All observations by Andy Horton, unless stated otherwise.

1 September 2005
A Green-veined White* on the Coastal Link cyclepath north of the Toll Bridge was the first recorded in the month of September anywhere in Adur (probably because of an oversight before) and together with a couple of Red Admirals, at least one Small White and frequent Large Whites compreised the butterflies on a sunny day, when I was otherwise preoccupied for butterfly watching.
(* Identified by size, flight and overall appearance, but not confirmed as a settled butterfly.)
Adur Butterfly Flight Times

31 August 2005
There was a Brimstone Butterfly on the downs to the south-west of Steyning (off the Sompting road), frequent Large Whites everywhere and at least one Meadow Brown by the Adur estuary (east of Adur Recreation ground) and a Small White seen in Shoreham town.

30 August 2005
A clear blue sky without as much as a single white fluffy cirrus cloud and the day got warmer and by the late afternoon the shade air temperature was 26.3 ºC.
Twelve species of butterflies fluttered in hardly a breeze (in order of first seen):
 

Large White   50+	Ubiquitous everywhere, frequent with  E 25+ in an hour
Red Admiral  2	Butterfly Copse (next to Waterworks Road)  1  Shoreham garden 1
Comma  3 or 4	Butterfly Copse (next to Waterworks Road) 2 or 3  Shoreham garden 1
Holly Blue  2	Butterfly Copse (next to Waterworks Road)  1  Shoreham garden 1
Speckled Wood  11+	Butterfly Copse (next to Waterworks Road)  1  Mill Hill scrub and copse 10+
Chalkhill Blue  17	Mill Hill Cutting SW  2+  Mill Hill lower 15
Common Blue E  60+	Pixie Path and Frampton's Fields 5+   Mill Hill lower E 30+  upper E  25+
Brimstone Butterfly  1	Pixie Path near the bridge
Meadow Brown  E 62+	Mill Hill lower E 50+  upper  E 12 +
Small Heath  19+	Mill Hill lower E 12+  upper  E 7 +
Adonis Blue  15+	Mill Hill lower  counted 15 definites (could have been more)
Small White  1	Shoreham garden 1 (confirmed)

Two of the Comma Butterflies in the Butterfly Copse (next to Waterworks Road) were brownish rather than orange but the one in the Shoreham garden was very orangey.
A dozen Pyrausta aurata moths were lively amongst the herbs and short grass on the the lower slopes of Mill Hill.

Twelve confirmed species of butterfly.

28 August 2005
A brief passage route of 20 minutes through the overgrown southern path of Slonk Hill Cutting provided a handful each of Large Whites and Green-veined Whites, at least two Holly Blues and a pair of Speckled Woods. A Small White Butterfly was spotted oiver the allotments between Corbyn Crescent and Adelaide Square in the Shoreham residential area. This sighting was not confirmed but judged by size and appearance in flight.

27 August 2005
 

The first Painted Lady Butterfly of 2005 in the lower Adur valley (Allen Pollard had seen Painted Lady Butterflies on the downs in July) was seen in the Butterfly Copse by the Waterworks Road. Other butterflies in the day included a rich brown Comma Butterfly on Stinging Nettles on the Waterworks Road, a worn and battered Holly Blue on Ivy in the Butterfly Copse, with three Red Admirals, one worn and battered with a Speckled Wood. A dozen or more Large Whites were seen over residential areas and countryside just outside of town. Green-veined Whites were frequent (8+) on the Adur Levels and Coastal Link cyclepath with a male Common Blue Butterfly was observed in a field between the cyclepath and the River Adur. Meadow Browns were in the low frequency, about ten. There was a small orange butterfly or moth that flew too quickly and away up into the trees before it could be identified (another one was seen before on the on the lower slopes of Mill Hill on 16 August 2005).
Nine confirmed species of butterfly.

27 August 2005
On the route to Lancing Ring I was also happy to find Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Small Heath and Common Blue Butterflies.

26 August 2005
After the rain in the last few days, in breezy overcast conditions on the lower slopes of Mill Hill the following butterflies were noted in order of first seen:
Chalkhill Blues (worn of both sexes) 16, Meadow Browns E 50, Small Heaths E 8, Large Whites E 5, Green-veined Whites 3+, Adonis Blues (all males) 9, and Common Blues 15. The relative paucity of butterflies meant I was able to count the blues without getting them muddled up, although some of the Adonis Blues were damaged and had lost their white wing borders with the chequerboard black markings. (E = estimated, others counted.)
Additional species in the day included a Speckled Wood in the Hawthorn scrub in the north-west of Mill Hill as I returned by the ridge without visiting the upper slopes. Above the ridge there were at least three more Common Blues, an additional Chalkhill Blue, another Adonis Blue and a handful of Meadow Browns.
The Pixie Path hosted five Chalkhill Blues* and about the same number of Common Blues and Meadow Browns with Green-veined Whites and Large Whites. (*Mill Hill Cutting road bank.)
There was a Red Admiral in a Shoreham garden.
Nine species of butterfly. About 150 butterflies in an hour.

23 August 2005
Butterflies on the Coastal Link Cyclepath included a handful of both Common Blues and Meadow Browns, a half a dozen Speckled Woods, one Red Admiral, and a small blue butterfly which turned out to be a worn Brown Argus.
There were about 15 Speckled Woods altogether in the shady areas around Shoreham and Lancing, all three species of whites in small numbers; Large White Butterflies (frequent), Green-veined White and Small White.  A Holly Blue Butterfly was seen in the twitten from Ravensbourne Avenue to Buckingham Park.
Nine species of butterfly.

