Sussex Branch

We thought that this might be the last sunny warm day of the autumn and decided to have a good look around for butterflies for a change. Speckled Wood 24, Comma 1, Red Admiral 8, Large White 6, Small White 30, Brimstone 1 male, Meadow Brown 2, and a very fresh looking male Common Blue. There were also 3 Ospreys on Thorney Deeps. (Barry and Margaret Collins, Thorney Island) - SU760030

An excellent afternoon at Herstmonceux Castle today, with a good variety of species. Cummas, Peacocks, Red Admirals, Wall Browns, Small Coppers and a solitary Painted Lady were seen. It was also good to meet Maria Dixon enjoying the butterflies. (Trevor Rapley, Herstmonceux Castle.)

2 Speckled Woods engaged in prolonged and furious aerial combats up and down my Keymer garden yesterday and today! Comma nectaring on Aster 'monch', verbena bonariensis, and achillea. Red Admiral nectaring on rudbeckia. (Malcolm Le Grys, 17 Park Avenue, Keymer, Hassocks, BN6 8LT) - TQ314149

It was sunny and warm, if a little breezy, in my North Lancing garden this morning. Nine butterfly species turned up. 3 Small White, 2 Wall, 2 Peacock, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Large White, Common Blue, Green-veined White, Comma, Speckled Wood. (Lindsay Morris, North Lancing)

A battered Meadow Brown nectaring on dahlia in my Keymer garden. (Malcolm Le Grys, 17 Park Avenue, Keymer, Hassocks, BN6 8LT) - TQ314149

I walked nearly 10 miles today, starting from home at 10.00am (1 Speckled Wood already flying & Val later saw 2 Red Admirals) arriving back after 4pm. On the shingle area at the south of George V Avenue I started seeing Large and Small Whites - by the end of the walk I had counted 33. Also here were a Peacock and a nice bright male Common Blue plus a brief glimpse of something the same size but not blue. Speckled Woods (3) turned up behind the Yacht Club, but it was rather cloudy from here to Ferring. Only whites were flying until another 3 Speckled Woods appeared by Sea Lane there. I headed up on to the Downs & below Highdown I found 3 Meadow Browns, 1 Common Blue, 1 Red Admiral & 1 Speckled Wood. Highdown Gardens produced 7 Speckled Woods, 4 Red Admirals, 2 Commas and my only definite Green-veined White. I though that would be it, but nearing home on the service road south of A259 Goring Road I found 4 Red Admirals high up on ivy and 2 wandering Speckled Woods. I think that's 68 butterflies and 9 species - not bad for 4 October. (John Heys, Goring)

Good numbers (for October) at Pulborough Brooks. In double figures were Speckled Wood and Red Admiral. More than one Small White and Small Copper. Singletons of Brimstone, Large White, Comma and Peacock. (Martin Buck, Pulborough Brooks )

Many thanks to our contractor, Graham Saunders, for doing such a great job in cutting the rides at Rowland Wood today. We used two types of cutter (cut & collect and flail) to handle different jobs and to achieve slightly different outcomes. He works so rapidly that I spent most of the day jogging well ahead of his monster tractor and waving frantically; after working with him for some years now, he's got to know what all my bizarre signals mean. I was very impressed with his work, as were the group of Fallow Deer which kept a close eye on proceedings. Despite giving the rides such an efficient tidy-up, there's a mountain of jobs to be done at the volunteer conservation work parties over the winter, so I look forward to seeing our regulars, and hopefully some new faces, on 3, 17 and 24 November; 8 and 15 December; 5, 12, 19 and 26 January; and 2, 9 and 16 February. All attendees will qualify for walks to see Pearl-bordered and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries in the spring, and a mystery event later in the summer. We have forestry contractors working on the reserves next week, so please give any activities a wide berth and obey all warning signs and barriers. (Neil Hulme, Rowland Wood)

Last night (3rd) just as the sun was setting a Red Admiral did a few laps of the garden before settling down for the night in a dead patch on a small conifer, a welcome visitor. Today inspired by his activity and the sunshine i walked down to the valerian patch by the yacht club. Not much flower left but still there were several whites both large and small. Then a Peacock arrived and landed on one of the few flowerheads left which he probed all over with some gusto. Finally a male Common Blue fluttered through, disturbing in the process a previously unnoticed Small Copper which flew up off the shingle to drive him away. On the way home i did a lap of the hedges and bushes surrounding the yacht club itself revealing more whites, 3 Speckled Wood and another Red Admiral. Back home i found another Speckled Wood in pristine condition. (david broxham, Worthing seafront)

A walk in the hills around Amberley gave me 14 species today. Although numerically not masses of butterflies, several species were aged singletons. Small White were the most numerous (15-20) then Small Copper (7), Red Admiral were a similar total but difficult to know how many I saw as most were sightings were of them flying lazily around. Comma (3), Peacock (2), Painted Lady (1), Speckled Wood (2), Meadow Brown (2), Small Heath (3), Common Blue (2), Adonis Blue (1), Chalk Hill Blue (1), Brown Argus (1), Large White (1), Green-veined White (2). Still looking for a Cloudie! Also found a partially excavated Wasp nest, I wonder if one of the Honey Buzzards that have been in Sussex this year was the culprit? (Paul Atkin, Amberley)

Whilst having a tidy-up in my Lancing seaside garden today, I noticed activity on my neighbour's Buddleia, which proved to be four species nectaring simultaneously - Painted Lady, Comma, Peacock and Red Admiral. Some of them later moved across to my Buddleia as the sun came round. Also in the locality were Small Whites egg-laying on Hoary Cress and a Large White doing the same on Sea-Kale. Yesterday in my Crawley garden there were two Speckled Wood and singletons of Large White and Small White. (Vince Massimo, Lancing) - TQ189038

