Lower Slopes of Mill Hill 2008:  The Shoreham Bank

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The lower slopes of Mill Hill contains about 6.4 acres of open herbland (original chalkhill, pre-grazing ecology*), with over six acres of a continuous carpet of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, mixed with other herbs, sedges and grasses. Its greatest claim to fame is the large number (3000+ in a good year) of Chalkhill Blue Butterflies.  (* Chalkhill herbs develop before grass on chalk.)

My transect route for recording butterflies is 400 metres (default half-transect) and a total of 750 metres if I return along the path (full transect). The half transect route covers 1.2 acres of the best butterfly ground.

First Draft of the Article for the Shoreham Society Newsletter
Representations to the Local Adur Plan

Adur Butterfly List 2006
Mill Hill (lower slopes) Flora Images (technical)

Local Nature Reserve Designation

Horseshoe Vetch	Common Milkwort	Dog Violet	Autumn Gentian

Other indicators on the lower slopes include Dropwort, Autumn Ladies Tresses (upper plateau), Hairy Violet, all of which are rarely found on pastures, restored wildlife meadows or agricultural downland. Other downland plants that are more likely on the biodiverse down herbland are Wild Thyme, Carline Thistle, Stemless Thistle, Squinancywort, Fairy Flax, Small Scabious, Common Centaury and Wild Basil. There are other more widespread wild plants like the Mouse-eared Hawkweed, Rough Hawkbits, Autumnal Hawkbit, Creeping Cinquefoil, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Ground Ivy, Germander Speedwell, Field Speedwell, Scarlet Pimpernel, Sweet Violet, Self-heal and Yellow Wort as well as many others.
Wild Flora and Fauna on Chalk  flickr
Wild Flowers 2008

Mill Hill Reports 2009

16 November 2008
A morning visit failed to produce anything noteworthy. Sheep were feeding on the pasture to the west of Mill Hill, in preference to the adjoining stubbled meadow.

12 November 2008
A couple of Magpies were seen feeding on a dead adult Rabbit on the path. At least four freshly dead Rabbits were seen plus the bones and decayed remains of another one. There were no butterflies on the lower slopes and flowers were limited to a few remnants of Hawkbits, plus the dead heads of Carline Thistle on their silver leaves. Sheep were feeding on the stubble of the meadow below and to the west of Mill Hill, when it appeared that the leading Sheep led the large flock into the waterlogged pasture further west.

27 October 2008
There were no butterflies seen in twenty minutes before the forecasted cold weather. There were very few nectar plants, one flower of Devil's Bit Scabious, one Autumn Gentian, one Stemless Thistle, a few bedraggled Hawkbits and some Wild Basil. After the rain, there was the expected patches of the algae Nostoc Commune. The paths were muddy and slippery with an attempted rabbit burrow seen by deposits of loose earth. The tight knitted herbs kept much of the slopes intact. Privet was in berry and this invasive native woody plant was expanding its range and threatening to destroy the slopes for butterflies.

17 October 2008
A midday visit to the lower slopes of Mill Hill was leisurely. There were hardly any butterflies, just one plain brown Common Blue female, one Small Copper that appeared after five minutes and a few Meadow Browns. There was only one flower of Devil's Bit Scabious noted. A few Vapourer Moths took flight towards the bottom hedgerow.
Sheep were grazing in the hay meadow immediately below (to the west of) Mill Hill.

12 October 2008
A late morning visit to the lower slopes of Mill Hill was restricted to about 30 minutes including the return trip by the shortest ridge route. In the weak sunshine, the first butterfly was a Large White spotted from the steps flying strongly across the berried Privet in the central area below the path. Simultaneously a Silver Y Moth fluttered from almost under my feet. A Small Heath Butterfly also flew strongly up the slope. At the northern end there were two tattered male Adonis Blues and two male Common Blues seen in the few minutes I was there. A fine condition Brown Argus visited Wild Basil and Autumnal Hawkbit.
A Rabbit skull was lying on the bank.
Butterfly Report

8 October 2008
After five days of rain and poor weather the herb layer of the lower slopes of Mill Hill was still springy and firm under foot. A Peacock Butterfly flew up and visited me.
 