21 August 2005
Worn and battered Chalkhill Blue Butterflies were down to a count of about 69 (62 on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, five on the Pixie Path) , but I was not looking very carefully, Common Blues on the lower slopes of Mill Hill were past their best as well and I estimated these at between 65 to 75, with the first of the second brood male Adonis Blues confirmed when one these flighty butterflies settled and some were pristine and some just new (they may have been present on 16 August 2005).There were at least ten and possibly twenty. Meadow Browns were still around with over fifty on the lower slopes (Shoreham Bank), but only four Small Heath Butterflies. A small pyralid moth Pyrausta aurata visited a Wild Basil flower. A larger Treble-bar Moth was also noticed amongst over a dozen smaller moth species that were not identified. A Carpet Moth was disturbed on the Pixie Path.
A handful of Speckled Wood Butterflies were seen in shady places, three Red Admirals, and about the same number of Holly Blues. A Wall Brown Butterfly at the top of the Drive on the road and it flew into the wall of a house was almost confirmed as a definite, but it flew away too rapidly for a close look.
All three common species of white butterflies were confirmed in a Shoreham garden: Large White, Green-veined White and Small White in order of first seen. There was more than one Large White. Also, there was at least one confirmed Common Blue Butterfly, one Holly Blue and one Red Admiral. Gatekeepers were absent.
Ten or eleven species of butterfly in an hour or so.

18 August 2005
Shoreham urban areas found a Gatekeeper (not confirmed, could have been a Meadow Brown?) flying across Eastern Avenue, a handful each of Meadow Browns, Large Whites, Small Whites, one Red Admiral and one Holly Blue.
The air temperature rose to 26.7° C in the mid-afternoon.
Shoreham Weather Station History

16 August 2005
I counted up to 200 Chalkhill Blue Butterflies on the lower slopes of Mill Hill before I gave up counting. The total for the day actually seen was about 250 (middle and upper slopes 30, Pixie Path/Mill Hill Cutting SW 20). There were about 20% females and again some of these may have been missed. These numbers are fairly good for the middle of August when the numbers of Chalkhill Blues can fall off a bit. Many of both the males and females were worn and some were showing signs of damage. They are in mating mood and four males could be seen chasing one female above the short herbs on a handful of occasions, but usually each of the brown females received the attention of one to three males.
Chalkhill Blues were the most numerous butterfly on the lower slopes, but on the whole of Mill Hill, it was the Common Blue Butterflies that were the most numerous and as I returned over the upper meadows, their totals must be upwards of 300 actually seen (upper meadows on Mill Hill 250, lower slopes 25, Pixie Path 20, urban fringes 5). Common Blues were courting as well, with their paired vertical ascendant courtship flights and mutual attraction amongst the bramble shrub (like the Chalkhill Blues).
Gatekeeper Butterflies were few, only two definites, one on the path by the Wayfaring Bush leading down to the lower slopes of Mill Hill and one on the scrub on the middle slopes. Meadow Browns were very frequently seen  but not so numerous as a week ago on the lower slopes and upper meadows about equally. Small Heath Butterflies had reappeared on the lower slopes with at least a dozen observed and a handful more seen above the ridge. A yellow butterfly was not identified at first over the lower slopes and then another Brimstone Butterfly flew into a thistle-covered gap in the Hawthorn scrub in the north-west. Two pristine Green-veined White Butterflies greeted me in this scrub and flew away and landed on Hemp Agrimony and Perforate St. John's Wort. In the shade of hedges at the top of the Pixie Path and in the Hawthorn in the north-west of Mill Hill, Speckled Wood Butterflies were frequent and Red Admirals occasional. A handful of Brown Argus Butterflies were confirmed with a positive identification from their spots and markings on the upper meadows only of Mill Hill. There were female Common Blues as well.
Large Whites were ubiquitous and common almost everywhere, with Holly Blues frequent in urban areas and an occasional Small White Butterfly was seen.
Thirteen species of butterfly seen on the downs in the middle of August is nothing special.

Butterfly Vision

15 August 2005
Passage butterflies included common Large Whites and occasional Small Whites, Red Admirals, Meadow Browns, Speckled Woods and Holly Blues in Lancing and Shoreham.

14 August 2005
A Shoreham garden produced six Large White Butterflies simultaneously and probably more, a confirmed Small White, at least one Holly Blue, a Meadow Brown and the Comma that was possibly the same one seen as early as 26 June 2005. It no longer had its bright orange colours and was brown-orange, not faded and intact.
The part of the Slonk Hill Cutting at the top of The Drive and the hedgerows to the east, produced at least one Gatekeeper, a few Meadow Browns, and in the hedgerows the first standard coloured Speckled Wood Butterfly, followed by a darker one. The flitting brown was a Yellow Shell Moth. At least a dozen male Common Blue Butterflies were disturbed from the long grass further to the east. After a rain deluge and overcast sky with a distinctive breeze, made conditions relatively poor for butterflies.
The Pixie Path produced a female Chalkhill Blue amongst the prostrate Horseshoe Vetch leaves on the road bank. A couple of minutes later on the path, a pair of courting Red Admirals, a Gatekeeper, a dozen Common Blues and two Meadow Browns were seen simultaneously. A Holly Blue Butterfly settled.  Later a dozen more Common Blues were amongst the Ragwort on Frampton's Field. At least two Yellow Shell Moths, a few more Meadow Browns were seen in the vicinity of the path, and a Wall Brown Butterfly that rose from the chalk path and landed on the Chestnut palings fence.
The total butterfly species count was eleven in thirty minutes without visiting the downs or levels.

