Hill.
There
was just one Round-headed Rampion
noticed, (this bright blue flower is more a feature of the upper slopes,
north of the reservoir). Squinancywort,
Asperula
cynanchica, was a common part of the
ground flora of the lower slopes.
Botanical
Study in Yellow (Pontentilla)
28
June 2004
Two
orange Comma Butterflies danced
over the lower slopes in the Fresh Breeze (Force
5). The small and common and easily noticeable
day-flying moth Pyrausta
aurata *
flew
amongst the herbs. (* not sure if I double-checked
this against the similar Pyrausta
purpuralis ?)
Adur
Bumblebees
21
June 2004
On
the lower slopes the Small
Heaths were amorous and were estimated
at 30+ with the occasional Meadow Brown
and at least two Common Blues,
one female and one male. One Cinnabar Moth
flew in the weak sunshine.
 |
 |
Robin's
Pin Cushion on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill
A
plant gall created by the Gall Wasp larvae, Diplolepis
rosae.
More
Information
Plant
Galls by Gall Wasps
British
Gall Society
15
June 2004
Much
to my astonishment, an early (one week early) Marbled
White Butterfly settled on a patch of
grass immediately in front of me on the lower slopes of Mill Hill (at the
northern end as the path leaves the open into the Hawthorn scrub). A handful
of battered Adonis Blues and
40+ Small Heath Butterflies
and a handful of Meadow Browns
were noticed, but I did not walk the transect, I just followed the path
with a small detour and returned by the route just above the ridge.
Adur
First Butterfly Dates 2004
With
a almost cloudless blue sky, the air temperature reached 28.8 ºC in
the early afternoon.
13
June 2004
A
midday visit to the lower slopes of Mill Hill in almost identical conditions
to two days ago produced nine definite Adonis
Blues
of
which five were the brown females and there was two females receiving the
attentions of one battered turquoise-blue male on one occasion, and the
females looked worn as well. Small Heaths
were even more numerous and estimated at 60 plus. One Small
Tortoiseshell Butterfly, one Brimstone,
a handful of Meadow Browns
were also recorded. Nectaring in the Old Erringham grazing land to the
north of Mill Hill, there were several male Common
Blue Butterflies and this usually barren
pasture had Common Milkworts,
Bird's
Foot Trefoil,
Eyebrights
and Hawkweeds in
flower. A 6-spot Burnet Moth,
Zygaena
filipendulae, was distinctive.
Full
Description
Link
to Photographs of the Turf Flora
The
grasshoppers
were stridulating. A new plant has appeared on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill. It may be just that I had not put a name to it before.
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 |
 |
Dropwort, Filipendula vulgaris
11
June 2004
On
a breezy overcast afternoon the 30+ blue butterflies plus at least one
brown butterfly were all Common Blue Butterflies,
even though they were often a very bright blue. There were no confirmed
Adonis
Blues to be seen on the lower slopes (although
they have just been too fast for me to be sure). As the butterflies were
not in active flight and only rose to the air at my approach, the numbers
were thought to be far larger. The same applies to the Small
Heath Butterflies when 40 were disturbed.
A large battered Brimstone Butterfly,
flying strongly, with a greenish tinge was a bit of a surprise although
not my first record in June. There was one Meadow
Brown Butterfly near the Tor Grass.
The
commotion in the western hedgerow sounded like Magpies
attacking young chicks.
Earlier in the day a pair of Brimstone Butterflies were seen.
Down
on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the Horseshoe
Vetch had ceased its main flowering and could
be seen on the ground, but the spectacular bloom of a fortnight before
that could be seen from half a mile away had now receded to a green expanse.
Blue butterflies were immediately noticeable. On the normal transect travelling
the distance of the path to the copse and back, 28
Adonis
Blue Butterflies were counted as positive
single butterfly sightings (24 males,
3
females and
one
indeterminate) with only one Dingy
Skipper settling although there could
have been more. All three definite females were the conventional chocolate
brown colour. The midday visit also yielded an estimated 50
Small
Heath Butterflies.