Otherwise all the butterflies were at the northern end and there were not very many of them, a handful of Meadow Browns, a tatty male Adonis Blue, at least one good condition male Common Blue and a Small Copper. A Buff-tailed Bumblebee climbed up a stalk of Devil's Bit Scabious. I observed a late Meadow Grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus.
On the lower slopes, I noted Yellow Wort, Fairy Flax, Hawkbits, Self-heal, Common Centaury and Wild Basil and I overlooked many other flowers as I was not searching for them.
Adur Butterfly List 2008
Adur Bumblebees
Adur Grasshoppers

2 October 2008
There was the faint bite of an autumn chill in the air on a morning of weak sunshine, and the butterflies did not emerge until near midday. At the northern end of the lower slopes of Mill Hill, three species could be seen resting on Devil's Bit Scabious and only later when the sun came out did many of the butterflies emerge in numbers and fluttered about so much that I could not be sure of the numbers. Meadow Browns were the first seen, counted at least eight, and then I spotted a female Adonis Blue with her wings closed on Devil's Bit Scabious followed by a closed winged Small Copper on the same plant.
 

Then magically as it warmed up slightly, two Meadow Browns began courting, two out of three Small Coppers chased each other all over the bank, more Adonis Blues appeared with at least half a dozen of each gender, the females in good condition and the males mostly ragged and torn. A Large White flew over the straggly hedgerow. In contrast, the Common Blues were ten minutes later to appear, with at least five males, some in fine condition, with at least one brown female identified. The last species on the lower slopes was a surprise Brown Argus, with at least five pristine individuals counted. The first plant of nectar choice was Devil's Bit Scabious which was also used as a roosting shrub. However, a Meadow Brown visited Wild Basil, a female Adonis Blue visited a Hawkbit and a male Common Blue settled on a Hardhead. I noticed at least one Stemless Thistle still in flower. There were still millions of leaves of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, visible on the slopes.
Full Butterfly Report

28 September 2008
A trek in the weak sunshine to the lower slopes of Mill Hill were initially devoid of butterflies and their numbers seen have fallen from last week with two Large Whites, two male and one female Common Blues, six Meadow Browns, one Small Heath Butterfly and just the one female Adonis Blue spotted.
A single flower of Sweet Violet was noted are the southern end of the lower slopes.
Carline Thistle was in all three forms, the dead plants were grey including the leaves, the new growths have orange heads and green leaves, but some of the orange heads were furring up and the prickly leaves were turning brown.
Adur Violets
Carline Thistle Study

25 September 2008
A Grass Snake slid under a Privet bush is a depression on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, but despite looking through the Privet, I could not find out where it was hidden.
 

The lower slopes of Mill Hill were initially devoid of butterflies, but they then appeared in dribs and drabs, a Green-veined White, a Small Heath Butterfly and a Small Copper on a pocket of Bramble scrub in the middle of the Shoreham Bank below the winding path. As usual, most of the butterflies were to be found at the northern end, including at least eleven male Adonis Blues, another Small Copper, eight Meadow Browns, another Large White and one male Common Blue.
There were a handful of Common Darters (dragonfly) around.
Full Butterfly Report
Carline Thistle Study

21 September 2008
In the weak sunshine, I recorded two or three male Common Blues plus two females, 7-8 male Adonis Blues plus 4-6 females, six Meadow Browns, two Large Whites, one Small Heath and a Small Copper. The difficulties over the numbers were caused because of the tattered condition of the blue butterflies and the brown females, it was not possible to positively identify all of them to species. Again the Devil's Bit Scabious at the northern end proved to be a major attractant of over half the recorded total of the blue species and Meadow Browns and the solitary Small Copper.