13 August 2005
A brief visit to Malthouse Meadow, Sompting, brought Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper butterflies as expected, a few Whites and occasionally a Common Blue. At the top of the meadow I decided there was little more to hope to see and then a Brown Argus Butterfly settled close by and allowed me just one photograph before it became impatient and took off. This was the first time a Brown Argus had been recorded in this occasionally visited meadow.

12 August 2005 The colourful caterpillar in my south Lancing garden was that of the dull (2284) Grey Dagger Moth,Acronicta psi. ID by Chris Court on UK-Leps (Yahoo Group) A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was also seen in the garden.   Report by Ray Hamblett (Lancing Nature Gallery)  on UK-Leps (Yahoo Group) Adur Moths Lancing Moths

Butterflies in town and on Shoreham beach and coastal strip from Southwick to Lancing included worn and damaged Small Whites very frequent everywhere, and occasional Large Whites. Also, one Meadow Brown, one Common Blue and a Gatekeeperall on the waste ground next to Schooner pub on the Shoreham Harbour canal north bank and a Red Admiral in Shoreham.
Mapping the Butterfly Eye

11 August 2005
A hurried out of the way walk (mostly, it was slightly uphill and the terrain was bumpy) from Slonk Hill Farm to New Erringham Farm (north of Shoreham) produced 300+ mostly male Common Blues, a pair of Brown Argus Butterflies (vertical ascendant mating flight 100 metres west of the stables), a single Small Tortoiseshell (the only butterfly by the Rock Rose), frequent Meadow Browns and the occasional Gatekeeper.
 

The interesting observation was the path by Mossy Bottom Barn had a puddle of mud and water and this attracted 150 (counted then estimated) of the Common Blues (all males seen, although females were likely to have been present as well). There was no dung so they must have been attracted for the moisture from the parched downs, next to grazing fields covered in Ragwort. The path sides had a continuous record of Common Blues. No Chalkhill Blues were observed.  This is the area good for Wall Browns but none were seen on a sunny day. I did not have time to visit Mill Hill. Frequent Small Whites and Large Whites were seen in Shoreham town.

10 August 2005
A pristine Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly and a faded Comma was seen in West Lane, Lancing, near the football ground.

9 August 2005
Again, I find I have great difficulty separating the female Common Blue Butterflies from the Brown Argus Butterflies;  this time on the meadows of Lancing Ring. The behaviour does not give any clues and the orange rim spots can be almost identical. The Brown Argus Butterflies are a fraction smaller, but this is hard to judge. Common Blues numbered over fifty but, surprisingly, they were not so densely populated as the meadows of Mill Hill. They were all resting though, despite the sunshine. Chalkhill Blue Butterflies were in numbers higher than expected with more than 25 in a small area, and I discovered the running leaves of Horseshoe Vetch amongst the dense herbs in the south-west corner of the main meadow. Meadow Browns were common, the most prevalent butterfly on the day. Gatekeepers were frequent by the hedgerows. One Wall Brown Butterfly was spotted by Hoe Cottages (east of Lancing Ring) and another near the Lancing Ring dry dewpond. They were very clear views and no doubt about their identity. Both Large Whites and Small Whites were ubiquitous and common and there were a few Green-veined Whites, although the latter were not confirmed when settled. Red Admirals were seen and numbered two over the clump and from six to eight during the day. There was a Comma Butterfly at Cuckoo's Corner. A surprise first ever Small Blue Butterfly was definite on the Lancing Ring meadows. Holly Blue Butterflies were common in residential areas of Lancing and Shoreham and in hedge rows and scrub of Lancing Ring. A mating pair of Small Heath Butterflies were another first for me in the Lancing Ring meadows. About ten Speckled Wood Butterflies were present in shaded wooded areas of Lancing Ring.
At least two Brown Argus Butterflies were confirmed from the Coastal Link Cyclepath (southern end) in the same place as yesterday with a handful of both male and female Common Blue Butterflies.
Fifteen species of butterfly were seen in the day.

8 August 2005
Ironically, after being unable to confirm a BrownArgus Butterfly yesterday, I saw a female "blue-brown" Common Blue followed immediately by a definite Brown Argus at the extreme southern end of the Coastal Link Cyclepath in the town of Shoreham-by-Sea. It was accompanied by a dozen male Common Blues, a handful of Gatekeepers, one Small/Essex Skipper and a Red Admiral. There were hundreds of white butterflies in the residential areas and on the outskirts of town including both Small Whites and Large Whites. The Waterworks Road and Butterfly Copse produced three Comma Butterflies, a Small Tortoiseshell (which I did not record yesterday), another Red Admiral and Large Whites, as well as at least two Holly Blues. A few more Holly Blues, Gatekeepers and Red Admirals were seen during the day. Meadow Browns were just three in a field near Lancing College.
Ten species and I was almost avoiding butterflies, but the sun occasionally shone through gaps in the cirrus.

