Dingy skipper (Erynnis tages) returns

After a gap of 11 years I have seen the dingy skipper butterfly on the wing in Brede High Woods here in East Sussex.

This is now a national Priority Species because it has been in rapid decline, so this is a good sign.

First butterfly of spring

One of perfect, warm, blue sky days that make one really believe winter is receding fast. At the edge of Brede High Woods, where the cold mud is at its stickiest and wettest, this peacock butterfly floated down and settled a yard or two in front of me. For me the first of the year - gorgeous.

Silver-washed Fritillaries & White Admirals

This year, 2006,is proving a very good one for some of our woodland butterflies such as the silver-washed fritillary, Argynnis paphia (above) and the white admiral, Limenitis camilla.

Both species are quite abundant in Bixley and the adjacent Flatropers Wood (see here) in Beckley and in Pond Wood, part of the Brede High Wood complex (see here).

Hopefully they will spread even further over the next few years. Part of the reason for their success is, I believe, that they are powerful fliers and can recolonise new areas fairly easily whereas the spring fritillaries, wood whites and other butterflies with less powerful flight are continuing to decline.

April in Brede High Woods

 

A long walk in Brede High Woods now rapidly getting into full spring mode with primroses and wood anemones everywhere, but only a few bluebells out.

Many of the sandy paths had tiger beetles running and flying along them and I took the picture of one trying to hide behind a small stone.

The frog spawn in Holman Wood Stream has now hatched out and the black tadpoles bask in the shallows. Butterflies included peacocks, brimstones and commas (see photo of latter) and I saw a few lizards and frogs.