A good few hours spent in the company of Charlie Crump on Friston Gallops today. Plenty of sunshine with intermittent cloud and at times a strong breeze, but in sheltered spots the temperatures were warm enough to coax out a good variety of butterflies for the time of year. Red Admiral 10, Meadow Brown 7, Common Blue 6, Speckled Wood 5, of which a lovely mating pair were seen toward the end of our walk. The same number of Small White 5, Wall Brown 4, and Comma 4. An impressive stand of Ivy profuse with flowers in full sun gave us views of nectaring Red Admiral, a lovely but slightly tatty Painted Lady 1 and Peacock 2. This important food plant also popular with hundreds of Ivy bees and many other insects. Singletons of Brimstone (female), Brown Argus and Large White were also seen. It was good to see some promising progress regarding the management of the gallops with the centre section currently being grazed by cattle and the previously over abundant grasses having been kept more in check in the other sections, with new fencing being erected along the trackside spur of the most northerly section. Some signs of a wider diversity of plant life reestablishing were evident even now with Small Scabious in flower. Let’s hope with proper management this fabulous site can be brought back to it’s former glories. (Graham Hubbard, Friston Gallops)

At least 24 Red Admirals on the Budleja and Ivy, 12 Peacock, 12 Comma, same No Speckled Wood, 12+ Large and Small White, singles of Painted Lady and Wall. (Dave Palmer, peacehaven) - TQ417029

It was 15°C and often sunny for a walk round the sheltered parts of North Lancing and Lancing Ring. 42 Speckled Wood, 36 Red Admiral, 29 Small White, 9 Comma, 7 Common Blue, 6 Wall, 6 Large White, 5 Peacock, Painted Lady, Brimstone, Green-veined White. Eleven species of butterfly. Cracking! (Lindsay Morris, North Lancing)

14.00 hours. Just walking the dog and saw a Clouded Yellow. First of the year for me, and a perfect stunner in wonderful condition. It was landing on dandelions, the only flowers in the grass car park. Couldn't photograph it before it was away, over the hedges. Weather overcast, but dry with sunny breaks, not much breeze. (Josse Davis, Arundel ) - TQ0225807108

700 bus today. Amazing 21 Large Whites and Small Whites from Grand Avenue to Marks and Spencer's. Less sunny some of the time from Worthing to Brighton, but we still spotted 19 more Large Whites and Small Whites. (John Heys , Worthing)

At least 6 Whites (mostly Large Whites) seen from the ancient 8A double decker bus going into Worthing and, in the afternoon a Large White and 2 probable Small Whites in our back garden. Of these 9 I only saw one. Val kept saying "There's another" and it'd be gone before I could spot it. (John Heys , Worthing )

My North Lancing garden was sheltered and warm in the afternoon sun. At this location I have to go back to 11th August for a day when I saw more butterfly species. The nine seen today were 6 Red Admiral, 3 Large White, 3 Small White, 2 Wall, 2 Peacock, Painted Lady, Comma, Brimstone, Speckled Wood. Also a Silver Y and an amazing 19 basking Common Lizards. A veritable Oktoberfest! Cheers! (Lindsay Morris, North Lancing)

I spotted a Small White from inside my house and popped outside to take a look. Whilst I was outside there were also two Large Whites and a Peacock. (Martin Kalaher, Storrington wildlife garden) - TQ082140

There was plenty of insect life this afternoon when the sun was out. Mostly dragonflies and damselflies but we did see one each of Small Copper, Large White, Small White, Meadow Brown and a Comma. (Martin Buck, Sheffield Park)

On a walk this morning, Val & I took in the footpath section of Barrington Road to see if Bellway, the developers, have made an effort to restore the rural nature of the path as they promised. The east end is nearer finished and, yes, they have planted some small trees (I think they may be a species of disease resistant elms) and there's a lot of wild flower planting under them which has taken well in this wet year (see first photo). Just as we looked at this a Large White flitted past. A little further along, a hedge of various shrubs has been planted - see second picture, which also shows the remains of the old fence and hedge, all of which must be scheduled for removal and, hopefully replacement with something similar. Back home, as I investigated a Speckled Wood, a Red Admiral appeared from nowhere and disappeared over the fence before I could take a picture. The Speckled Wood wasn't going anywhere - it had met its fate in a spider's web. The spider was scared off when I took a picture, but by the afternoon it had removed all trace of the butterfly. (John Heys, West Worthing)

An absolutely fantastic day at Herstmonceux on Oct 1st. The Wall Browns put on a good show, including three females. Also three fresh Speckled Woods, a species not often seen in the gardens. Fresh Peacocks and Red Admirals were frequently seen. To complete my visit a single Painted Lady, two Small Coppers and a few ' Whites '. (Trevor Rapley, Herstmonceux Castle.)

I was very lucky that the sun appeared just as I arrived at Cissbury Ring, bringing with it; Meadow Brown 3, Wall Brown 4, Small Copper 9, Small Heath 1, Common Blue 2, Brown Argus 1 and a Red Admiral. (Patrick Moore , Cissbury Ring area ) - TQ1408

Thank goodness for Red Admirals. At least two on my allotment today and a Painted Lady with wings spread wide over a south facing stone out of the wind. A bonus was a flicker of rusty red brown on my neighbours allotment which resolved into a female Redstart for a few minutes. Yesterday despite it being damp and windy a Humming-bird hawk-moth spent time visiting the Erysimum Bowles Mauve flowers in my home garden near Elm Grove in Brighton. (Tessa Pawsey, Whitehawk Hill allotments east Brighton) - TQ329046