7 August 2005
The Salterns at Beeding is a medieval antiquity site close to the River Adur. From here we walked a little way along one of the side streams that hold far more interest than the barren banks of the river proper.
Butterflies seen included about 30 Gatekeeper, 2 Red Admiral, 10 Meadow Brown and single Small Tortoiseshell.

Common Blue Butterflies were out in large numbers in the meadows on Mill Hill. In their most prevalent, there was at least one every square metre, and I have conservatively estimated them at a level of about one every five square metres over an area of three acres giving an estimated population of 2400.  For every twenty blues on the tall herb meadows on the top of Mill Hill, about one was a Chalkhill Blue. The brown butterflies with orange rim spots were identified as female Common Blues rather than Brown Argus Butterflies.

The first (1984) Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Macroglossum stellatarum, of the year landed in a Shoreham garden.
Adur Moths

Butterfly List (in no particular order):
 

Small White   15+	Urban areas
Red Admiral   6	Buckingham Park 1  Shoreham garden 1  Mill Hill (road on downs) 1  Coastal Link Cyclepath 3
Meadow Brown  75+	Urban outskirts, but mostly on Mill Hill
Wall Brown  2	Mill Hill 1 Coastal Link Cyclepath 1
Common Blue  E 2400+	Mill Hill. Too many to count with one every square metre at their maximum
Holly Blue  20+	Urban areas and outskirts including Mill Hill
Large White  20+	Urban areas and downs
Essex Skipper  2+	Pixie Path 1  Mill Hill 1
Speckled Wood  2	Mill Hill scrub 1 and copse 1
Green-veined White  3+	Confirmed from the Mill Hill scrub
Gatekeeper  20+	Pixie Path and Mill Hill
Chalkhill Blue   158   E550+	Mill Hill  155 (lower slopes 131)  Pixie Path 1  Adur Levels 2  (Mill Hill estimate = 550)
Brimstone Butterfly  1	Mill Hill "Triangle"
Peacock   3	Shoreham garden 1 Pixie Path  1  Coastal Link Cyclepath 1
Small Heath  1	Mill Hill lower slopes
Brown Argus	Unable to confirm this species by a photograph. They may have occurred.
Comma   1	Waterworks Road

Sixteen (possibly seventeen) different species of butterflies in a single day (personal record) is one less than the best ever.

5 August 2005
In a Shoreham garden near Buckingham Park, at least two Large White Butterflies, a Meadow Brown and a Holly Blue Butterfly were seen. Both Large White Butterflies and Small Whites were frequently see as I cycled the residential roads.

4 August 2005
Although warm (21.9 ºC), it was slightly overcast in the late morning on Lancing Ring and meadows (including McIntyre's field), but even making allowances for the weather, the butterfly numbers were disappointing and much less than previous years. In about an hour, there were not many more than a hundred butterflies of the following species (listed in order first seen): Speckled Wood Butterflies (12+), Common Blues (12+), Meadow Browns (60+), a possible Holly Blue, Gatekeepers (20+), Large Whites (12+), Red Admirals (4), Small Whites (3+), Chalkhill Blues (4+) Brown Argus (1), Marbled White (1) and Small (or Essex) Skipper (1). A dozen or so 6-spot Burnet Moths were noted and a (2352) Dusky Sallow Eremobia ochroleuca.
Adur Moths
 

That is eleven butterfly species only, possibly twelve.

A Small White, a Red Admiral and a Gatekeeper Butterfly were seen immediately I opened my front door in the morning in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham.

3 August 2005
I made a quick 30 minutes visit to Mill Hill for the specific purpose of a comparative counting the Chalkhill Blues on the lower slopes: the half-transect (400 metres) count came to 143 (compared to 229 yesterday) including three females. I did not go to the upper slopes but returned via the path above the ridge where 33 further Chalkhill Blues giving a total of 176 for the trek. The Chalkhill Blues were very difficult to photograph because as soon as they settled, they would be chased off by another butterfly. Both Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers were seen, but there was unlikely to be more than twenty of each. A surprise was almost immediate sighting of a second brood Dingy Skipper, only the second second brood I have ever recorded, and the first in the month of August.
Adur Skippers
Adur Butterfly Flight Times

On the path above the ridge there were half a dozen Common Blue Butterflies. In Shoreham town, both Small Whites and Large White Butterflies were frequently seen.  A male Common Blue fluttered around the grasses by the Old Fort, Shoreham Beach.

2 August 2005
As the sun finally came out, it was disappointing to note that I probably (again) missed the peak emergence for Chalkhill Blue Butterflies on Mill Hill. The Chalkhill Blues were all over the lower slopes, (impressive if you have never seen a bulk emergence), but not in the profusion of 2003. I am not sure if this is because of a poor year, or because the weather prevented me seeing the best day? The total one hour count on Mill Hill came to 268 (229 on the 400 metre half transect, covering about an acre in 20 minutes). Very few, just five females were recorded, perhaps, because they are harder to observe? perhaps, because they have not all emerged yet?
The Chalkhill Blues can disperse quite quickly off the lower slopes in search of the nectar plants which are less in number than the butterflies. The photograph of the female on the right was taken in long grass on the upper meadows where Greater Knapweed and Hardheads occur.