16 September 2008
I was not in the mood to monitor butterflies on an overcast day, but on the  lower slopes of Mill Hill, I noted five Meadow Browns, two Wall Browns,  thirteen Adonis Blues (three females), three Common Blues (one female) and a faded Pyrausta nigrata moth.

12 September 2008
 

On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the first butterfly seen was Common Blue, followed later by a female of the species, a few male Adonis Blues scattered over the slopes with a congregation of both sexes on the Devil's Bit Scabious at the northern end, totalling seven males and seven females, plus six Meadow Browns (gender undetermined, mostly males), two Small Heath Butterflies, at least one Treble-bar Moth and a faded Pyrausta nigrata.

9 September 2008
 

It was still much too overcast, with spots of rain, for butterflies to be out and about if they had survived the atrocious weather. A quick check on the Privet-inundated lower slopes of Mill Hill produced seven male Adonis Blues, ten Meadow Browns and a Small Heath Butterfly. There were no Chalkhill Blues seen. Devil's Bit Scabious was seen in flower for the first time this year.
Adur Butterfly List 2008

4 - 7 September 2008
There was more atrocious weather with heavy rain intermittently on all four days.

15 August 2008
After four days of poor weather, the butterflies were out again. They were common on the lower slopes of Mill Hill with 25+ Chalkhill Blues including a few females, 62 male Adonis Blues, an estimated 75+ Meadow Browns of both sexes, frequent Common Blues (estimated 12+) including very small ones, one confirmed Gatekeeper, a few Large Whites, at least one Green-veined White, two Speckled Woods on the southern steps, and a Wall Brown.
Full Butterfly Report

10 August 2008
A second brood Dingy Skipper fluttering around in the herb undergrowth at the the northern end of the lower slopes of Mill Hill was difficult to spot on a day on a day too breezy for the flowers to remain still enough to photograph. (This skipper may have been around for a week or more.) I had to virtually to tread on many of the blue butterflies to make them take flight so the numbers recorded were low: 26+ Chalkhill Blues including a few females, 48+ Adonis Blues (with no females discerned), and frequent Common Blues (estimated 20+) with almost as many females as males. Occasional Chalkhill Blues of both sexes were worn and ragged.

6 August 2008
With the weather conditions ameliorated enough to make a trip to Mill Hill worthwhile, it seemed as though I have missed the main emergence of Chalkhill Blue Butterflies for 2008 as the very poor showing of 43 (with one female) on the 1.2 acre transect on the lower slopes indicated. There were nearly as many fresh male Adonis Blues with 37 noted on the lower slopes, not to be confused with Common Blues, including six on the lower slopes. A total of nine Brown Argus Butterflies were recognised on Mill Hill with six of these occurring over the lower slopes. Mill Hill hosted frequent Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns.
Wall Browns appeared in the front of me on one occasion and a Marbled White was a welcome surprise over the lower slopes of Mill Hill.
 

Pyrausta purpuralis Moth on Mill Hill	Male Adonis Blue 2nd brood on Mill Hill	Carline Thistle

Two of the small Small Heath Butterflies settled. The small pyralid moth, Pyrausta purpuralis seen on the lower slopes. At least three Treble-bar Moths were fluttering around at the northern end. White butterflies were seen by the hedgerow, but they were too far away to identify. There were occasional Green-veined White Butterflies.
Fleabane was noted on some disturbed ground for the first time, but it did not seem to be thriving in the low fertility soil. Its flowers had not opened.
Full Butterfly Report

Chalkhill Blues  The maximum transect day count for 2008 was 81 on 30 July 2008, which was even lower than 2007 when the maximum 1.2 acre day count was 96 on 5 August 2007. In 2003, the Chalkhill Blues were too many to count and the estimate for the 1.2 acre transect was at least 375 and possibly double that.

1 - 5 August 2008
It was too breezy and overcast to assess the Chalkhill Blues on Mill Hill.

30 July 2008
The Chalkhill Blues were slow to appear this year, as the count of a mere 81 (including two females) plus two male Adonis Blues on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, indicated. There were a handful of Common Blues of both sexes noted. The usual Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns were present.

