14 July 2009
A visit to Tottington Woods, Small Dole, with Jan Hamblett, resulted in the sightings of two butterflies not recorded personally in the Lower Adur Valley area before.
 

Silver-washed Fritillary	White Admiral	White Admiral

There were frequent flights under the canopy of Oak and Willow of the large and splendid Silver-washed Fritillaries flying up to about five metres above the ground vegetation and wood piles and occasionally landing for a photograph. Two splendid White Admirals were spotted, the first one slightly worn and intact, and the one that landed in front of us was damaged with two chunks missing out of its left forewing.
 

	Large Skipper
Silver-washed Fritillary	Ringlet	White Admiral

Other butterflies seen in the woods were frequent Large Whites, occasional Small Whites, frequent Peacock Butterflies, frequent Speckled Woods, frequent Gatekeepers, occasional Meadow Browns, occasional Comma Butterflies, a few Small Skippers, at least two Large Skippers, at least one Red Admiral, frequent Ringlets in the shade, and on the mown field immediately outside of the woods to the south-east a Marbled White fluttered amongst the shorn grass.

There were two ponds in Tottington Wood. The pond in the photograph at the eastern end hosted a Small Red Damselfly. A Migrant Hawker (dragonfly) was seen in a woodland ride and on the edges of the duckweed covered duck pond at the southern part of the wood, Common Blue Damselflies mated over the Gypsywort-covered edges. It was in this area where most of the Peacock Butterflies and occasional Comma Butterflies were to be seen.  Adur Dragonflies 2009

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