  Butterfly List (in order first seen):
 

Small White  20+	Frequent. Almost entirely urban, widespread. Estimates.
Red Admiral  25+	Frequent, everywhere and widespread, but spread quite thinly. Counted at first then estimates.
Meadow Brown  75+	Very frequently seen, much more often on the downs, but vagrants everywhere. Estimates.
Small Blue 2+	At least two were definites on the Slonk Hill Cutting south.
Common Blue  36+	Slonk Hill (10+), Pixie Path (5+), Mill Hill (20+), Waterworks Road (1). Counted.
Holly Blue  20+	Frequent, widespread with an urban tendency. Counted at first then estimates.
Large White  30+	Frequent, widespread with an urban tendency. Estimates.
Small (or Essex) Skipper 10+	Slonk Hill and Mill Hill. Counted at first then estimates. Some looked like Large Skippers, but closer inspection revealed all as Small (or Essex) Skippers.
Speckled Wood  12+	Slonk Hill and Mill Hill. Counted at first then estimates.
Green-veined White 15+	Slonk Hill mostly. Counted at first then estimates.
Gatekeeper 40+	Frequent, widespread with a hedgerow tendency Few at Slonk Hill Cutting.  Estimates.
Chalkhill Blue  268	Count mostly on Mill Hill. Two others on the road bank by the Pixie Path (= old part of Mill Hill).
Brimstone Butterfly  3+	Lower slopes of Mill Hill only.
Peacock  1	Erringham Hill (boundary with Mill Hill)
Marbled White  1	Mill Hill upper
Brown Argus 2 +	Mill Hill upper. Most other possibles turned out to be Common Blue females.  ID photographs of 7 August 2005 raises doubts over the correct identification.
Comma  5+	All on the Waterworks Road. I was disturbed and there could have been more.

Seventeen different species of butterflies is the most this year. This is equal the most every variety in a single day.
Previous record of 17 (revised from 18) Link

1 August 2005
A Small White Butterfly appeared in Corbyn Crescent and its identity was confirmed. There were over twenty other white butterflies which were flying too fast for identification. A Large White Butterfly was identified from a south Lancing garden.
An orange butterfly was too quick to identify near the Toll Bridge at Old Shoreham: it was probably a Small Tortoiseshell (not a Comma, but possibly a Painted Lady?).
As well as being an overcast day with showers, the country paths were so muddy and slippery that a trek to the downs would require special footwear. I thought better of the trip because the risk of personal injury with the wrong shoes on.
Even the small uphill stretch of 20 metres from the Waterworks Road to the Butterfly Copse was very slippery and potentially treacherous underfoot. The butterflies in this area included at least three Gatekeepers and a Red Admiral and a Holly Blue in the Butterfly Copse. A Yellow Shell Moth was disturbed.
The Elm Corridor on New Monks Farm, Lancing, hosted 20+ Green-veined White Butterflies, 12+ Speckled Wood Butterflies, a dozen Gatekeepers, handful of Meadow Browns and another Red Admiral. The residential area of Lancing produced more Large Whites and at least one Holly Blue.

Of the ten species seen during the overcast and rainy day, one was not positively identified.

31 July 2005
As I left home, I felt the first spots of rain under an overcast sky. On Slonk Hill, the sun pierced the cloud cover for five minutes and the butterfly count included 20+ Meadow Brown Butterflies, 6+ Gatekeepers and at least one Ringlet Butterfly on the southern road embankment. Adjacent to the path there were about a dozen Common Blue Butterflies with both males and the brown females (they look similar to Brown Argus Butterflies), a handful each of Large White Butterflies, Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers, and just the one Small (or Essex) Skipper, one Holly Blue and one Green-veined White actually seen. A Yellow Shell Moth was disturbed.
 

A Red Admiral Butterfly fluttered over the Pixie Path. The horse fields (did these used to be called Frampton's Fields?) were covered in Ragwort where the horses were not grazing.

Mill Hill:
By the time, I arrived at Mill Hill, the low misty cloud had turned into light rain (hard enough to splatter my spectacles and obscured my view), enough to discourage any butterflies on what could have been the prime emergence day for Chalkhill Blues this year. Only 31 Chalkhill Blue Butterflies were disturbed (29 on the lower slopes and two above the ridge*) or seen laying prostrate on the Horseshoe Vetch food plants. Meadow Brown Butterflies were frequently seen and there were about ten Gatekeepers. At least one 6-spot Burnet Moth was recorded, and a couple of Yellow Shell Moths were disturbed.
(* Visit truncated and I only made a brief visit of 20 minutes on the lower slopes because of the rain.)

Ten species of butterfly only on a rainy day.

29 July 2005
Both Painted Lady Butterflies, the first ones reported in the Adur area this year, were in fine colour and good condition. One was seen on the farm track between New Erringham Farm and Mossy Bottom barn, the second about half way between the barn and Southwick Hill.

A brown butterfly fluttering in the Gentle Breeze (Force 3) in Williams Road, a residential part of Shoreham, turned out to be a Wall Brown Butterfly. This is an unusual species to see in residential areas, but it is one mile due south of a prime location (bridlepath north of Slonk Hill Farm towards Mossy Bottom) for Wall Browns. Large White Butterflies were frequently seen over the local gardens. Circumstances prevented a visit to the downs and the most time I could find was for a fleeting visit to the Waterworks Road in the late afternoon where the number of butterflies were no more than a dozen of five species: a handful of Meadow Browns, at least three Gatekeepers, one Comma, on the road and Maple Spinney, and one Red Admiral and one Peacock in the Butterfly Copse, all seen in about ten minutes.
There were no skippers to be seen during this brief visit.
Seven species of butterfly (personally) seen on a day when the best butterfly routes were not walked.

