Description

NEW! Join us for a spring day out in Sussex, looking Duke of Burgundy, plus more spring butterflies & wildlife.

In May the butterfly season really starts to get under way and there are always migrant birds turning up. At this time of year, the woodlands harbour pearl-bordered fritillaries in a very few Sussex locations, often joined by orange tips. Whilst out on the downlands Duke of Burgundy are beginning to take to the wing in the company of grizzled and dingy skippers and green hairstreak.

On the birding front nightingales and turtle doves take up territory and the white storks are busy breeding and laying. Red kites and buzzards are soaring over the downs and there is always a chance of white-tailed eagle!

The target species for this day trip will be the Duke of Burgundy butterfly. This nationally scarce butterfly is found on a few locations on the South Downs and in most years reasonable numbers, as careful site management has allowed this attractive butterfly to thrive locally.

We will gather at Shoreham Train Station at 9am, before heading off on a short drive North to a couple of downland sites. Here the Dukes can be found among a variety of other interesting invertebrates and flora. Depending on our success here we may visit and other near-by site, which has been managed for both Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Duke of Burgundy. There is a steep climb to the site for the Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. If this is too challenging then we can visit and alternative site, which is a thirty-minute drive away. There is a bonus of Tiger beetles at the alternative site!

We will pick up lunch from a supermarket on route and stop to use their facilities and picnic at one of the butterfly sites to ensure we maximise our time.

The trip will end approximately 5pm and we will return clients to Shoreham train station or a mutually convenient site if possible.