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2005 : The Blues & Duke of Burgundy

The Small Copper is common throughout our area. In Sussex the records clearly show the existence of two broods but whether or not the adults flying in September and October represent a third brood is not as obvious.

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The Small Blue is a habitat specialist its distribution following that of the Kidney Vetch. There are two broods each year but the second broods is not as strong as the first. Nationally, the population levels in 2004 were the third highest ever recorded and this too is reflected in our data.

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The Silver-studded Blue remains on the UK list of priority species. Nevertheless when conditions are right it does well in the few colonies left in West Sussex (Chapel, Iping and Stedham Commons and in the Ashdown Forest area in East Sussex. Continuing heathland management will be crucial to its survival.

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The Brown Argus is frequently but not exclusively recorded along the South Downs where its preferred food plant, the Common Rock-rose, is to be found. With two broods each year it did particularly well in 2004 and 2005.

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Double brooded, the Common Blue is widespread and common in Sussex. There have been strong second broods for the last two years.

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We continue to enjoy the Chalkhill Blue in large numbers during a flight season running through July and August. Occasional non-breeding strays are sighted away from the Downs. Sussex records do not appear to reflect the long-term national distribution decline.

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Another double brooded species, the first brood of Adonis Blue appeared relatively weak in 2005 but was succeeded by a reasonable second brood. The Sussex colonies are not linked to those in any other county and are distributed along the line of the South Downs.

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The Holly Blue is common throughout Sussex. Since 2003 the interval between the two broods may have been shortening while the overall length of the flight season may be lengthening.

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At the national level the Duke of Burgundy is in serious decline and has been driven from its woodland and grassland habitats. In Sussex we still retain a small number of weak colonies on the chalk grasslands which we must work to hang on to.

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