25 July 2005
On passage through the Slonk Hill Cutting southern path, I disturbed half a dozen Meadow Browns and one very yellowish confirmed Green-veined White Butterfly on an overcast day. There were two Yellow Shell Moths that quickly fluttered into the bushes.

23 July 2005
On Bath Tub Race Day in the sun in the afternoon with throngs of people lining the riverbank in the  hazy sunshine. There were Small White Butterflies over Adur Recreation Ground and a handful of Gatekeepers and Small/Essex Skippers over the grasses next to the towpath next to Shoreham Airport. There were no crowds on the Waterworks Road where usual butterflies were present including a count of seven Commas, including at least one smaller than normal fresh specimen which was nevertheless very quick to chase off much bigger Large White Butterflies before returning to its perch on the top of the Stinging Nettles. There was a smaller than usual fresh Speckled Wood Butterfly with a Red Admiral in the Butterfly Copse (next to the Waterworks Road). The other species were a handful both of Small/Essex Skippers, Gatekeepers and Green-veined Whites.

22 July 2005
The morning started with a clear blue sky with fluffy white cirrus clouds, but by 11:00 am the sky had become grey and overcast.

Route: Slonk Hill south - Pixie Path - Mill Hill (lower slopes - scrub - Triangle - copse - upper meadow) - Path from The Street to the Butterfly Copse - Waterworks Road - Cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge.
Duration:  2 hours 30 minutes    (Slonk 1 hour, Mill Hill 1 hour; travel between the two: 30 minutes)

The list is in the order first seen (E = estimates):
 

Large White  E 30+	Widespread,
Meadow Brown  E 35+	Widespread
Red Admiral  4	Slonk South Meadow 1 Mill Hill scrub 1 Butterfly Copse 1 Waterworks Road 1
Small/Essex Skipper  E 50+	Widespread
Gatekeeper E  200+	Widespread
Green-veined White  E 12+	Widespread
Small Blue  5+	Slonk South Path
Common Blue 5+	Slonk South Path
Speckled Wood   2	Slonk South Path 1 Mill Hill 1
Chalkhill Blue 125  (all males)	Mill Hill (Pixie Path 1, Lower Slopes 101, Scrub 1, Triangle 9, Upper Meadow 13)
Marbled White  18	Mill Hill  (Lower 1 Upper 17)
Wall Brown  1	Mill Hill Upper
Holly Blue 1	Path from The Street to the Butterfly Copse
Comma  2	Butterfly Copse 1  Waterworks Road  1

  6-spot Burnet Moths 20+

The total of 14 different species of butterfly was from a highly favourable route over a longer period than normal, but not as a diligent search as it could have been.

21 July 2005
A Brimstone Butterfly was seen in south Lancing in the warm sunny morning. In my south Lancing garden a Holly Blue and a Gatekeeper fluttered around and the Large Whites found the cabbages.

White butterflies were ubiquitous in Shoreham residential areas. A Speckled Wood Butterfly fluttered through Southwick Square.
A Small White Butterfly fluttered around Shoreham Health Centre in Pond Road, in Shoreham town centre.

In the late afternoon I made a brief visit to the outskirts of Old Shoreham.
The list is in the order first seen:
 

Comma  5	Waterworks Road and first one seen instantly
Meadow Brown  35+	Waterworks Road 15+  Coastal Link Cyclepath 20+  Estimates
Small/Essex Skipper   6+	Waterworks Road 1+  Coastal Link Cyclepath 5+
Gatekeeper  24+	Waterworks Road 12+  Coastal Link Cyclepath 12+  Estimates
Large Whites  50+	Everywhere
Green-veined Whites  12+	Waterworks Road 6+  Coastal Link Cyclepath 6+  Estimates
Holly Blue  2	Waterworks Road 1  Coastal Link Cyclepath  (south of the Toll Bridge) 1
Red Admiral  7	Coastal Link Cyclepath 7
Speckled Wood  1	Waterworks Road 1
Peacock  1	Butterfly Copse

My personal tally of species for the day was eleven with just a cursory try, including one species not recorded four days ago.

20 July 2005
There was a Red Admiral Butterfly in the twitten between Ravensbourne Avenue and Buckingham Park, Shoreham.

18 July 2005
The bare expanses of the Adur Levels on the towpath route to Cuckoo's Corner were relatively devoid of butterflies (compared to yesterday) with just a handful of Meadow Browns by the riverbank. At Cuckoo's Corner, there were a handful each of Gatekeepers, Large Whites, Green-veined Whites and Small/Essex Skippers and a few more Meadow Browns, plus one Comma. There was another Comma and one Red Admiral at the Butterfly Copse next to the Waterworks Road.

17 July 2005
I had planned to visit the lower slopes of Mill Hill in the morning to get a representative count of the Chalkhill Blues. A hand injury delayed me and most species and numbers of butterflies were present before I left Shoreham town on the Slonk Hill Cutting (south) road embankment and linear spinney. The Small Blue Butterflies may be in their second brood? (I had to chase these around to confirm their identity.) The Small/Essex Skipper population may be greater than normal.