The most interesting lepidopteran observation were the frequent occurrence of a small brownish moth on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. At least twenty flitted about in a five metre square patch.
This was Synaphe punctalis, a pyralid moth associated with shingle and sand dunes as well as other dry habitats such as chalk downland. Not a common species, but it seems to have spread its range in Sussex in recent years. The larvae feed on mosses.

28 July 2008
A second brood male Adonis Blue was identified on the lower slopes of Mill Hill and one was seen there yesterday as well. My visit was to look for the main emergence of Chalkhill Blues and make a count on the 1.2 acre transect of the lower slopes, which came to 68 males. There were frequent Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns everywhere, and at least one Small Heath on the lower slopes of Mill Hill.
Full Butterfly Report

27 July 2008
On warm (21.5 °C) sunny day, the number of Chalkhill Blues on the lower slopes was counted at 48 (with just one female noted in tandem with a male in flight). The first butterfly seen was a Brown Argus. There were six Common Blues (including one female), one Brimstone Butterfly, plus occasional Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns. The large white butterflies in the distance could have been Large Whites or Brimstones. The small pyralid moth, Pyrausta nigrata was noted and a few Six-Spot Burnet Moths.
Full Butterfly Report

25 July 2008
Unfortunately the Chalkhill Blues numbers continue to disappoint on Mill Hill. Also of note was a second brood Dingy Skipper on the lower slopes.

July 2008 In this study of Carline Thistle we see the old dead plants still in place as the new growths first appear on the lower slopes of Mill Hill.

20 July 2008
The Chalkhill Blue count was 17 (including one female) on an acre of the lower slopes. Other butterflies recorded on the Shoreham Bank were four Gatekeepers, two Meadow Browns, one Large White and a Peacock Butterfly. The small pyralid moth, Pyrausta nigrata was frequently seen, with some of them much more faded than others. There was one Pyrausta purpuralis moth.
A Sweet Violet was noted in flower.
Adur Violets

15 July 2008
Chalkhill Blues were just beginning on Mill Hill with 23 strong flying males noted on the lower slopes. I noted just the one Meadow Brown, but there was likely to be many more, frequent Gatekeepers, especially in the Tor Grass area, two Large Whites, one Brimstone Butterfly, one Marbled White which settled with its wings closed, and a Small Heath Butterfly.
 

The small pyralid moth, Pyrausta nigrata was occasionally seen, with some of them much more faded than others. There were probably many more that went unnoticed.
Full Butterfly Report
Chalkhill Flowers 2008

13 July 2008
 

On rather dull day, I arrived at Mill Hill about 11.45 am, the sun had disappeared behind a cloud for the whole duration of my stay of about 45 minutes. Not surprisingly the butterfly tally was low: frequent Gatekeepers, occasional Meadow Browns, two Chalkhill Blues (including one female), one Marbled White, one Small White (could have been a Green-veined White?) and one Small Skipper on the lower slopes, plus another Burnet Moth. The small pyralid moth, Pyrausta nigrata was frequently seen on the lower slopes. Most of them were so faded that they were originally mistaken for one of the other pyralids. The silvery dead plants of last year's Carline Thistle were still prominent.
Full Butterfly Report
 

Robin's Pin Cushion created by groups of larvae of the Gall Wasp, Diplolepis rosae, was seen on the lower slopes of Mill Hill where it is a regular occurrence.  Adur Bees & Wasps

11 July 2008
Blustery conditions (Force 5 gusting to Force 6), but at least the rain held off: a few butterflies were in flight, another two Chalkhill Blue Butterflies flew over the lower slopes of Mill Hill, with occasional Gatekeepers, and a Large White. The small pyralid moth, Pyrausta nigrata was frequently seen on the lower slopes of Mill Hill in the afternoon. Most of them were so faded that they were originally mistaken for one of the other pyralids. One of the Chalkhill Blues settled very briefly on a Self-heal flower. Stemless Thistle was observed in flower for the first time this year. Hawkbits were very common and these are both the Autumnal Hawkbit and Rough Hawkbit were noted for the first time. Vervain bordered the paths and Lady's Bedstraw and Eyebrights and Wild Basil were flowering on the bank.
Adur Butterfly List 2008
Adur Thistles

6-10 July 2008
Four days of continual gales and heavy rainfall prevented any visits to Mill Hill. On the fifth day the planned trip was interrupted by a heavy rain shower.

