Butterflies, Wild Flowers & Birds at the Steyning Downland Scheme 04.08.22
- Sim Elliott
- Aug 6, 2022
- 3 min read
On Thursday 04.08.22 I visited the wonderful Steyning Downland Scheme. It is very easy to get there by public transport. I got the 2 bus, from just outside my house in East Brighton, to the Steyning; see: 2 - Steyning-Rottingdean | Brighton & Hove Buses I got the 6.10 am bus - yes, 6.10 am bus, which arrived in Steyning at 7.09 (Steyning Clock Tower). Buses to Steyning go once every hour. Why this early? I was keen to find Brown Hairstreak Butterflies; for which the Steyning Downland Scheme is famous. I didn't see any; but I had a wonderful morning; getting the 12.35 back home. If you get off at Steyning Clock Tower, walk through the public car park, and exit into Charlton Street; turn right and walk along Charlton Street; just after Charlton street make a 90 degree turn left, where Charlton joins Mill Road (at 90 degree to the right), carry straight on up Allotment Lane (past Steyning Bowls Club on your left) until you reach the entrance to the Steyning Downland Scheme (riffle range) on your right. See here for a map: Maps | Steyning Downland Scheme
My previous posts on the Steyning Downland Scheme:
Steyning Downland Scheme: a Marsh Tit, a Dingy Skipper and a Grey Wagtail. 05.07.22 (simelliott.net)
In this post the photographs are presented in chronological, rather than species groups, to give an impression of my "nature journey" through the sight
All sections of text in italics are quotations, sources given at the end of the quote
The lane to the scheme
Some sheep, possibly Balwen Welsh Mountain, in the field below the Riffle Range
"The Riffle Range"
Meadow Brown on Creeping Thistle
Female Meadow Brown; one of many
Another female Meadow Brown - that has lost part of wing; probably from a predatory attack from a bird
A Gatekeeper; one of many
A Gatekeeper showing underwings
Another Gatekeeper
and another!
Speckled Wood (where the Riffle Range joins the woods)
Lower Horseshoe Walk
Creeping Thistle
Sliver Washer Fritillary on Hemp-agrimony
Meadow Brown on Hemp-Agrimony
Worn Meadow Brown
Fledgling Wren
Fallen tree and Ragwort
Sow Thistle
Woundwort, sans flowers
Sow Thistle
Great Willowherb
Fairy Foxglove
Leaf!
Leaves!
Meadow Brown on Greater Burdock; the little red dot is a mote: called trombidium breei. They do not seem to harm the butterfly. Some species of butterfly are more prone than others – ones that are often seen with red mites are Meadow Brown males; Marbled White; Common Blue and Small Skipper. Red mites | Dorset Butterflies
Comma and Silver washed Fritillary on Buddleia
Comma
Silver Washed Fritillary on Creeping Thistle
same individual on the ground
A different Silver Washed Fritillary
Another Comma
A Gatekeeper
Upper Horseshoe Path
View of the Horseshoe Woods
Red Admiral
enlarged and electronically lightened
Another Wall Brown - a good day for Wall Browns
Juvenile Yellowhammer being fed by a parent
The Meadow
Meadow Brown on Hemp-Agrimony
Gatekeeper with worn wings
Another Gatekeeper
Red Admiral with underwings showing; some Red Admirals hibernate with their wings closed; it is useful to look like a dead leaf when there are hungry birds around in winter
Speckle Wood (near the boundary with the wood)
A Wall Brown
Another Wall Brown
Common Blue
Clouded Yellow - a wonderful summer migrant from Europe/North Africa
Back in the Rifle Range
A slightly worn Common Blue
Another Gatekeeper - definitely the most common butterfly seen today; and on all my recent butterfly trips
Another Wall Brown
Common Blue
A male Meadow Brown
A Small Skipper; while it might be an Essex Skipper; but it is not possible to see the end of the antenna to differentiate it
Small Skipper is similar [to the Essex Skipper] but lacks black tips to the antenna (best-viewed head-on) and has longer scent brand, angled to the edge of the forewing.
Essex Skipper butterflies closely resemble and are often found in company with Small Skippers. Because of the similarities, the Essex Skipper has been overlooked both in terms of recording and ecological study, and it was the last British resident species to be described (in 1889). Essex Skipper | Butterfly Conservation (butterfly-conservation.org)
Back in the Meadow
Common Blue on Horseshoe Vetch
Gatekeeper on Creeping Thistle
Common Green Grasshopper
Female Common Blue on Kidney Vetch
Female Common Blue
Robin with leaves that look like birds!
Back in the Firing Range
Brimstone on Creeping Thistle
Buzzard
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