Late June 2012

27 June 2012
On a humid overcast day, large swathes of Bird's Foot Trefoil were seen on the pastures and meadows below, above and on the middle slopes and upper plateau of MIll Hill. Not surprisingly there were very few butterflies although eleven Small Heaths including courting pairs on the lower slopes with a Yellow Shell Moth disturbed amongst the abundant flowering Privet, and four pyralid moths with Pyrausta nigrata and Pyrausta despicata identified.

		Eyebright & Bird's Foot Trefoil                                Squinancywort

Flowers noted for the first time this year on the lower slopes included Squinancywort and the upper slopes Musk Thistle, and in the middle area White Campion, and one the edge of the road Meadow Vetchling. Rain curtailed my visit and my trek over the middle and top part of Mill Hill was abridged.
More Flowers

Mid-June 2012

18 June 2012
I made a quick sojourn to the upper part of Mill Hill north of reservoir with a brief detour to the middle slopes. In conditions too cool and breezy to be inimical for butterflies I noted three Small Tortoiseshells and a Silver Y Moth over the meadows fringing the copse at the top and a Speckled Wood under the shade of the trees. Plants coming into flower included Pyramidal Orchid, Greater Knapweed and Agrimony. The Trianglesection of the middle slopes (northern end) was swathed in the yellow of Bird's Foot Trefoil, although there was also some Horseshoe Vetch still flowering. Dogwood was also flowering. I also noted large bunches ofBladder Campion* next to the road and occasional Red Campion amongst the scrub. (* ID to be checked.)Nipplewort was seen on the edge of the road.
Full Butterfly Report
Adur Campions


17 June 2012
I did my weekly butterfly transect at Mill Hill. There were no Adonis or Common Blues so I guess the recent gales had finished them off. "The Adonis have had a bad year compared to last year." I saw a Holly Blue, twoSmall Tortoiseshells, a Meadow Brown and 12 Small Heaths. Small Heaths have been showing in good numbers everywhere but Small Tortoiseshells were having a bad year nationally. It was good to see sizeable Mullein Moth caterpillars, Shargacucullia verbasci, in large numbers on three Great Mullein plants.

Report by Colin Knight on Sussex Postcards

14 June 2012

14 June 2012
Just a footprint away, I nearly trod on an Adder on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, all coiled up basking under the clouds, before it slithered into the undergrowth before I could get my camera to focus. It was an adult grey snake with the distinctive black diamond markings and a chunky good looking specimen. Too cool (about 16 °C, Force 5) forbutterflies to be active, I nevertheless saw at least a dozen Small Heaths were lively and I recorded two Adonis Blues (one of each gender) and a male Common Blue. The damaged and old male Adonis Blue was roosting amongst some Tor Grass. The first fluttering was a Yellow Shell Moth followed by the first of a few Treble Bar Moths. A few of the small pyralid micro-moths were seen, notably Pyrausta pupuralis and Pyrausta despicata definitely identified.


Parasitic plants were also appearing, notably on Mill Hill with the first appearance of the year of a species of Broomrape (possibly Knapweed Broomrape) and the first of the prevalent Yellow Rattle on the southern (top) part of Mill Hill. The diminutive Eyebright and Wild Thyme had come into flower on the lower slopes, where Dog Violetswere still common and I saw my first Yellow Wort this year. A few small bees were seen in the flower heads of the Lesser Hawkbits. Greater Knapweed was seen in flower next to the road by the bridge over the A27 to Mill Hill. (I did not visit the upper part of Mill Hill.)
Full Butterfly & Moth Report

With the Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, almost gone on Mill Hill, the large patches of yellow plants on the downs pastures and Adur Levels were Bird's Foot Trefoil. However, it was such a strange year that there were still some new buds of Horseshoe Vetch.

I started off by doing my weekly butterfly transect at Mill Hill. The results were disappointing as numbers were very low and the few Adonis Blues were weather beaten following the exceptionally heavy rainfall of the past few days. Count (previous week's numbers in brackets): Adonis Blue male 3 (15), female 5 (3), Small Heath 6 (16).

Second Report by Colin Knight on Sussex Postcards