5 July 2008
The first two Chalkhill Blue Butterflies flew over the lower slopes of Mill Hill, late in the afternoon. They may have been in flight for a few days as the first report from Sussex of this butterfly was on 1 July 2008. The first Small Purple-barred Moth, Phytometra viridaria, of 2008 was seen on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. The late afternoon time, about 4:30 pm, would explain the paucity of butterflies, just the one Small Heath Butterfly, four Marbled Whites, at least two Large Whites and half a dozen Meadow Browns on a passage visit.
Full Butterfly Report

29 June 2008
Great Mullein and the much smaller Vervain were seen in flower for the first time this year and the first Robin's Pin Cushion on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. On a late afternoon too breezy for butterflies, I managed to spot just one Small Heath immediately, an unexpected (they should have ceased in mid-June) pristine male Adonis Blue, a male and female Common Blue, a Marbled White and a Meadow Brown.
Full Butterfly Report

22 June 2008
The first grasshoppers were seen and heard on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, with my first definite sightings of two Marbled White Butterflies blown about in the Force 6 gusting to Gale Force 8. One male and one worn female Common Blue Butterfly, three Small Heath Butterflies, and just a single male Meadow Brown Butterfly were also seen.
Full Butterfly Report
 

Squinancywort was seen in flower for the first time this year. Perforate St. John's Wort was also noted in increasing amounts. This plant usually establishes in disturbed soil and can be in invasive nuisance if its spread gets out of hand. Hawkbits and Wild Thyme were prominent on the slopes with Yellow Wort, with occasional Dropwort, patches of Bird's Foot Trefoil and Common Centaury noted.

19 June 2008
A Large Skipper was seen clearly on the lower slopes amongst the Brambles and Tor Grass, with four Common Blues including one female, and seven Small Heath Butterflies on a day that was too breezy and cool for the butterflies to make a decent showing.
A particular attractive specimen of the bumblebee-mimic Volucella bombylans var. plumata hoverfly was noted and it was unfortunate that my camera was broken.
Perforate St. John's Wort was beginning to flower in a few isolated plants on the lower slopes (this plant is apt to be invasive on disturbed soil), open flowers of Yellow Wort were frequent in the late morning, and noted amounts of Bird's Foot Trefoil, Fairy Flax, Common Milkwort, Common Centaury, Wild Thyme and rather less than expected only occasional Dropwort.
Adur Wild Flowers 2008
Full Butterfly Report

6 June 2008
My first Large Skipper of the year looked very fresh and quite lively on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, but one of the two Dingy Skippers was very dingy and worn. The lower slopes produced 16 Adonis Blues on passage over the transect 1.2 acre area, including three females, six Common Blues including two females, and two Small Heath Butterflies. A few of the distinctive Panorpa flies were seen amongst the flowering Privet.
Full Butterfly Report
Adur Skippers
 

Dropwort was just beginning to flower.

1 June 2008

24 May 2008
Mill Hill: In windy conditions we managed to see perhaps 30 Adonis Blue, including a few females, and three Common Blues on the lower slopes along with a couple of Brimstone Butterflies and a Lesser Treble-bar Moth. There was also a single Wall Brown at the north west corner of the reserve on the path that leads to Old Erringham Farm.

