Protecting Sussex Downland flowers

Local MP Caroline Lucas is championing one of Sussex’s best loved wildflowers, our iconic 'Pride of Sussex' flower of the South Downs .
She appreciates that it is vital to restore and protect chalk grassland, home to the round-headed rampion and so many other wonderful flowering plants.
Doing their bit in conservation on Friday 1st September 2017 were seven volunteers with "The Friends of Wolstonbury" lead by National Trust Ranger, Mike Botterill.

Above, Derek, a stalwart of the group, heading to an overgrown area of Elderflower, Hawthorn and a very large Sycamore tree, which, if left unchecked would choke Downland plant species.

​​Above Hilary, Margaret and Derek, after clearing the hillside scrub and felled tree above, which was burnt in one enormous bonfire.
It was a great team effort today and much was achieved.
It is a great pleasure to work at one's own pace, enjoy convivial company, the exercise and do our bit to protect this unique habitat.
Thanks to sensitive grazing by cattle, sheep and the work of the National Trust Rangers and volunteers with "The Friends of Wolstonbury" this hill is ablaze with the blues of scabious and "Pride of Sussex" flowers."
As an antidote for depression or high blood pressure, a day spent volunteering with The Friends of Wolstonbury works wonders for both physical and mental well being.
Details of how to join this happy band is at www.wolstonbury.com
All tools and gloves are provided... and tea and chocolate biscuits too.
Wolstonbury Hill welcomes you.

Seven Dragonfly and Damselfly species counted on Wolstonbury Hill, West Sussex, UK

Under the direction of the National Trust ranger, Mike Botterill, the Friends of Wolstonbury were busy pulling up Ragwort last Friday and carrying out an impressive species count in the Dewpond, which looked good after its restoration in 2013.

Ragwort is poisonous to horses if dried in a hay crop and hundreds of plants were pulled up this day to limit its seed set and spread to adjoining farmland.  It was hot, backbreaking work and the trailer was filled to overflowing.  Other work such as brush cutting is carried out at other times of the year.  Please see http://www.wolstonbury.com/index.htm if you are interested in the natural history of this lovely hill and would like to work with a friendly and knowledgeable group of volunteers... or if you would simply like to follow their work and make a financial contribution to this important preservation of our wildlife.

This blog entry is restricted to the Dragonflies and Damselflies seen on this day.

 An Emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator (above and below) laid eggs in a couple of places in the pond.

 Azure Damselfly, Coenagrion puella male above.

 And Common Blue Damselflies, Enallagma cyathigerum mating in the wheel position which is unique to this group of insects

 An aptly named, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Ischnura elegans 

 A mature male Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa above

 and a female laying eggs

 guarded as she does so by the male.

See a video clip of the action above.

Immature Common Darters, Sympetrum striolatum were also around.  At least three were spotted.

 Eagle-eyed Mike spotted a Damselfly in the act of emerging from its larval body.  At this stage they are very vulnerable to being eaten by birds.  So our activities this day may have provided an element of protection

In total we saw seven species, the last being what looked like a Banded Demoiselle but it didn't stay long and no photo' was possible.
This pond is teeming with other life and ALL dogs and horses must not enter this unique habitat.

Thanks are due to Mike Botterill of The National Trust and the Friends of Wolstonbury for this fun-packed day.  Click on any picture to enlarge it.

Finally the British Dragonfly Society (BDS) also conserves these fantastic creatures and their wetland habitats: see http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/content/membership

Views across the High Weald of Sussex from Cuckfield to Wolstonbury Hill and Wolstonbury to Cuckfield

Cuckfield, like many villages in the High Weald of Sussex, sits on a high ridge.  To the south it overlooks the Low Weald including Hurstpierpoint to the South Downs and the characteristic wooded "eyes" of Wolstonbury Hill, seen above in a zoomed photo' from the High Street.
I thought to share the reverse view -- from Wolstonbury Hill towards Cuckfield.  Yesterday the weather conditions were conducive to such a shot.
Here it is below;

 The Elizabethan house in the foreground is Danny House and the church like building in the middlegound is Hurstpierpoint College, a public school.

Cuckfield can be identified by the church spire with open fields in front.

Butterflies and other wildlife of Sussex on Wolstonbury Hill, 1 August 2018

The wind made photographing flowers and butterflies somewhat tricky on 1st August 2018.  The bright sunshine brought butterflies, grasshoppers and bees out in good numbers.

 This is the view from near the top looking westwards.

 On the way up in the far distance is the spire of Cuckfield Holy Trinity church with the village of Hurstpierpoint in the foreground

 Along the woodland edges Speckled Woods were common.

 Scabious attracted many insects including a hover fly, above, bees and Silver-spotted Skippers as below.

 A fly.

 The "Pride of Sussex" the county flower was abundant.

Gatekeeper.

 Chalk Hill Blues were flying in good numbers too together with Common Blues.

Chalk Hill Blue

 Buzzards "mewed" overhead.

Common Blue

 Above and below Bombus sylvestris, the parasitic Forest Cuckoo Bee 

 A solitary Wall butterfly was seen, above.

Chalk Hill Blue

"The Pride of Sussex"

Forest Cuckoo Bee

Silver-spotted Skipper

 Silver-spotted Skippers.

 Common Blue butterflies: female above and male below.

 Above, a mature Stripe-winged Grasshopper, Stenobothrus lineatus

Spectacularly there were four Kestrels flying around the hill at the same time.

Looking eastwards towards Jack and Jill windmills, https://www.jillwindmill.org.uk/ and the meadow, which the Friends of Wolstonbury, www.wolstonbury.com have created by clearing the woodland over the years to create a uniquely diverse habitat rich in plants and insect species.  There is much more conservation work to be done than the Friends of Wolstonbury can tackle.  If such work appeals to you, come and join us: new volunteers are welcomed and much needed.
See also www.peterlovettwalks.eu for guided walks.