Common
Milkwort was
prominent and Bird's Foot Trefoil
was noticed although still nowhere equalling the remaining Horseshoe
Vetch in flower. I also saw and heard the
first grasshoppers of the year.
Creeping Cinquefoil, Potentilla reptans*, was common, but not dominant. Next to the path in the scrubby areas one or two Bulbous Buttercups, Ranunculus bulbosus, were also present. (* The precise species is under enquiry.)
NB:
I had my doubts over the ID. I have been advised that the black veining
that extends on to the wing is characteristic of the Adonis Blue, but I
cannot say I have seen this all that often.
I'd
say these were Adonis for two reasons. The first is the lines running across
the white wing margins to the very edge of the wings. This can even be
seen on the female underside. The second is the relative size of the body
to the wings.
Adur Butterflies Flight Times
Adur First Butterfly Dates 2004
4 June
2004
Twenty
pairs of Adonis
Blue Butterflies
are observed on the lower slopes of Mill Hill.
25
May 2004
Early
afternoon was not as impressive for the butterflies
as two days before and the counts were as follows: Adonis
Blue males 7, Small Heath 30+ (estimated),
Grizzled
Skipper 1+, Dingy Skipper 2+, Brimstone
1, and a handful of Small
White Butterflies.
There
were three species of large moths including the Burnet
Companion and a Aplocera
plagiata ? Moth. There
were a handful of different smaller moths as well including at least one
and probably more Pyrausta
nigrata.
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|
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|
Vegetation showed subtler changes with Milkwort in blues and pinks becoming larger and more noticeable, the Horseshoe Vetch showing a few signs of being past its best, at least half a dozen Hairy Violet plants were discovered, the hairs clearly seen on the leaves and the blunt sepals and blue spur enabling the identification with relative ease and confidence after being viewed through a magnifying lens. (I am not sure in September 2004, the spurs look purple and the hairs appear only on the underside of the leaves?)
In one area where the conservation workers have been at work, a bare patch has been created that has attracted nettles and arable crops which are first to seed in any bare ground. Where the Tor Grass has been sprayed the Wall Brown Butterfly was absent.
23
May 2004
The
Horseshoe
Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa,
stretched
up the steep slopes and was spectacular. There were a few bare parts where
the scrub had been cleared.
Sunshine
was intermittent and rather weak but it was still just about shirt-sleeves
weather around midday with the butterflies
in order of first observed on the normal transect routes as follows:
Adonis
Blue 19 (males 18 female
1)
Small
Heath 20
Grizzled
Skipper 5+
Dingy
Skipper 13
Brimstone
1
Large
White 1
Small
White 1
Cinnabar
Moth 1
These
numbers are actual counts with care taken not to count a butterfly twice.
As many butterflies would be missed or not disturbed the actual numbers
would be higher than the counts. The transect walked involves the lower
slopes only from the south skirting the western hedge/scrub on the lower
path and a return by the main path. The distance
as calculated by a ruler on a OS Explorer map (a larger scale map would
be accurate) of the full transect is 700 metres (350 metres each way).
The
half transect from the south involves skirting the hedge/scrub on the lower
path but returning up the steps and through the scrub to the north on to
the upper slopes.
Mill
Hill Nature Reserve (including map)
 |
 |
The
female
Adonis
Blue looked at bit different in colour:
there
is more blue on the upper wing.
This is probably within the normal variations. |
There
was a possible Green-veined White,
but unfortunately this butterfly flew towards the levels
and could not be confirmed as the first on Mill
Hill. Both the species of skippers
and the Small Heath
could have been undercounted as at the northern end the butterflies were
congregated together and there were too many fluttering together and more
than usual could have been missed. However, unlike previous years for the
first broods, the Adonis Blues
were found all over the area south of the path with just one record of
an Adonis Blue
on the steeper area. The female Adonis
Blue (photograph above) looked at bit
aberrant in colour and underwing spots, but I have not really seen enough
of this butterfly to be sure how unusual it was.