19 May 2008
An early afternoon visit to Mill Hill in slightly cool (12.6 °C) conditions with a 15 minute ramble over the 1.2 acre transect area of the lower slopes produced 36 Adonis Blue Butterflies of which three were females, six Small Heath Butterflies, one Dingy Skipper, three Grizzled Skippers, one unidentified white butterfly, one Pyrausta nigrata pyralid moth, and two Treble Bar Moths. The male Adonis Blues were sparring with three seen together twice, but there were no observed matings. I looked for Common Blues without success (making me think that the ones a few days ago could have been misidentified Adonis Blues?).
The occasional yellow Hawkweed-type flowers were examined for their leaves and on the open bank amongst the abundant Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, the species Lesser Hawkbit, Leontodon saxatilis, was provisionally identified, and next to the path at the northern end before it entered the scrub, Mouse-eared Hawkweed was located. The Horseshoe Vetch had a higher proportion of finished flowers than five days ago, about 15%, but the covering was still extensive.
Adur Butterfly List 2008
Hawkweed Species List
Shoreham Pilosella Study

14 May 2008
A late afternoon visit to Mill Hill was undertaken for the purpose of ascertaining the extent of the covering of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, which could be seen from Old Shoreham by the Toll Bridge. It was at least as spectacular as the best year, but a close inspection revealed that a proportion (c 5%) of the flowers were already fading on the lower slopes.
 

Although, it was too windy, too cool and too late in the day for butterflies, a couple of enthusiasts said they had given up counting the Adonis Blues at over a hundred over a three acre area of the lower slopes.  I recorded my first Common Blue Butterfly* of the year. I found Adonis Blues to be frequent on the lower slopes, Common Blues occasionally spotted (they were difficult to distinguish from the male Adonis Blues). A few Grizzled Skippers and a few Dingy Skippers were still in flight amongst the Horseshoe Vetch. A couple of Speckled Woods were seen, one by the bottom hedge of the lower slopes and another amongst the scrub.
(* I am having second thoughts about the ID. It was not a Holly Blue.)
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Adur Butterfly List 2008

9 May 2008
I was two days late on parade to see my first Adonis Blue Butterflies of the year on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. One of the three looked very much like a brown female with its wings closed and without the distinctive blue as it flew off. I also saw five of my first Small Heath Butterflies of the year four on the lower slopes and one on the ridge return route. There was one Wall Brown that flew high up into the hedgerow, one male Brimstone Butterfly, one Green-veined White, eleven Dingy Skippers and four Grizzled Skippers.
 

The Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, was visible from a distance but still a week off its best showing.

The Pyrausta nigrata pyralid moths were occasionally seen and many were missed. There was a probable Pyrausta despicata pyralid as well, but it eluded a photograph.

7 May 2008
Two Adonis Blue Butterflies (including an atypically early female!), one Common Blue, two Small Heath, three Wall Browns and Dingy and Grizzled Skippers were plentiful at Mill Hill.  The blues were both the first of the year.

6 May 2008
Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, was much more prominent on the lower slopes of Mill Hill and could be seen covering the lower slopes before I descended the steps at the southern end. The unusual observation compared to previous years was the early flowers at the northern end were much reduced compared to previous years. Dog Violets were very common and Milkwort was all over the slopes.
 

The beginnings of he flowering Horseshoe Vetch  on the lower slopes of Mill Hill	Horseshoe Vetch on the Mill Hill Cutting	Horseshoe Vetch on Mill Hill

11 Grizzled Skippers, about 12 Dingy Skippers (one on the middle slopes) and at least five Pyrausta nigrata pyralid moths were seen on the lower slopes.
Adur Butterfly List 2008

2 May 2008
On a mild sunny day, 13.2 °C, between two and four (one could have been seen three times) Peacock Butterflies were seen over the lower slopes of Mill Hill. Five Grizzled Skippers were seen on a leisurely (30 minutes) passage trip over the lower slopes visiting the very common Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, and common Milkwort flowers and landing on Bramble leaves, but none on the common Dog Violets and Daisies. Two of the Grizzled Skippers appeared to be courting.
 

