Friday Flutters.

My butterfly transect walk earlier this week through the woodland glades on Ashtead Common only produced two species; Brimstone and Speckled Wood (see image left) plus views of several Speckled Yellow, a day flying moth patrolling the open tracks; so on Thursday I decided to wander the southern chalk downland slope at Denbies Hillside.

Before tackling the downward slope I wandered across the upper meadow; the track-way lined with buttercups; and spotted numerous Five-spot Burnet moths amongst the grasses.

Five-spot Burnet.

A mating pair.

Descending the slope towards the gate provided my first view this year of a Common Blue perched low down in the grassy sword keeping out of the north-easterly breeze.

A few Brimstone and a solitary Orange-tip were also seen patrolling the field edge.

I was also delighted to see decent numbers of our commonest grassland species, the tiny Small Heath, which from past experience rarely perch for very long but I found one individual that sat just long enough for the lens to focus on it.

Small Heath.

My peripheral vision locked onto another inconspicuous and well camouflaged species, a Green Hairstreak, also hiding deep in the hillside vegetation. 

Green Hairstreak.

Deciding to take a rest and eat my packed lunch close to a bare patch of chalk was a good choice as I was shortly able to enjoy decent views of a fresh male Adonis Blue.

Adonis Blue (male).

On reaching the bottom of the slope I eventually came across a female Adonis Blue (see below).

Adonis Blue (female).

Finally a shot of the hillside resident that is a very important grazing species on the downs, necessary for creating very fine, short turf that is required by the rare Adonis Blue and other downland species.

Linking to:
Saturday's Critters

Hillside Blues.

Following a pre-booked appointment on Monday morning to obtain some advice and an estimate for some much needed and doubtless expensive improvements to our heating system I decided to head over to Denbies Hillside on the North Downs.

Chalkhill Blue (male)

My ultimate quarry was the rarest of our downland blue butterflies on the edge of its European range in this area.

As I slowly descended the slope, with the sun hidden behind clouds, my initial views were only of the undersides of another species also characteristic of the warm chalk hillsides of southern England, a few Chalkhill Blue waiting for the sun to shine.

When the sun reappeared the flutters slowly emerged including Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Brimstone, Painted Lady plus  a Spotted Skipper and then the hillside around me was alive with many Chalkhill Blues. 

Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus coridon)

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

As my search continued across the hillside another blue species alighted close by but this turned out to be just a Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus).

I was beginning to get a little frustrated that I couldn't spot my ultimate quarry until I heard a comment between two ladies walking nearby indicating that they had just seen a different blue butterfly that they couldn't identify. Renewing my efforts I eventually found a few males of this stunning species with the distinctive black lines through the white fringes of the wings.

Adonis Blue (Polyommatus bellargus)

With wings closed the Adonis is very similar to the Chalkhill but with wings open the males are easy to distinguish from one another. The image (bottom right) in the above collage shows several of both species taking minerals from a patch of animal faeces.




Both species share other common factors. Their larval food plant is exclusively Horseshoe Vetch and their larvae are adopted by red (Myrmica) or black (Lasius) ants. The Adonis thrives in sward of 1-6cm and the local rabbit population certainly helps to maintain these conditions.

On a track beneath the hillside is a superb wood carving that depicts the life cycle of this fabulous blue flutter.

Having finally achieved my goal I climbed back up the steep slope and made my way home with a few decent images to share. FAB.

Linking to:
Saturday's Critters

Adonis Blue.

Another visit today under a very cloudy sky to Denbies Hillside and after a bit of leg work I caught up with the rarest of our downland blue flutters, the brilliant Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

This species has particular habitat requirements; needing short, herb rich turf with Horseshoe Vetch, its exclusive larval foodplant, on sunny south-facing slopes; but its range along the North Downs has definitely contracted within the past three decades. Like the Chalkhill the Adonis larvae are tended by Myrmica or Lasius Ants.

These fresh looking males are from the second brood (usually early August to end of September) when they are often seen in the company of the Chalkhill Blue.

Identifying the 'blues' by their underwing patterns can be a challenge. In the above image the Chalkhill Blue male is on the left (slightly larger with far more silvery-blue scales near the body) and the Adonis Blue male with its browner underwing colour is on the right.

I will share some other species seen during this foray in a future post. FAB.

Linking to NF Winged.

Hillside Wander.

For this weeks edition of Good Fences (hosted by TexWisGirl) why not follow my journey as the boots take another leisurely wander around Denbies Hillside on the North Downs.

From my starting point the path drops steeply downwards across Steers Field, with a view of the South Western Weald stretching out way below, to the first of many gateways beyond which I enjoy the sight of many Chalkhill Blues and Marbled Whites. Most of them were males on the wing hunting for a female but a few stopped for either a rest or a top up of nectar.

I think about taking a rest in the shade by the gate that leads into the woodland but there are far too many distractions such as lots of Cobweb Spiders including a Funnel Weaver waiting at the entrance to its lair hidden within the shaded brambles, plus Six-spot Burnet and Skippers perched nearby in the sunshine.

