Description

Join us for a summer day out in Sussex, looking for Brown Hairstreak, plus more summer butterflies.

The focus of the day is to spend time searching for the late summer species that can be found on the downs and woody scrubs in Sussex. We will be targeting the Brown Hairstreak, Silver-spotted Skipper and the stunning Adonis Blue.  There will of course be many other butterflies on the wing at this time as Chalkhill Blue, Clouded Yellow, Painted Lady and Wall Brown are some of the many we can expect. Until last season Long-tailed Blues were also possible; it remains to be seen if they recover in 2022.

The day will begin at our meeting point, at Burgess Hill station at 9am.

Our first port of call is a little-known valley tucked away behind a small Sussex hamlet, ten minutes from Shoreham. Here it’s possible to see both Adonis and Chalkhill Blue in their hundreds and in addition to this visual feast there are often Clouded Yellows and possible Silver Spotted Skippers. Birds include migrants, ravens and birds of prey including Red Kite, Peregrine and Buzzard. There is also plenty of floral interest with the rare Red Star-thistle and Lady’s Autumn Tresses both present.

Our next visit is at a reliable site for the Brown Hairstreak, another ten-minute drive to Steyning. The Brown Hairstreak is a tricky butterfly to see well as it spends much of its time zig zagging around the tops of blackthorn shrubs. However, with patience the females come down to the young blackthorn to lay eggs and then superb views can be had.  With luck the males may also follow. There may be other species such as Small Copper, Wall Brown and migrating birds (Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatears and Winchats). There is a short descent to the valley bottom at Steyning, which is a 5-minute walk down a reasonable path.

At this point we will take a short break to purchase snacks for a picnic lunch and to use the facilities at a local shopping center. We will usually visit (Weather dependent) an historic fort, which is a site for Wall Lizards and migrating birds as well as the odd butterfly to enjoy our lunch.

The afternoon will be determined partly by our sightings in the morning. We may visit alternative sites to catch up with any missed butterflies. However, if they have bred this year then one option will be to look for Long-tailed Blues on the outskirts of Brighton. Another butterfly we will be seeking is the Silver-spotted Skipper. This attractive little butterfly has expanded rapidly in the last few years and should be found among the short turfs on the downs at a few near-by sites.

Depending on the sightings the tour will finish around 5pm and the clients will be returned to Burgess Hill Station.

Generally speaking, the paths are good with gentle slopes, but good strong walking boots are recommended as the paths can be uneven and undermined by rabbit burrows. There is one steeper descent, which should be no problem for most, but we can find an alternative if this proves to be tricky.