The list is in the order first seen:
 

Meadow Brown  75+	Very Frequent on Slonk Hill, Frequent on Mill Hill, one in a Shoreham garden
Marbled White  24	Slonk 1, Mill Hill 19, Pixie Path 1, Waterworks Road 1, Coastal Link Cyclepath 2
Gatekeeper  50+	Frequent on Slonk and Mill Hill, occasional on the Pixie Path (top) and Adur Levels
Small/Essex Skipper 300+	Common (200+) on Slonk, Very Frequent on Mill Hill, Frequent on the Adur Levels
Chalkhill Blue 48	Slonk 3, Mill Hill Lower 33, Mill Hill elsewhere 12
Brown Argus  3+	At least 3 on Slonk
Speckled Wood  11+	Slonk Spinney 9+, Mill Hill 2
Ringlet  1	Only one confirmed on Slonk South (east) but there would have been more
Small Blue  10+	Slonk only in several places, and counted, but there were probably more
Green-veined White  20+	Frequent = occasional in all locations, confirmed ID from Slonk
Large White  15+	Frequent = occasional in all locations, confirmed ID from a Shoreham garden
Small White  2+	Only a mating pair confirmed from a Shoreham garden, but there were probably more, PS: A second look at the photograph and they seem to be Large Whites.
Comma  1	Only one in a Shoreham garden, but I did not look amongst the nettles on the Waterworks Road
Red Admiral  5	Top of The Drive (part of Slonk) 2, Waterworks Road 1, Coastal Link Cyclepath (south of the Toll Bridge) 2
Holly Blue 1	The only confirmed ones was from the Coastal Link Cyclepath (south of the Toll Bridge) flying over from an adjoining garden

On Mill Hill, four of the Chalkhill Blue males demonstrated interesting behaviour first commented up on by Chris Pickford on the UK Leps Yahoo Group) mimicking females and shown in the photograph on the right (above the list). Female butterflies show receptive or enticing behaviour and this is readily noticeable in Adonis and Chalkhill Blue females. The photographed butterfly looked very blue in flight.
Original Observation Message by Chris Pickford on UK Leps (Link)

Fifteen species recorded in a day was the single largest total so far this year. All the species were found within the Shoreham urban area in less than one hour. The above totals were seen in a period of 90 minutes, rather than the normal hour.
This species total may have to be reduced to 14 as the Small Whites were not confirmed.

6-spot Burnet Moths were common with a total of over a hundred seen on Slonk Hill and Mill Hill mostly but present on wasteland everywhere.  There was a distinctive small white Ermine moth and at least one larger Silver Y on the Slonk Hill Cutting, at least one small Pyrausta nigrata on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. Many small moths went unrecorded.

There was also a possible Common Blue Butterfly on the southern part of Mill Hill, but it was an unsure identification from the pronounced orange spots on the underwing and this is unreliable on its own.

There was Red Admiral Butterfly in my south Lancing back garden.

16 July 2005
A Marbled White Butterfly in Corbyn Crescent, in the residential area of Shoreham was unprecedented, with a Gatekeeperin the twitten to Middle Road and a Green-veined White as well.

14 July 2005
Well over 50 butterflies fluttered over the wildlife managed grasses of St James-the-less cemetery in north Lancing. They were Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers at about a 50/50 split.

The Old Fort area of Shoreham Beach is not renowned for butterflies. There were just a dozen in unidentified white butterflies and one Small'/Essex Skipper over the Kidney Vetch at Silver Sands. There was a Meadow Brown in my front garden.
 

13 July 2005
On Lancing Ring the population of Meadow Brown, Hedge Brown (Gatekeeper), Marbled Whites, Small Skipper and 6-spot Burnet Moths reached a peak of activity in bright strong sunshine. An hours walk at around 9:00 am showed hundreds of butterflies, mostly comprising of Meadow Browns but also a lot of Marbled Whites and Skippers. Counting seemed pointless as there was probably one for every square metre of grass meadow*. At the dewpond on the bramble patch Gatekeeper predominated with a few (about 10) Marbled Whites. No blue butterflies or Vanessids were seen. (* The main meadow exceeds 50,000 square metres.)

Small (or Essex Skipper) on Kidney Vetch	Marbled Whites on Greater Knapweed at the Chalkpit, east of Lancing Ring

On Lancing Beach there were at least one dozen white butterflies. Most of these were thought to be Green-veined Whites after one identified in Shoreham, but there was at least one Small White Butterfly.
Inland off the pebble beach, Meadow Brown Butterflies, Small/Essex Skippers and Gatekeepers were ubiquitous everywhere on wasteland. On a 160 metres* stretch of path next to the lower meadows of Lancing Ring and the hedgerow, the following number of butterflies were estimated: Meadow Browns 150, Small/Essex Skippers 60+ and Gatekeepers 25+ (perhaps more). In the same area 30 Marble Whites were counted with one Comma. In a passage travel, 13 more Marble Whites were seen in Lancing Ring Chalkpit, three more in a hurried passage over McIntyre's Field, and one more in Malthouse Meadows (Sompting). A Red Admiral was spotted on New Monks Farm, in the Elm Corridor. Green-veined Whites and other white species as well were widespread over gardens, roads and wasteland, with about 20 recorded every hour. (*This stay was timed at 9 minutes, which means that in an hour over 1000 Meadow Brown Butterflies would be seen over the meadows, and the butterfly could said to be abundant. The area covered would be at least 500 square metres -= 0.12 acre.)

12 July 2005
Under the clear blue sky, on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the fresh male Chalkhill Blues were out and I counted twenty of them over an area of 400 metres, but this is just the beginning of them. Other butterflies were common, both Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns numbered over a hundred in an hour and Small/Essex Skippers numbered nearly a hundred in the same time period.
The route was a passage along the Slonk Hill Cutting (south) and then to the lower slopes (only) of Mill Hill via the north-south section of the Pixie Path.