At
least one Dog Violet
was seen in flower on the lower slopes near the scrub.
Back
to Mill Hill Wildlife Reports 2004
17
May 2004
The
Horseshoe
Vetch was spectacular covering the whole
of the lower slopes where the first
butterfly
to flutter past was a Brimstone
followed by a handful of Small White Butterflies,
an estimated 20+
Dingy
Skippers, a half a dozen Small
Heath Butterflies, an amorous pair of
Grizzled
Skippers mating, before finally an Adonis
Blue was spotted. One Cinnabar
Moth was seen.
Notes
on Hippocrepis comosa
Horseshoe Vetches, Hippocrepis comosa, are loaded with a toxin called 3-nitropropionic acid (3NPA). Apart from blue butterfly caterpillars of the Chalkhill Blue and Adonis Blue, very few things actually eat it. On the south Gower cliffs it is avoided by sheep, ponies and rabbits. The extent to which the ruminant digestive system of cattle can deal with this toxin is debatable. With large numbers of cattle, trampling could be a problem, but eutrophication would probably be a more significant one. Hippocrepis comosa is a nitrogen-fixing legume and prefers soils that are deficient in nitrogen. Addition of fertilisers, deliberately or through run-off would have a big effect (1) by stimulating the growth of course grasses and (2) by decreasing the competitive advantage of nitrogen fixation in the Hippocrepis population.
Nitrogen
Deposition on Land (Message from Richard Collingridge on UK Botany)
 |
Contrast
the photograph on the left with the one on
13 May 2004 below. The Milkwort on the left has a bug (click beetle) on it. Matthew
Smith on the British
Insects Yahoo Group suggests the species
|
 |
Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby
There
appeared to be at least one Hairy Violet,
Viola
hirta, with blunt sepals and hairy leaves
(images).
This was seen 10 metres or so north of the Tor Grass near the unruly hedgerow/scrub
that separates the slope from the pasture below.
Violets
of Mill Hill
13
May 2004
The
Horseshoe
Vetch is now flowering over almost its
complete range on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, including the southern
end of the steeper slopes that was not showing at all a week ago and could
not be seen from a distance three days ago.
 |
The Horseshoe Vetch is not so prevalent on the steeper slopes above the path, but it is absent on the flat expanses of the ridge. |  |
Almost
all the Dog Violets
on the open chalk face had diminished and the blue and pink was that of
the Milkworts,
Polygala.
It is almost certainly the Common Milkwort,
Polygala
vulgaris.
Chalk
Milkwort, Polygala
calcarea, the rarer of the two Milkworts
of the chalk downs has not been recorded from Shoreham.
Message
about Chalk Milkworts (from Rodney Burton on UK Botany Yahoo Group)
Flora
of Shoreham-by-Sea (List)
 |
 |
 |
|
Horseshoe Vetch |
in height on occasions |
a gap in the Stemless Thistles |
The only butterflies on the lower slopes of Mill Hill today were Dingy Skippers (12), Small Heath (1), Small White (1) and Peacock (1). There was a Pyrausta nigrata moth and one Aplocera plagiata moth.
Jeremy Thomas (butterfly researcher) has investigated the Dingy Skipper larvae and thinks that this species may use Horseshoe Vetch as the first choice larval feeding plant. This would tie in with my observations on Mill Hill where the main population of Dingy Skippers are associated with Horseshoe Vetch rather than Bird's Foot Trefoil.
10
May 2004
A
very fleeting visit of five minutes at most to examine the extent of the
Horseshoe
Vetch: less than half was in full flower,
and there were at least two Dingy Skippers
in flight and quickly settling on the lower slopes. One Small
Heath Butterfly settled with its wings
closed.
6 May
2004
On
an overcast day, the butterflies out on the
lower slopes of Mill Hill were at least four
Grizzled
Skippers, at least four Dingy
Skippers, about seven Small
Heath Butterflies and one Large
White. One small moth Pyrausta
nigrata was seen.
