Windover Hill

Mid morning I made the long drive and hike up to Windover Hill in hope of catching my first Grayling sighting. On the way up Chalkhill Blues were everywhere to be seen, they were pretty much the only butterfly I saw. On Windover Hill itself it didn't take too long before I was on my hands and knees looking at my first ever Grayling, to others it might have seemed I was just looking at a bare patch of earth, due to their fantastic camouflage. It is true what they say, off the 10 or more I saw, not one opened it's wings for me, or took advantage of a more loftier position. The ground was good enough. Furthermore, I only caught a glimpse of the eye patch on a few occasions. There were a couple of mating pairs as well. Other highlights include an all but brief glimpse of a Silver-spotted Skipper, a Small Heath and numerous Meadow Browns. Walking back down the South Downs Way, I ticked off Gatekeeper (lots around the Gorse Scrub just before the top of the chalk track), at least 5 Dark-green Fritillaries, and 2 Marbled Whites. Back at the 'bumpy' carpark in the Southwest corner, there was a small population of Whites, including Large, Small, and Green-veined. I also saw a Six-spot Burnet Moth which had just emerged from its papery cocoon.

I have now seen all but one (Essex Skipper) of the regularly breeding Sussex species (n = 45); list as follows (underline = 2012 sightings):

1. Adonis blue
2. Brimstone
3. Brown Argus
4. Brown Hairstreak
5. Chalkhill Blue
6. Clouded Yellow
7. Comma
8. Common Blue
9. Dark Green Fritillary
10. Dingy Skipper
11. Duke of Burgundy
12. Gatekeeper
13. Grayling
14. Green Hairstreak
15. Green-veined White
16. Grizzled Skipper
17. Holly Blue
18. Large Skipper
19. Large White
20. Marbled White
21. Meadow Brown
22. Orange Tip
23. Painted Lady
24. Peacock
25. Pearl-bordered Fritillary
26. Purple Emperor
27. Purple Hairstreak
28. Red Admiral
29. Ringlet
30. Silver-spotted Skipper
31. Silver-studded Blue
32. Silver-washed Fritillary
33. Small Blue
34. Small Copper
35. Small Heath
36. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
37. Small Skipper
38. Small Tortoiseshell
39. Small White
40. Speckled Wood
41. Wall Brown
42. White Admiral
43. White-letter Hairstreak
44. Wood White