Grizzled Skipper on Mill Hill

29 March 2012
Encouraged by the reports of others, I visited Mill Hill and quickly spotted my first Grizzled Skipper of the year flying around on the northern part of the lower slopes. It
might not have been so easy to spot to newcomers as there were scores of smaller day-flying pyralid moths. Other butterflies on the approaches were one male
Orange-tip and two Brimstones on the Waterworks Road with three Peacocks, a Comma on the Stinging Nettles on the western part of the Pixie Path; and at the top of
Chanctonbury Drive, two Speckled Woods sparred over the Cherry Plum Blossom. There were at least a couple more of restless Brimstones and a few more Peacocks on
the lower slopes of Mill Hill in the middle of the day sunshine.

Orange-tip in March

28 March 2012

Orange Tip Butterfly on Sweet Violet





A Small White Butterfly flew over Frampton Lane in Old Shoreham. On cue, a male Orange Tip Butterfly flew along the Waterworks Road and made a few visits to the
Sweet VIolets. Except, although half expected it was early, the first time I have seen this attractive butterflyin March. A few minutes later as I waited for the Orange Tip to
briefly settle from its endless wandering up and now the lane, I spotted my first Small Tortoiseshell of the year, with its wings closed (an then opening briefly), on a patch
of Ground Ivy. A Peacock Butterfly landed on the same Ground Ivy and the Small Tortoiseshell flew off.Then along came the most magnificent large Brimstone Butterfly I
had ever seen cruised by without stopping. A worn Comma Butterfly fluttered by and then landed on the road. My first Green-veined White Butterfly of the year courted
the Orange-tip and I could see it was twice the size of its erroneous partner. This was another first for March. There was no sign of any Garlic Mustard (larval food plant of
the Orange-tip). Common Bee-Flies, Bombylius major, were frequently seen.

Comma Butterfly

Adur Nature Notes

This links into the main web site
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2012.html

Peacock Butterfly

12 March 2012
Under a blue sky and weak sunshine (14.6 °C) the Sweet Violets were flowering on Mill Hill, where I saw two Peacock Butterflies (my first two butterflies of the year), one flying across the road at the top of the hill and another one fluttering over the lower slopes.

Scope of the Blog: Adur Insects and Spiders

Adur Valley Wildlife
Butterflies, Larger Moths and other Arthropods 2012
Dragonflies & other Flying Insects of Note

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2012.html

Adur Butterflies up to 2011

This blog has been created because I have run out of image space on my web pages.

Earlier reports can be found at

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2011.html