Two Dingy Skippers were spotted. At least two Pyrausta nigrata pyralid moths, the first small Pyrausta purpuralis pyralid moth of 2008, and a fluttering Treble Bar Moth were noted. At least one Red-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus lapidarius, was very active.
Adur Butterfly List 2008
Adur Bumblebees

29 April 2008
I went to Mill Hill and actually found some sun between showers (12.15 -2.15 pm). On the lower slopes were two Large Whites and a Peacock. Just about to give up and trudge back up the hill when I saw my first ever Grizzled Skipper.

27 April 2008
With spots of rain and a relatively cool 13.8 °C, the butterflies remained moribund in the morning. On the lower slopes, I disturbed just one Small Tortoiseshell, discovered two Grizzled Skippers, one resting on a tall dead plant, one Pyrausta nigrata pyralid moth, and a good condition Peacock Butterfly. A Treble-bar Moth, Aplocera sp. was spotted resting.
 

Dog Violets and Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, were common and other frequent plants in flower included Dandelions and Common Milkwort.

25 April 2008
The first Dingy Skipper of 2008 was seen on the lower slopes of Mill Hill around midday. One Grizzled Skipper was also spotted on a passage journey with a return route via the ridge. A birdwatcher reported seeing five Grizzled Skippers.
Adur Skippers
 

Three Small Tortoiseshells and a worn Peacock Butterfly were recorded on a muggy day. The photographed Small Tortoiseshell visited three Dog Violets in succession. The first Sphaerophoria scripta hoverflies were seen visiting Daisies on the lower slopes of Mill Hill around midday.
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Adur Butterfly List 2008

20 April 2008
Two Partridges whirred over the lower slopes from the shelter of the lower unruly hedgerow/scrub. A few Long-tailed Tits were seen in the Blackthorn scrub on the northern edge of the steep slopes above the path.
The first Green-veined White Butterfly of the year was seen over the path by the flowering Blackthorn leading into scrub at the northern end of the lower slopes of Mill Hill. Frequent Peacock Butterflies numbered at least a dozen over the lower slopes of Mill Hill. A passage journey over the lower slopes of Mill Hill revealed four Grizzled Skippers visiting Dog Violets and at least one of the first Pyrausta nigrata pyralid moths of 2008.
On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the first Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, was seen in flower with the accompanying pollen beetles, Meligethes erichsoni.
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Adur Butterfly List 2008

13 April 2008
The first Common Milkwort of the year was seen in flower.

13 April 2008
There were three other butterfly enthusiasts (Andrew Burns, Neil Hulme and Bert Laker) on the lower slopes of Mill Hill in the afternoon, chasing around the Grizzled Skippers until they stopped for a photograph. I saw three of them, but Andrew Burns reported at least ten different ones (ignoring possible doubles, twenty sightings in total) along the whole of the lower slopes below the path. Both males and females were reported. Other butterflies on the lower slopes were just the one Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell.
There were frequent micro-moths amongst the ground herbs. They were a pale grey or fawn colour.
 

The Dog Violets were prevalent, as well as Sweet Violets in thousands scattered over the slopes. They seemed to be in fewer numbers than previous years. One clump of Cowslips were noticed. A Bee-fly over the slopes was not identified to species. A Red-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus lapidarius, was only the second seen this year and the first on Mill Hill.
Adur Skippers
Adur Bumblebees 2008
Adur Violets

10 April 2008
On a mild (>10.5 °C) sunny day on the southern end steps down to  the lower slopes of Mill Hill, a Peacock Butterfly rested. This was followed by four more in flight together, followed by another two resting and two in the scrub in the north-west of Mill Hill Nature Reserve. My first Grizzled Skipper of the year fluttered in front of me and then jousted with another of the same species. In the Hawthorn as the path enters the scrub to the north a Comma Butterfly was seen.
Violets did not seem as many as in previous years, but there were still thousands of Sweet Violets on the lower slopes and some Dog Violets.
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Adur Butterfly List 2008

6 April 2008

5 April 2008
Mill Hill SMG Meeting
Despite the awful forecast and plummeting temperature the first SMG evening field meeting of the year at Mill Hill near Shoreham was well attended. However, we only saw three moths - but nobody was complaining; two were of our target species:  Barred Tooth-striped Moth, Trichopteryx polycommata, and the other was the micro Pale Flat-body, Agonopterix pallorella.

