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Saturniidave
Member since Apr-26-07
2480 posts		 Jun-19-09, 10:35 AM (PST)
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"North Downs"
 
   I went out for a walk on the North Downs today, the North Downs are a long chain of chalk hills that run from mid Southern England to the coast in the county of Kent. They are known for their unique calcareous flora and fauna and are similar to the South Downs of Sussex and Kent.
The butterfly populations have been low of late so I was happy to see a good number of Ringlets (Aphantopus hyperanthus) (see photo), Small Heaths (Coenonympha pamphillus), Meadow Browns (Maniola jurtina), Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria) and Large Skippers (Ochlodes faunus). There was no sign of the hundreds of Painted Ladies I saw a few weeks back, sadly there was no sign of any larvae on the thistles either.
A few battered Common Blues (Polyommatus icarus)and Brown Argus (Aricia agestis) were still knocking around plus one straggler Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae).
Things should pick up in the next few weeks with the Chalkhill Blues (Lysandra corydon) and Dark-green Fritillaries (Argynnis aglaia) emerging to join the next generation of blues, arguses and skippers, and hopefully some Vanessids!
Dave

"Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional" Bob Monkhouse

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daveuk
Member since May-5-08
374 posts		 Jun-19-09, 12:02 PM (PST)
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1. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #0
 
   Hi Dave

That's a lot more species on the wing than we have here on the Welsh/Shropshire border at present.

I'm hoping to see the Chalkhill Blues & Dark Green Fritillaries when I visit you again in July

Attached is a picture I took of P icarus(common blue)on my last visit in May

Dave

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Saturniidave
Member since Apr-26-07
2480 posts		 Jun-26-09, 10:38 AM (PST)
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2. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #1
 
   I had another walk on the Downs yesterday in scorching sunshine, apart from the species mentioned before I also saw a single Comma (Polygonia c-album) and a very faded Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). I took a few photos, one of the underside of a Ringlet so you can see how it gets its name and a couple of the terrain. The area of the Downs near me are near the village of Trottiscliffe which, in typical English fashion, is pronounced 'Trosley'. It is dry, calcareous grassland and scrub slopes with woodland on the top and mainly farmland at the bottom. The first habitat photo is a view along the slope and the second one a view down ( about 200 feet). The rabbits do a good job of grazing the scrub and keeping the grasslands open but a population crash a few years ago led to a lot of downland becoming overgrown with scrub, the park wardens decided to use goats to graze away the scrub but they also grazed away everything else! They have now gone but the damage is done, there are now very few wild Orchids there. I only found a few Pyramidal where I would have found at lkeast half a dozen species before. Hopefully they will recover but it will take quite a few years to do so.
Dave

"Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional" Bob Monkhouse

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dunc01226
Member since Jan-12-08
844 posts		 Jun-27-09, 03:24 AM (PST)
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3. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #2
 
   Do you get good numbers of dark green frits down your way Dave?


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Saturniidave
Member since Apr-26-07
2480 posts		 Jun-27-09, 04:17 PM (PST)
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4. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #3
 
   Some years yes, but the numbers have been quite low for the last few. The two photos show typical aglaia habitat for these parts, the larvae feed on violets that grow amongst the scrub and woodland edges, usually in the shade. I can remember them being very common at Trotti...., sod it, Trosley, a while back but chasing them up and down those hills ain't easy! In August those slopes will be alive with chalkhill blues.
Dave

"Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional" Bob Monkhouse


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dunc01226
Member since Jan-12-08
844 posts		 Jun-29-09, 00:16 AM (PST)
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5. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #4
 
   Sounds like heaven to me mate.


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Saturniidave
Member since Apr-26-07
2480 posts		 Jun-29-09, 06:09 PM (PST)
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6. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #5
 
   I am just waiting for the adonis blues to return, there are rumours...., likewise the silver-spotted skippers. I remember both being there in the past, I once took 7 adonis blues in one swipe of the net (seven with one blow, now where have I heard that before?). They were all 'enjoying' a dog turd so I stamped my foot and got them when they all flew up. In the Spring there are green hairstreaks, grizzled and dingy skippers ( both having a second brood later) brown argus, common blues, holly blues (again double-brooded) and small heaths.
yeah, I suppose it is pretty good but I am used to it so I don't consider it anything special. I prefer to visit some remote Scottish moorland for small mountain ringlets, large heaths, small pearl bordered and dark-green fritillaries (both Scottish forms), checkered skippers and scotch argus.
BTW did you get any green hairstreaks this year Dunc? When Dave came down (when he took the blue picture) there were several but they were all pretty knackered by then.
Dave

"Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional" Bob Monkhouse


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dunc01226
Member since Jan-12-08
844 posts		 Jun-30-09, 00:06 AM (PST)
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7. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #6
 
   No Dave, the rumours of green hairstreaks on the moors up here will still remain a rumour for at least another year, on a positive note it seems that the small torts are recovering to some degree up here and marbled whites have been sucessfully introduced to a nearby wood.

Dunc


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Saturniidave
Member since Apr-26-07
2480 posts		 Jun-30-09, 12:37 PM (PST)
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8. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #7
 
   Glad to hear of small torts doing well, Dave told me he found several webs up in Wales so perhaps it is only down here that they are suffering.
Marbled whites in a wood?? That is strange, I know of many colonies all over the South but they are all on grassland where the red fescue grows, never heard of them being found in woods.
Dave

"Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional" Bob Monkhouse


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dunc01226
Member since Jan-12-08
844 posts		 Jul-01-09, 00:04 AM (PST)
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9. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #8
 
   Sorry mate, worded that wrong, the area is called brockadale woods just outside Pontefract but the MW's are found in the fields outside the woods. I once had a similar experience to you in netting butterflies in one swoop, but without the turd, on the downs above Yaverland on the IOW, chalkhill blues were drinking by the dozen on the floor so I just put my net down, kept the best although they had not long emerged and that was my collecting done for the day, if only it was always that easy.

regards Dunc


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Saturniidave
Member since Apr-26-07
2480 posts		 Jul-01-09, 12:31 PM (PST)
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10. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #9
 
   That makes more sense!
In the 'good old days' at Trottisclifffe and nearby Wrotham (Yes, pronounced 'rootem'!)you could go late in the afternoon/early evening and pick them off of the grass stems where thay were roosting with your hands. BTW I stamped on the ground with the Adonis blues as I had no intention of slapping my net over a dog turd!
Dave

"Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional" Bob Monkhouse


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dunc01226
Member since Jan-12-08
844 posts		 Jul-01-09, 12:48 PM (PST)
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11. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #10
 
   Same at Portland, once it gets into the early evening you dont even need a net and it's safer too as clipboard boy will have counted all his butterflies and gone home by then, best place for them is on the east side of the island at Church Ope Cove at the back of the museum, it's also brilliant for graylings there too, just below the rockfaces where all the climbers go.

Dunc


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Saturniidave
Member since Apr-26-07
2480 posts		 Jul-02-09, 05:54 PM (PST)
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12. "RE: North Downs"
In response to message #11
 
   Actually this is what L.W. Newman used to do on the Downs at Dover and Folkestone, he used to examine every roosting specimen looking for abs.
Portland is on my 'to do' list one day, I want the Portland Ribbon Wave amongst others.
Dave

"Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional" Bob Monkhouse


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