Other butterflies were 16 Marbled Whites (12 on Mill Hill including 9 on the lower slopes, and four of them on Slonk Hill), 1 Ringlet (passage through Slonk Hill south), about 40 white butterflies, the majority were probably Green-veined Whites, but one very large Large White was confirmed from just above the ridge of Mill Hill, in a semi-scrubby area, 2 Comma (Mill Hill, north-west lower slopes in the first bit of Hawthorn scrub, and the second by the Reservoir), 2 Red Admiral (roughly the same areas as the Comma), one Speckled Wood (in the tunnel of scrub on the original footpath, return route from the stile on the edge of the ridge). There were a handful of 6-spot Burnet Moths in flight (but I did not go to the upper part of Mill Hill where there was likely to be many more.)
Eleven species of butterfly were seen (personally) around midday in humid and warm conditions.

11 July 2005
A visit to the lower slopes of Mill Hill produced the first definite four Chalkhill Blues of the year. Gatekeepers were the most prevalent butterflies followed by Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites, the last more on the top of Mill Hill. There were just two Small Heaths, one Large Skipper, a few Small Skippers and one Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly. Scores of 6-spot Burnet Moths were emerging with one of the cocoons on a Greater Knapweed instead of the usual long grasses. There were a handful of the large white butterflies that would not stay still for identification, plus two smaller white butterflies as well. (Note: at least some of these are likely to be Green-veined Whites.)

Scores of white butterflies in Shoreham town everywhere and at least some of these are Small Whites. Air temperature up to 27.6 ºC. No prime time visits to butterfly locations or even passage travels along butterfly routes because the bicycle was non-operational and was repaired during the day.  Belatedly as the afternoon was coming to a close, about 4:30 pm, I was able to fix the bicycle and get out and about in the warm sunshine.

An hour on the Coastal Link Cyclepath enabled me to reach the meadow verges just south of the Cement Works. The most difficult identification were the smallish yellow (underwing) and white butterflies with small spots which were positively identified positively as Green-veined Whites (18+). The other confirmed butterflies in order of prevalence were, Meadow Browns (25+), Gatekeepers (20+), Red Admiral (9), Small/Essex Skippers (7+), Comma (2), Holly Blue (1) Marbled White (1) and Wall Brown* (1). The Wall Brown was about 30 metres north of the Toll Bridge in a location one was seen before. There were a handful of 6-spot Burnet Moths in flight. (* fleeting glance only)
Ten species of butterfly (personally) in humid and warm conditions.

10 July 2005
As the temperature hit 27.2° C, five species of butterfly visited a Shoreham garden, all three species of whites, Large White, Small White and Green-veined White were confirmed, plus a Meadow Brown and a Red Admiral.
A short walk to the top of the Drive and along the Slonk Hill Cutting produced 23+ (counted) Small/Essex Skippers, but no Large Skippers, a partly counted and estimated 45+ Meadow Browns, and partly counted and estimated 44+ Gatekeepers, 5+ whites, probably all Green-veined Whites (as one was confirmed). a count of 7+ Marbled Whites, plus an estimated 10+ Ringlet Butterflies.
There was at least 15, probably many more 6-spotted Burnet Moths.
Nine species of butterfly within the Shoreham town boundaries without visiting the Adur Levels or the Downs.

9 July 2005
The handful of smallish white butterflies discovered fluttering inside the stems of the Sea Kale on Lancing Beach (between Widewater and Lancing Beach Green) have been identified with difficulty as Small White Butterflies. These were not the only butterflies in flight and were outnumbered by larger white butterflies with black tips to their wings. About a dozen refused to settle, but the one that did was identified as a Green-veined White. There were no white butterflies observed over the sections of the beach (Worthing) that did not contain Sea Kale.
Over New Monks Farm, Lancing, the same scenario seemed to be repeated, one or two Small Whites settled, but by far the most, over fifty were more restless white butterflies with strong black markings on their wing-tips. The four that settled all proved to be Green-veined Whites. Large Whites may have occurred but they could not be identified positively, although one was almost certain.
Other butterflies present in the Elm Corridor were a handful of confirmed Large Skippers, about a dozen confirmed Small/Essex Skippers, 20+ Meadow Browns, 15+ Gatekeepers, a Comma, and two faded Speckled Wood Butterflies. The four red moths were Burnets and I think they were 6-spot Burnets, but I am not sure.
A two minutes detour to the Waterworks Road, and nearby Butterfly Copse, produced a further five Commas.
A journey through Lancing produced eight species of butterflies.

8 July 2005
There was a surprise identification problem which may apply to recent entries when what appeared to be a Large White in a Shoreham garden, turned out to be a Green-veined White. This puts all the recent records of Large Whites in doubt, although I know at least one of them was confirmed close-up. There was at least one other Green-veined White over the Waterworks Road.
Two blue butterflies emerged on the lower slopes of Mill Hill but they flew away much too quickly to be sure of their identity. They were probably Chalkhill Blue Butterflies.
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Gatekeepers exceeded 150 from the Waterworks Road to Mill Hill via the Pixie Path, followed by a short passage trip home via the Slonk Hill Bank Cutting (south). In the same area Meadow Browns exceeded 100.