26 March 2008
Four Peacock Butterflies were seen in under an hour on the downs north of Shoreham, the first faded specimen at the top of the Pixie Path to Mill Hill, the second and third left the lower slopes of Mill Hill, and the fourth one was in the extreme north-west corner of Mill Hill Nature Reserve next to the Old Erringham pasture. Thousands of Sweet Violets were in flower scattered over the lower slopes and at least one Dog Violet was identified (by its white spur and pointed sepals) amongst them.
Adur Butterfly List 2008
Adur Violets

9 March 2008
A Partridge took flight from the lower slopes and flew over the hay meadow to the west. Hundreds of Sweet Violets were now to be seen flowering on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. There was a patch of brown Nostoc commune. A few leaves of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, were noticeable and the silver leaves and dead heads of Carline Thistle.

27 February 2008
Frequent Sweet Violets were now to be seen flowering on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. A Dandelion was the only other flower apart from the silvery leaves and dead heads of Carline Thistle. The leaves of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, could now be seen if looked for.
Adur Violets

18 February 2008

This is the ridge path referred in some of the text. On the left (west) of the image are the steep tops of the lower slopes of Mill Hill. In the middle distance you can just about see the farmhouses of Old Erringham and in the far distance the downs on the western side of the river. The scrub is shown encroaching especially in the north-west of Mill Hill Nature Reserve.  If you click on the picture, the view is of the usual return route looking south-east towards the Reservoir.

A chirping flock of about nine Meadow Pipits settled for about five minutes on a Hawthorn bush on the lower slopes of Mill Hill before flying off to another bush. The remains of a Wood Pigeon and scattered feathers were observed in an open area. The most likely predator was a Fox (although the Stoat is a possibility?).
There was one cow pat on the lower slopes and another on the steep slope below the ridge (part of the lower slopes). There was another cow pat on the steps leading down to the lower slopes which were so muddy that walking boots were advisable.
Cattle Damage on Mill Hill Report

10 February 2008
Around midday a a vanessid butterfly rose from the lower slopes of Mill Hill and fluttered further up the slope so I had to chase it to identify the good condition Peacock Butterfly when it basked briefly in the weak sunshine with its wings open.
This was the second of two of the first February records on these Nature Notes pages for the Peacock Butterfly, making four species seen in the second month of the year.
The leaves of the Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, were not showing, but layers of moss were seen occasionally.
Adur Butterfly Flight Times
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Mill Hill (lower slopes) Flora Images (technical)

January 2008
The Shoreham Bank too muddy and slippery to visit for the whole of the month and any sliding about on the steep lower slopes would have caused unacceptable disturbance and erosion, as well as being hazardous.

Lower Slopes (Shoreham Bank) 2007
 

Butterfly Habitat Notes   Observations of the habitats of the Small Heath Butterfly Observations of the habitats of the Small Copper Butterfly Some Notes on the local Meadow Brown Butterfly populations Notes on the Wall Brown Butterfly Bird's Foot Trefoil & the Common Blue Butterfly Some other notes on resident butterflies and moths in the Adur area (Part One) Some other notes on resident butterflies and moths in the Adur area (Part Two) Adonis Blues notes from the downs near Shoreham Chalkhill Blues notes from the downs near Shoreham Skippers of the downs near Shoreham Observations of the other Butterflies of the Adur district area and a few absentees Observations of some of the smaller Moths in the Adur district area   Lead Agencies for designated Local Nature Reserves   Clouded Yellow Butterfly  (Link to a recommended photograph by Dave Appleton)

Mill Hill 2007

Technical Flora Images Mill Hill Lower Slopes