When
examined closely, I am not even sure that turf and grassland is even the
correct description. Much of greenery are the herbs and because the Horseshoe
Vetch is prostrate sending scores or hundreds
of multi-leaved stems running parallel with the ground in many areas more
than 20% of the greenery is produced by this dominant plant which remains
green throughout the winter.
Link
to Photographs of the Turf Flora
2
May 2004
My
first Small Heath Butterfly,
the first of just three (these were the first recorded
in Britain this year), were amongst a handful of Dingy
Skippers and a Brimstone
Butterfly on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill. The bank looked much greener in the sunshine after the recent
rain and the Horseshoe Vetch
was in flower but it has not yet turned the lower slopes yellow, accompanied
by the frequent Milkwort
in blues and pinks. This latter plant seems to be able to push up through
turf seemingly covered in more leafy small plants.
British
Butterfly Conservation (First Sightings)
Adur
Butterflies Flight Times
Adur
Butterflies
There
is no evidence of new seedlings of the Horseshoe Vetch and it appears
that the colony of this plant if it sets seed, it rarely germinates on
the slopes. This will be casually investigated this year.
PS:
The investigations revealed ample young growths if not actual seedlings.
The new growths are vitally important as they seem to be preferred by the
Chalkhill
Blue female for laying her eggs.
26
April 2004
As
the first Horseshoe Vetch
and Milkwort
were beginning to flower on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill, I observed the first skipper butterflies of the year. An amorous
pair of Grizzled Skippers
danced around the bramble borders, with at least one Dingy
Skipper and two or more Brimstones.
The Grizzled Skippers
were nectaring on Ground Ivy and Horseshoe
Vetch and none were seen on the violets.
In the north of the vetch trail near the Cowslips
there were a few Dog Violets
missing their spurs,
but with long thin and narrow pointed sepals.
There was a small moth
that could be mistaken in flight for a Grizzled
Skipper. It was only about half the size though
and I have now identified this species as Pyrausta
nigrata. The
books record this moth flying in June and July or September and October.
The main flying time on Mill Hill is April and May. Historic
records show that this moth has frequently been seen in a handful of locations
in Sussex from April each year. (Its larval plant could be Squinancywort.)
(This moth has been observed in other areas flying in May, so the book
must be wrong.)
In
the scrub in the north-west of Mill Hill
there were two Speckled Wood Butterflies
and a single Peacock Butterfly.
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 |
 |
 |
|
the Horseshoe Vetch |
Pyrausta nigrata |
to be missing its spur |
Violets
of Mill Hill
Adur
Butterflies Flight Times
Adur
Butterflies
UK
Moths Yahoo Group
UK
Leps Yahoo Group
20
April 2004
A
further check on the violets
of Mill Hill revealed that the violets
on the upper slopes (the Triangle) and the
scrub
in the north-west were all Sweet Violets,
and the violets
on the lower slopes were almost all Dog
Violets. Their flowering period could
be short. The violets
out in the sunshine five days ago were now diminished and battered by the
rain of the last few days. The violets
do not seem to be eaten by rabbits.
On
the lower slopes the first Horseshoe Vetch
was beginning to flower.
15
April 2004
The
Dog Violets, Viola
riviniana, on the parched slopes were
a bit more showy in the sunshine, but the wild downland plants are always
diminutive. The height of each plant was no more than 45 mm and usually
less. The leaves seem to be concave on the open chalk slopes. On the upper
slopes, the violets
are past their best or overgrown. In the scrub
the violets grow
higher up to an estimated height of 150 mm.
Violets
of Mill Hill
 |
 |
 |
 |
Viola riviniana Click on the images for a closer look |
 |
Adur Violet Species, book flowering times:
| HAIRY VIOLET | Viola hirta | March-May, occ. autumn |
| SWEET VIOLET | Viola odorata | March-May, occ. autumn |
| COMMON DOG-VIOLET | Viola riviniana | April-June, occ. autumn |
| EARLY (WOOD) DOG-VIOLET | Viola reichenbachiana | Late March- |
Adur Observations on best flowering times:
Violets
on the upper slopes over the ridge
at the top of the woods:
March
to early April
Violets
on the Triangle:
March
to early April
Violets
on the Shoreham Bank (Lower Vetch Slopes):
Late
March to the end of May. One record from December.
