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