Sussex Branch

I was surprised but very pleased to see what I presume was the regular Humming-bird Hawk-moth in my garden in urban Brighton this morning despite last night wet and windy weather. It nearly always feeds on the shrubby salvias, particularly the cultivars Royal Bumble ( red ) and Nachtvlinden ( deep purple ) but visits lots of different flowering plants including the Abelia grandiflora shrub which has been in flower for weeks now. (Tessa Pawsey, Elm Grove, Brighton)

We had another look around Thorney Island on Thursday before the storm Austen arrives overnight. We counted 28 Clouded Yellows most of these were on the southern end of the Island and 2 Red Admiral. There were also c2000 Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the harbour off Pilsey Sands. (Barry and Margaret Collins, Thorney Island) - SU760030

Clouded Yellow on Rough Hawkbit

Clouded Yellow on Devilsbit Scabious

As for pic 2

As for pic 2

My new meadow for chalk-loving plants is coming along nicely and with all this heavy rain the roots will be well-watered. In the past few days I have been weeding around the new plants to give them the best possible chance of survival. I will maintain a very short sward for this new meadow, trying to mimic the best of the short turf of Chantry Hill. I don't reckon to lose any plants but at least two small Horseshoe Vetch have succumbed. Mr Mole may have had something to do with this. He was very annoying for awhile as he was burrowing under and disturbing many of the new plants. Anyway, the gardening has annoyed my neck and so I won't be doing any heavy duty gardening until it is better. A poorly neck doesn't stop a walk over the Amberley Downs and I spent a couple of hours there. Species seen: 26 Clouded Yellows, 1 male Common Blue, 1 Small Copper and 1 egg-laying Red Admiral. The breeding colony of Clouded Yellows is still very active. Photographing them wasn't easy, but I persevered. (Martin Kalaher, Amberley Downs) - TQ045120

my Clouded Yellow at 2:55 pm

Val's first Clouded Yellow

Val's 3rd Clouded Yellow

Speckled Wood, at 3:40 pm

As we drove over the railway near Goring station, Val spotted a Small White, so we dropped in on the stretch of shingle between the Sailing Club and George V Avenue. The sun was out but the wind quite strong. Luckily it was bright enough that the Clouded Yellows were settled but hadn't hidden away entirely. I saw the first one and Val then got her eye in and found 4 more. Back home we had some bulbs to plant and Val disturbed a Speckled Wood which hung around for a bit - the first butterfly we've noticed in our garden since 28 September (also Speckled Wood). (John Heys, Goring) - TQ125019

A walk from north east Sompting to Lyons Farm Broadwater was a bit breezy but warm enough and mostly sunny. 24 Clouded Yellow, 6 Red Admiral, 5 Small White, 2 Holly Blue, 2 Small Copper, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood, 3 Silver Y, Humming-bird Hawk-moth. The season is stretching until it inevitably snaps! (Lindsay Morris5, Sompting)

The lull before the storm in Worthing. Beautiful sunshine around lunchtime so went for my usual walk down to the seafront and along past the yacht club. Was not sure i would see anything but it seems the Clouded Yellow year has not yet closed as i spotted 4 amongst the valerian plants. I hope they manage to hunker down somewhere soon. (dave broxham, Worthing yacht club) - TQ125019

Coppicing Blackthorn

First Female of the season

Last Female of the season

This season has not been as good for Brown Hairstreaks as previous years at the Steyning Downland Scheme, Brown Hairstreak reserve. Figures for this years Brown Hairstreaks are Maximum number seen on one visit 7. Total number seen 68. visits 24. First sighting 17th of July Last sighting 25th of September. For Comparison 2025 numbers were Maximum seen 31. Total number seen 140. visits 13. First sighting 28th of July. last sighting 24th of August. 2024 numbers were Maximum seen 14. Total number 70. visits 12. First sighting 11th of August. last sighting 19th of September. These are my sightings, the 31 seen last year were with Neil Hulme and his brother Mark. Most of other sightings were just me. Also the time spent at the visits varied between all day with Neil Hulme to half hour visits this year after carrying out butterfly surveys of other areas of Rifle range. (Paul Day, Steyning downland scheme, Brown Hairstreak reserve)

Birchfold Copse 9th May

Wephurst Wood 21st May

Roundwick Copse 11th July

Verdley Wood 25th July

2026 Wood White Survey Project - headline summary During the fine summer of 2025, the surprise discovery of a significant new colony of Wood Whites in NW Sussex prompted some initial local survey work, leading to the (re)discovery of a second colony. Several intriguing one-off sightings from new places were made too. In response, a major Wood White survey project was established for 2026, led by Alan Birch and David Bridges. A volunteer recruitment campaign was undertaken through the Branch website, with the project also being promoted through talks, walks, local magazine articles and postcard handouts. This was successful, with 26 volunteers signed up to be Threatened Species - Wood White Surveyors and a further 12 volunteers assisting on some outings. 5 previously known, established sites and 103 prospective sites were visited by the volunteer surveyors during Spring and Summer 2026. A further 11 prospective sites were assessed on paper as unsuitable by local experts and eliminated from our enquiries. Three new Wood White colonies were identified: Wephurst Wood (near Ifold), Roundwick Copse (near Plaistow) and Site Y (a private wood in the Loxwood area). We were also able to confirm that there were established, albeit small, colonies in Ifold and at Verdley Wood, north of Midhurst. One-off sightings were made at Ebernoe Common (both broods), Walthurst Copse (near Ifold) and in a Plaistow garden. Amazingly, a Wood White was found egg laying on a verge in west Crawley - the furthest east for many years. More details of all these discoveries can be found in the full report on the Branch website. (Link) (Alan Birch, NW Sussex) (Alan Birch, NW Sussex)

Meadow Brown

the same Meadow Brown

Speckled Wood

Cauliflower Fungus

Val and I went to RSPB Pulborough Brooks this morning. The site by the little hut and timber-edged Pool (where there were bird feeders until recently) has a lot of ivy which is nicely sheltered. At about 11.00am Val spotted 3 butterflies - all on the ivy, all quite distant:- a Red Admiral, one which looked very like a Brown Hairstreak and a Speckled Wood. I came up to take a closer look & the "Brown Hairstreak" aided it's identification by turning sideways & closing its wings. It turned out to be a smallish Meadow Brown. We'd seen that the RSPB sightings board at the entrance included a "Brown Hairstreak" for yesterday. I wonder if it had actually been this same Meadow Brown doing a very good impersonation . We went to the woodland trails after elevenses and found they'd labeled lots of the fungi - our favourite was the Cauliflower Fungus. The phone photos of the butterflies aren't great but at least we could get close to the fungus. (John Heys, Pulborough Brooks)

Praying Mantis ... a vision of the future ?

Praying Mantis ... now moving in ?

Praying Mantis.

Praying Mantis.

This morning our neighbours dog ‘Willow’ located and and alerted us to an interesting European traveler by their front door; a beautiful Praying Mantis, likely ‘Mantis Religiosa’. Looks very much like Steve Wheatley’s sighting of 16th September. A beautiful sunny, but cold morning, didn’t seem to suit it so well so we are looking after it in the interim. (Graham Hubbard, Woodingdean garden)