Further observations would help. Some chalkhills are known to contain only or mostly the Hairy Violet, Viola hirta (sepals).
How to identify these violets from their sepals (UK Botany message)
UK
Botany Yahoo Group
Dictionary
of Botanical Words
Wild
Flower Society
BioImages
- Virtual Field-Guide (UK)
There
was at least one Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly
and
a Peacock Butterfly in
the scrub to the north. There was a clump
of Cowslips
in the northern end near where the conservation workers had created a bare
patch by burning some cuttings. But this area usually has Cowslips,
if they have not been strangled by Bramble
growth.
9 April 2004
The
splendidly coloured male Emperor
Moth, Pavonia
pavonia, rested among the grasses at the top of the lower slopes
of Mill Hill. It was discovered by Katherine
Hamblett and Tacita French. The feeding plants
for the caterpillars varies according to location: it has been recorded
on Bramble, Hawthorn,
Wild
Privet and many other plants.
(The females of this moth are grey coloured.)
There
were six Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies
and
one pristine Peacock Butterfly.
Lancing Nature
Adur Butterflies
1 April
2004
A
Kestrel
was perched on top of a Hawthorn bush and then it flew from its perch and
briefly hovered before it disappeared from view.
The
first butterfly of the year on the lower slopes was a pristine Small
Tortoiseshell Butterfly in an orange livery.
26
March 2004
Hundreds
(probably thousands) of violets in purple
were scattered over the Shoreham bank. Because of the rudimentary leaves
I was unable to be sure of their identity. These violets
appear
to be a different species from the one photographed on 15
December 2003, or at least a different colour.
These
could all be Sweet
Violets. (ID corrected.)
The
scrub at the bottom of the slope was full of bird song, but the birds were
hidden and I could not put a name to the small songsters.
Back
to Mill Hill Wildlife Reports 2004
29
January 2004
A
handful of workers in hard hats were chain-sawing the Privet and
making small bonfires down on the lower slopes of Mill
Hill.
MultiMap
Aerial Photograph of the Adur Levels and the Downs
Mill
Hill 2004 (with new map)
7 January
2004
It
was only on a sombre but warm, 12.3 °C
mid-afternoon, January that I noticed a couple
of small Holly Trees, without berries, on the steep slopes higher
than the path that weaves its way through the lower slopes.
Scrub
Incursions Page
Horseshoe
Vetch
Information
on Hippocrepis comosa (Horseshoe Vetch) plus
Message
on Hippocrepis comosa
"The prostrate downland tetraploid race of Hippocrepis comosa is not harmed by moderately heavy sheep grazing and is resistant to moderate trampling, but doesn't persist after ploughing or disturbance of the ground, or in areas grazed by cattle." Journal of Ecology Vol. 61, pp. 915-926 (1973). Notes on this text.
In
a recent study of lowland calcareous grasslands important for butterflies
60% were found to be ungrazed.
UK
Biodiversity Calcareous Grasslands
15
December 2003
On
the path down to the lower slopes of Mill Hill,
a Robin Redbreast
put in a seasonal (they are present all the year) appearance. And a solitary
thrush
dug for worms in the short wet grass. From its pronounced yellow
throat-breast colour, I think it was a Song
Thrush. Incongruously, it was feeding
much more out in the open than was usual for the normally timid Song
Thrush. There were a score or more of empty
snail shells, more than usual. I saw one solitary small Violet
flower,
but an absence of any grassland fungi, although in the scrub to the north,
one small tree provided home for a common woodland toadstool, probably
the parasitic Honey Fungus,
Armillaria.
This species is almost certainly a Common
Dog-Violet,
Viola
riviniana with a short (not visible
or non-existent) spur.
The distinguishing marks on the sepals
(cf.
calyx) cannot be
distinguished in this photograph.
Message
about this Violet
Another
Message about this Violet