After an hour or so in the sunshine with the temperature rising to around 28 deg C I decide to rest awhile about two thirds of the way along the downward slope, amongst the grasses and wild flowers, and soak in the view southeastwards as the clouds slowly drifted in that direction.

At the foot of the slope I pass through a small shaded copse with two more gates to negotiate and then get a reverse view of hillside route I have just descended.

As I turn eastwards I am serenaded by the song of a Goldfinch while a tiny Goldcrest underneath the light green beach canopy checks out the 'watcher' before continuing its late morning search for insects.

So finally I'm on level ground on an ancient track that follows the boundary of the original iron Denbies Estate fence. Erected in the 1890's and definitely built to last.

I am quite surprised by the view ahead with large patches of tall growing Narrow-leaved Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus sylvestris) adorning the track side verges and being visited by various flutters including the Chalkhill Blue and a number of Brimstone and Gatekeepers.

Blooms reaching high above the fence wire.

The trackway eventually enters some welcome shade and I turn north to climb very slowly back up the hillside. After 60 steps and another gate the view opens up to the final grassy slope that needs to be conquered for me to reach the the beginning and the end of my hillside wander.

I hope you managed to keep up with me .. no apologies for the length of this post.  FAB. 

For this months images of Birds, Butterflies and Odonata please check out my photo blog.

The hillside is alive ...

The image above doesn't really do the scene justice as over a distance of  80 yards along this south facing downward slope at Denbies Hillside this morning I logged well in excess of 100 butterflies. Marbled Whites, Common Blue, Meadow Browns, Skippers and two Dark Green Fritillary but the most conspicuous were the numerous Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon) males on the wing.

One pristine male perched favourably and then allowed a shot on its under wing pattern (below).

Thanks to the eagle eyes of another 'watcher' on the slopes I was able to locate just one dark female hidden deep within the grasses.

She remained totally unmolested by any males and the crept deeper into the vegetation allowing a momentary view of her under wing pattern before eventually flying away to another hidden location.

All the above images were taken with the PowerShot SX50 HS.

During the rest of my walk I also logged Brimstone, Gatekeeper, Comma, Red Admiral, Six-spot Burnet plus Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Swallows, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Hobby and two Ravens called as they flew north west over the ridge.

Towards the end of my hillside foray the westerly breeze increased and almost everything took shelter deep within the grassy slope.  FAB. 

Linking to Nature Notes.

Fluttering Beyond Downland Fences.

For this week's 'Good Fences' hosted by TexWisGirl I am taking you on one of my recent leisurely strolls following the lines of the old iron fences, many subsequently replaced by newer wood and wire, across the chalk downland at Denbies Hillside as I search for some of the inhabitants of this special habitat.

First to show itself is a resting Large Skipper.
  

The fence leads to a gate at the lower edge of Steers Field where views of the valley below with its patchwork of fields and woodland begin to open up.

From one of the nearby clumps of bramble I hear the scolding calls of a Common Whitethroat who I watch as it forages for insects for its brood hidden deep in the undergrowth.

Just beyond the gate I take a welcome rest in the shade and scan the hillside for any 'flutter' activity. While I am enjoying the extensive southerly views a far more energetic person descends the slope. [The iron fence was erected way back in the 1890's by William Joseph, who owned Denbies House and Estate.]

After a bit of searching I finally find the first of many Marbled Whites, one of the downlands special butterflies. Having recently emerged the hillside is alive with the males crisscrossing the grassy slopes on the lookout for a mate. [I will be sharing more images of this black and white beauty in a forthcoming post.]

Finally it is time for me to leave the views and flutters behind and commence the long ascent under a glorious blue sky back towards the car park.   FAB.

Friday Flutter Foray.

With the sun shining this morning I drove to the chalk downland at Denbies Hillside in the hope that I might catch up with an Adonis Blue. Heading steeply downwards across Steers Field it felt quite warm but there was a good breeze blowing the taller than expected feathery grass heads around and no sign of any flutters! Had I misjudged the timing of my visit ... well only time and patient searching would tell.

The first colouful insects to catch my attention were two Six-spot Burnet Moths (Zygaena filipendulae).

Before opening the gate to the lower hillside I then spotted a Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata) who had found a perch protected from the breeze.

Heading on downwards through the gate I spotted a Brimstone, a distant white butterfly, a possible Brown Argus and then a couple of Small Heath that defied the camera as usual!
While searching amongst the grass I found a charming Bee Orchid in its full glory. The lower petal resembles an insect and the flower is pollinated as the male insect attempts to mate with it .. another of natures wonders.

I eventually caught up with a few male Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) but didn't see any females.

Whilst I wasn't successful in my search for the Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) to show a comparison with the Common Blue I located an image (see below) taken at the same site on 25 May 2011. The obvious distinction is the brilliant blue colouring and the black line cutting totally through the white fringes of its wings.

 

I met two other watchers who had also failed to find the Adonis so it is possible that our visit was a week too late. Oh well there is always next year and I intend to revisit this site throughout the summer for all the other chalk loving species.  FAB.

P.S. I have just read an e-mail from Butterfly Conservation that many of our rare butterflies have emerged two to three weeks earlier than last year and a week earlier on average due to the recent  mild weather.

Linking to Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters.