Lisa G Saw • July 22, 2022

Graylings On The South Downs

A butterfly I'd never heard of before 2021

I first discovered the Grayling existed when watching a Sussex Wildlife Trust webinar on the Butterflies of Sussex. To be honest, it was just one of many butterflies that were completely new to me. As my interest has grown, I’ve started to see more of the different species out and about in the county. I’ve come to realise how important it is to support the work of Butterfly Conservation to help prevent the decline in numbers. After joining them, I received one of their newsletters and read an interesting article about the Grayling. They emerge in July and August, but there’s only one colony of them in Sussex. So, I kept the article and made a note in my diary to go looking for them in 2022.



Luckily for me, one of my friends, Bob Eade – a very knowledgeable butterfly enthusiast – knew exactly where to find them, so we arranged an outing. At least that way, if I couldn’t find them myself, he’d point me in the right direction. I didn’t want him to just take me to the location and show me. I wanted to enjoy the challenge of the search for myself.

 


We’d chosen a day in late July to head up the South Downs in East Sussex. Whilst it was overcast and windy, the forecast had suggested the sun would make an appearance later in the afternoon. I was optimistic, even if they’d underestimated how strong the winds were up on the hills. Eagerly, we set off up the chalky path of the South Downs Way.

I don’t think we’d walked half a kilometre when I spotted my first Grayling on the path ahead of us. That was easy! Not much of a challenge after all. But, in a way, I could relax as the pressure was off. I’d at least seen one now. It was most obliging, as I got down on the ground to take a photo. It’s grey mottled colouring on the underwing was stunning with a wavy band of white – an indicator it was a male.

I don’t think we’d walked half a kilometre when I spotted my first Grayling on the path ahead of us. That was easy! Not much of a challenge after all. But, in a way, I could relax as the pressure was off. I’d at least seen one now. It was most obliging, as I got down on the ground to take a photo. It’s grey mottled colouring on the underwing was stunning with a wavy band of white – an indicator it was a male.

We continued along the track noticing the Chalk Hill Blues on the wing – my first of the year. We even found a pair mating. They were not so obliging. It was impossible for me to get a good angle to photograph them. After a while of trying, we moved on. What was really exciting for me was seeing, for the first time, two freshly emerged males near each other. The wings were still drying out as they hung downwards and I noticed how the antennae were slightly curved at the end.

There was one section of the path where we saw lots of Six-Spot Burnet Moths on the wing. Bob, my own personal tour guide, pointed out the casings from which they would have emerged. On closer inspection, I could see the remains of the black pupa sticking out from the top of the casing. I’d never noticed either before. Of course, then I was seeing them everywhere.

Once at the top of the hill, we were officially in Open Access land. We could see the Downs stretching out to the west and the clouds drifting across the sky, but still no sunshine. Everywhere the land was looking brown and dry, desperate for moisture.



We followed some tracks through the knee-high grass, heading towards the south side. From then on, it was a case of keeping the eyes peeled for more Graylings. Over 150 had been spotted a week or so earlier, so I was confident of seeing more, but the weather conditions were not ideal. Instead of spotting lots of Graylings, we did manage to flush out loads of Yellow Pearl moths (Mecyna flavalis) simply by walking past them. They’re a micro moth that’s very scarce and only found in a few locations in the South of England and South Wales. A little added bonus!

Although my main priority was finding more Graylings, I was temporarily side tracked when we came across a Chalk Hill Blue. Having seen one sitting on Bob’s hand, I was keen to try it myself. In the past, a few times, I’ve had butterflies briefly land on my body, but never on my hand. I recollected the wonderful experience I’d had earlier in the year when a bird had taken seeds from my palm in Scotland. I’m usually someone who just observes nature. My main issue or concern has always been not to do something that inadvertently might cause the creature stress, harm or change their behaviour in some way. But, reassured it would be fine, I gave it a go. Very slowly, I reached forward with my finger and offered it next to the butterfly and amazingly, it climbed on. It was as light as a feather and so exquisitely beautiful! In that moment, I think I fell in love with butterflies just that little bit more!

After that wonderful distraction, I remain focused and didn’t stop to photograph anything else for a while. We traversed down across the steep hill and then aimed to gradually zigzag our way back up. As it turned out we had company, other than the sheep in the perimeter of the field. At the top of the hill was someone we both knew, another butterfly aficionado, Neil Hulme, clearly on the same mission as us. It was just the three of us all afternoon out on the hill. I love it when it’s quiet like that! However, we did notice a few cyclists at the head of the valley, on the South Downs Way, and also a group of nudist walkers carrying backpacks!

Neil came down to chat to us for a while and then we spread out and continued our search. He’d already seen several Grayling so far, but I was yet to see my second. Thankfully, it didn’t take long! We found a female this time (no white band). Neil and Bob alternated coaxing her onto a dried chunk of poo! Apparently, these butterflies learn and once they realise you’re not going to cause them any harm, they don’t keep flying off. It took quite a few attempts before she finally posed for us beautifully.

We continued along the track noticing the Chalk Hill Blues on the wing – my first of the year. We even found a pair mating. They were not so obliging. It was impossible for me to get a good angle to photograph them. After a while of trying, we moved on. What was really exciting for me was seeing, for the first time, two freshly emerged males near each other. The wings were still drying out as they hung downwards and I noticed how the antennae were slightly curved at the end.

The funny thing was, after all their effort, she flew off the poo and landed on me! Suddenly, all the lenses were pointing towards my leg! I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so popular! Even a cricket jumped on me! The Grayling landing wasn’t even a fleeting moment. She lingered for ages. At first, she was positioned horizontally so I could see her underwings clearly. Then turned to look right up at me. Fabulous! My only difficulty was getting a clear view. We’d just had a very brief spell of light rain and I was wearing my waterproof jacket. It kept getting in the way, despite attempts to pull it back. In the end, Bob stood behind me and pulled it taut, whilst I took some photos. I knew he’d come in handy!!!

The Graylings, like many creatures, really are a master of disguise. They love bare patches of ground, like chalky clearings. The pattern on their underwing blends in so well to their environment, it’s amazing how you can struggle to see them, even when you know one is right in front of you.

When it comes to using props, I preferred the use of something more natural, like a small stick. It certainly worked just as well for us. Most of the time, when at rest, the Grayling would keep its wings closed so you only saw the hindwing. But sometimes, they’d quickly flick up their forewing a fraction and reveal the white dot inside the black spot.

Eventually, the sun made an appearance, which was about the time we were lucky enough to see a Grayling nectaring on the flower of some brambles. Usually, it was on the ground hiding. It was one of the few times I actually saw its proboscis too.

Whilst the sun hid behind the clouds intermittently and it was still a little windy, the afternoon did stay fairly sunny and there was noticeably more activity. All the butterflies on the hill became more active. Aside from Grayling, I saw a Red Admiral fly-by, a Brimstone in the distance, a Dark-Green Fritillary hovering just above the tall grasses, one solitary Marbled White and a few Gatekeepers and Common Blues. However, there were plenty of Meadow Browns and Chalk Hill Blues. The real treat was seeing some Silver-Spotted Skippers. It was only my second time of seeing this small species.

There was one section of the path where we saw lots of Six-Spot Burnet Moths on the wing. Bob, my own personal tour guide, pointed out the casings from which they would have emerged. On closer inspection, I could see the remains of the black pupa sticking out from the top of the casing. I’d never noticed either before. Of course, then I was seeing them everywhere.

Once at the top of the hill, we were officially in Open Access land. We could see the Downs stretching out to the west and the clouds drifting across the sky, but still no sunshine. Everywhere the land was looking brown and dry, desperate for moisture.



We followed some tracks through the knee-high grass, heading towards the south side. From then on, it was a case of keeping the eyes peeled for more Graylings. Over 150 had been spotted a week or so earlier, so I was confident of seeing more, but the weather conditions were not ideal. Instead of spotting lots of Graylings, we did manage to flush out loads of Yellow Pearl moths (Mecyna flavalis) simply by walking past them. They’re a micro moth that’s very scarce and only found in a few locations in the South of England and South Wales. A little added bonus!

Although my main priority was finding more Graylings, I was temporarily side tracked when we came across a Chalk Hill Blue. Having seen one sitting on Bob’s hand, I was keen to try it myself. In the past, a few times, I’ve had butterflies briefly land on my body, but never on my hand. I recollected the wonderful experience I’d had earlier in the year when a bird had taken seeds from my palm in Scotland. I’m usually someone who just observes nature. My main issue or concern has always been not to do something that inadvertently might cause the creature stress, harm or change their behaviour in some way. But, reassured it would be fine, I gave it a go. Very slowly, I reached forward with my finger and offered it next to the butterfly and amazingly, it climbed on. It was as light as a feather and so exquisitely beautiful! In that moment, I think I fell in love with butterflies just that little bit more!

Having bagged LOTS of Grayling photos, I enjoyed focusing on some of the other insect species for a while too. There was an abundance of Six-Spot Burnet Moths. I often found more than one nectaring on the same flower.



I was very happy to get a shot of one flying. I’d been focusing on it resting on the flower when it suddenly flapped its wings and took off. I know the photo would have been better if the moth had been facing me, but I wasn’t prepared to spend ages trying to get that image! Sometimes, it’s more important to just enjoy the moment.

After that wonderful distraction, I remain focused and didn’t stop to photograph anything else for a while. We traversed down across the steep hill and then aimed to gradually zigzag our way back up. As it turned out we had company, other than the sheep in the perimeter of the field. At the top of the hill was someone we both knew, another butterfly aficionado, Neil Hulme, clearly on the same mission as us. It was just the three of us all afternoon out on the hill. I love it when it’s quiet like that! However, we did notice a few cyclists at the head of the valley, on the South Downs Way, and also a group of nudist walkers carrying backpacks!

It did inspire me to try and get a photo of the Grayling in flight. You don’t get to appreciate the pattern of the upperwing when it’s at rest. The only problem is, they’re incredibly quick. I thought the best bet would be to use the slow motion video feature on my phone. But, when I watched some of them back, one second the butterfly was in view and the next it was gone, even in slow motion! I was lucky if I got one blurry frame with its wings open. There was no chance of getting a sharp image. This one was the best I could capture from the video.

Neil came down to chat to us for a while and then we spread out and continued our search. He’d already seen several Grayling so far, but I was yet to see my second. Thankfully, it didn’t take long! We found a female this time (no white band). Neil and Bob alternated coaxing her onto a dried chunk of poo! Apparently, these butterflies learn and once they realise you’re not going to cause them any harm, they don’t keep flying off. It took quite a few attempts before she finally posed for us beautifully.

The funny thing was, after all their effort, she flew off the poo and landed on me! Suddenly, all the lenses were pointing towards my leg! I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so popular! Even a cricket jumped on me! The Grayling landing wasn’t even a fleeting moment. She lingered for ages. At first, she was positioned horizontally so I could see her underwings clearly. Then turned to look right up at me. Fabulous! My only difficulty was getting a clear view. We’d just had a very brief spell of light rain and I was wearing my waterproof jacket. It kept getting in the way, despite attempts to pull it back. In the end, Bob stood behind me and pulled it taut, whilst I took some photos. I knew he’d come in handy!!!

The Graylings, like many creatures, really are a master of disguise. They love bare patches of ground, like chalky clearings. The pattern on their underwing blends in so well to their environment, it’s amazing how you can struggle to see them, even when you know one is right in front of you.

When it comes to using props, I preferred the use of something more natural, like a small stick. It certainly worked just as well for us. Most of the time, when at rest, the Grayling would keep its wings closed so you only saw the hindwing. But sometimes, they’d quickly flick up their forewing a fraction and reveal the white dot inside the black spot.

I did try taking a burst of shots with my camera using a fast shutter speed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to focus on the butterfly itself. I managed a few half decent efforts and at least could see how pretty its wings were.



The upperwings are brown with cream and orange patches. The males are not quite as vibrant as the females. Certainly the ones I saw. Because the veins of the wings run through the lighter colour, I think the pattern resembles flowers. There's also a white dot inside a brown spot, at the centre of each creamy patch.

The highlight of the afternoon was definitely seeing the courtship behaviour of two Graylings. Of course, this didn’t happen out in the open where it was easy to see, but nestled in amongst the grass. The male circle around the female, facing her and there was a lot of rapid wing movement from both of them. It was a bit of a frenzy to be honest! I don’t know about them, but I was getting all excited thinking I might actually get to see a pair mating. But, the lack of interest from the female was enough to put the male off and he flew away eventually. He actually landed on my shoe for a bit before moving on.

Eventually, the sun made an appearance, which was about the time we were lucky enough to see a Grayling nectaring on the flower of some brambles. Usually, it was on the ground hiding. It was one of the few times I actually saw its proboscis too.

When we were tired and had had our fill of Grayling activity, we headed back down the hill. There were just a few more treats waiting for us on our descent. There was a lovely spot where we were shielded from the wind and felt the heat of the late afternoon sun. I was particularly pleased to finally get a close view of a Dark-Green Fritillary, which was resting on a Round-Headed Rampion – honest, it’s under there!

In comparison, here’s the much smaller Chalk Hill Blue nectaring on a Rounded-Headed Rampion – The Pride of Sussex – our county flower.

We also spotted a handful of mating Chalk Hill Blues on the tall grasses high up on the bank. They appeared to be in a more pleasing position (photographically speaking) than the pair I’d seen earlier in the day. So, carefully we climbed up to them trying not to trample on too much. The warm light was so lovely. It was worth the effort, even if I did nearly fall down the steep embankment at one point.



We even saw another Grayling on the path before we left. It had been a fabulous day. I was very grateful to Bob for sharing some of his knowledge with me and for having such eagle eyes. He was a great spotter and unofficial tour guide!

In a way, it was a day of celebration, because I’d finally seen butterfly species number 43 for me, within the county. When I’d watched that webinar back in 2021, they stated there were only 42 species of butterfly that live their complete life cycle in Sussex. So, based on that, I can celebrate! Yay! I’m very happy to have achieved such a milestone and to have seen so many different beautiful butterflies. I never set out on a quest to see them all. It wasn’t about ticking species off a list. For me, it was a chance to get to know my home county better and appreciate all the wonderful things on my doorstep. That journey isn’t over, it’s only just beginning.

For now, I’ll not worry about the possibility that a new species is likely to be added to this list. Some Large Tortoiseshells have been found on the Knepp Estate this summer, with evidence they’ve emerged rather than being released. This seems like it should be exciting news. But, my response is measured because of the extremely worrying news that this year half of the UK butterfly species are now on the Red List and threatened with extinction. The Dark Green Fritillary is one of the newest additions.



The problem is bigger than declining numbers of butterflies. We’re experiencing massive declines in insect populations. Since they’re low down the food chain, the implications of this are huge and will have serious consequences for everything above them in the food chain – including us.

Whilst the sun hid behind the clouds intermittently and it was still a little windy, the afternoon did stay fairly sunny and there was noticeably more activity. All the butterflies on the hill became more active. Aside from Grayling, I saw a Red Admiral fly-by, a Brimstone in the distance, a Dark-Green Fritillary hovering just above the tall grasses, one solitary Marbled White and a few Gatekeepers and Common Blues. However, there were plenty of Meadow Browns and Chalk Hill Blues. The real treat was seeing some Silver-Spotted Skippers. It was only my second time of seeing this small species.

Having bagged LOTS of Grayling photos, I enjoyed focusing on some of the other insect species for a while too. There was an abundance of Six-Spot Burnet Moths. I often found more than one nectaring on the same flower.



I was very happy to get a shot of one flying. I’d been focusing on it resting on the flower when it suddenly flapped its wings and took off. I know the photo would have been better if the moth had been facing me, but I wasn’t prepared to spend ages trying to get that image! Sometimes, it’s more important to just enjoy the moment.

It did inspire me to try and get a photo of the Grayling in flight. You don’t get to appreciate the pattern of the upperwing when it’s at rest. The only problem is, they’re incredibly quick. I thought the best bet would be to use the slow motion video feature on my phone. But, when I watched some of them back, one second the butterfly was in view and the next it was gone, even in slow motion! I was lucky if I got one blurry frame with its wings open. There was no chance of getting a sharp image. This one was the best I could capture from the video.

I did try taking a burst of shots with my camera using a fast shutter speed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to focus on the butterfly itself. I managed a few half decent efforts and at least could see how pretty its wings were.



The upperwings are brown with cream and orange patches. The males are not quite as vibrant as the females. Certainly the ones I saw. Because the veins of the wings run through the lighter colour, I think the pattern resembles flowers. There's also a white dot inside a brown spot, at the centre of each creamy patch.

The highlight of the afternoon was definitely seeing the courtship behaviour of two Graylings. Of course, this didn’t happen out in the open where it was easy to see, but nestled in amongst the grass. The male circle around the female, facing her and there was a lot of rapid wing movement from both of them. It was a bit of a frenzy to be honest! I don’t know about them, but I was getting all excited thinking I might actually get to see a pair mating. But, the lack of interest from the female was enough to put the male off and he flew away eventually. He actually landed on my shoe for a bit before moving on.

When we were tired and had had our fill of Grayling activity, we headed back down the hill. There were just a few more treats waiting for us on our descent. There was a lovely spot where we were shielded from the wind and felt the heat of the late afternoon sun. I was particularly pleased to finally get a close view of a Dark-Green Fritillary, which was resting on a Round-Headed Rampion – honest, it’s under there!

In comparison, here’s the much smaller Chalk Hill Blue nectaring on a Rounded-Headed Rampion – The Pride of Sussex – our county flower.

We also spotted a handful of mating Chalk Hill Blues on the tall grasses high up on the bank. They appeared to be in a more pleasing position (photographically speaking) than the pair I’d seen earlier in the day. So, carefully we climbed up to them trying not to trample on too much. The warm light was so lovely. It was worth the effort, even if I did nearly fall down the steep embankment at one point.



We even saw another Grayling on the path before we left. It had been a fabulous day. I was very grateful to Bob for sharing some of his knowledge with me and for having such eagle eyes. He was a great spotter and unofficial tour guide!

In a way, it was a day of celebration, because I’d finally seen butterfly species number 43 for me, within the county. When I’d watched that webinar back in 2021, they stated there were only 43 species of butterfly that live their complete life cycle in Sussex. So, based on that, I can celebrate! Yay! I’m very happy to have achieved such a milestone and to have seen so many different beautiful butterflies. I never set out on a quest to see them all. It wasn’t about ticking species off a list. For me, it was a chance to get to know my home county better and appreciate all the wonderful things on my doorstep. That journey isn’t over, it’s only just beginning.

For now, I’ll not worry about the possibility that a new species is likely to be added to this list. Some Large Tortoiseshells have been found on the Knepp Estate this summer, with evidence they’ve emerged rather than being released. This seems like it should be exciting news. But, my response is measured because of the extremely worrying news that this year half of the UK butterfly species are now on the Red List and threatened with extinction. The Dark Green Fritillary is one of the newest additions.



The problem is bigger than declining numbers of butterflies. We’re experiencing massive declines in insect populations. Since they’re low down the food chain, the implications of this are huge and will have serious consequences for everything above them in the food chain – including us.

My hope is not only that more people start to love, value and appreciate what we have, but also do something about it, in whatever way possible – sharing that love of nature, spreading the word, speaking out about the concern to those in power, signing petitions, and donating time or money to local and national groups and charities. These warnings of serious change help to remind us we need to take action. We can still turn things around. There is every reason to be positive because collectively we have the power to do so much, if we choose to.



I choose to remain hopeful!

Marsh Harrier

A Day at Minsmere

By Lisa G Saw • July 6, 2025
Bob and I had just experienced a wonderful four days in Norfolk in search of the Swallowtail butterfly , which I'd never seen before, and we decided to head home via RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. Both of us had only ever been to this reserve once before, many years ago, before we knew each other. That first visit for me was a memorable occasion because it was the first time I saw Eurasian Otters in the wild and my first ever sighting of an Eurasian Bittern. Aside from it being a lovely nature reserve to visit anyway, it was the lure of the bittern that was calling me back. We'd already had two lovely sightings of this shy and elusive waterbird in Norfolk, but I had higher hopes for a better, closer sighting at Minsmere having seen some fabulous photos on social media from a few weeks prior. So, whilst we were sad to be leaving Norfolk, I was eager for the day ahead and what we might see. Things were off to a great start as we followed the woodland trail to one of the hides and saw a small cluster of people on the path ahead looking up. Someone had spotted a Tawny Owl high up in the trees. There was even a scope set up pointing towards it. The gentleman who owned it kindly invited us to have a look. It was fabulous to see the owl nestled close to the tree trunk and with its eyes shut, having a few winks. They sleep a lot in the daytime since they're mostly nocturnal. After looking through the scope, it was a case of trying to locate it it with my bins and see if I could take a photo. I was pleased with the image I was able to capture. More people came along the path and some people were struggling to spot it. Bob and I both ended up helping others try to locate it. It can be very difficult describing to others which line of trees and branches to follow with their eyes!
Swallowtail

Swallowtails in Norfolk: Part 2

By Lisa G Saw • June 30, 2025
In the first part of this blog post - Swallowtails in Norfolk - I wrote about our first two days spent mostly at Strumpshaw Fen, where I successfully saw my first ever Swallowtail butterfly. Following this, we had two more days exploring the area. I still hoped I'd see more of this beautiful native species at some of the other reserves. DAY 3 The forecast for this day wasn't great, but at least dry. There wouldn't be much chance of any sunshine until the afternoon, when it would warm up a bit. So, we decided to head to Buxton Heath, on the other side of Norwich. Bob knew it was a good site for the Silver-studded Blue butterfly. It's a species we have in just two locations within Sussex - both of which we've been to. It's a species that thrives on heathland and can be found in good numbers in the right habitat if it's managed well - with grazing or periodic burning in patches. It turned out the forecast wasn't very accurate. When we arrived, it was already brightening up and our chance of finding roosting butterflies disappeared very quickly. However, it was lovely exploring somewhere new and aside from one other couple and a man working there, we didn't see anyone else for the three hours we were there. We left the car park and headed towards the northern corner of the heath first and in next to no time, Bob spotted one flying. I stopped and looked down and saw there was another right beside me. I used my bins to take a closer look and suddenly noticed there were ants crawling around it. Instantly, I knew this was something special. The butterfly had only just emerged. I quickly took some photos but was having real issues with my camera. I was so disappointed not to get any good photos. The butterfly is out of focus but the ant is sharp!!! Hmmm! Not what I was going for! This close relationship with ants occurs with a few of the blue species of butterfly, such as the Large Blue, Adonis Blue and Chalkhill Blue. It's the first time I've ever seen the ants in attendance of a new emerged butterfly, so I was thrilled at least to have seen it.
Swallowtail

Swallowtails in Norfolk: Part 1

By Lisa G Saw • June 29, 2025
When Bob and I returned from Kent, having just seen the Heath Fritillary , we looked at the weather for the following week and we saw that it was looking very changeable every day, with cool windy and/or wet weather forecast. The Swallowtail butterfly ( Papilio machaon ) is our largest native species found in the UK and Bob informed me they won't be flying if the conditions aren't good. They like the warmth! Now was not a good time for our hot spell to be over! With only one more week of my break from teaching left, we had little choice but to arrange our visit for then, regardless of the weather. I booked some accommodation for us and we figured that if we went for more than a couple of days, we were bound to have at least one fairly decent opportunity to see the final species on my UK list that I'd not seen before. DAY 1 As usual for us, we set off fairly early in the morning since we had over a three-hour drive ahead of us. The plan was to stop at Weeting Heath Nature Reserve, just inside the Norfolk border, so we could break up the drive and enjoy some time out in nature. The main purpose was to see the Stone Curlew that breed at this site ( Burhinus oedicnemus ). They're a rare summer visitor to the UK and I'd not heard of this species before. They're not in any way related to the Curlew ( Numenius arquata ), which I have seen before - though they are also quite rare and endangered. Their name relates to their similar call. We sat in two different hides during the course of the late morning and early afternoon and for quite some time we didn't think we were going to get lucky and see the Stone Curlew - though we did see a couple of Curlews. At one point I nipped back to the car, and of course that was when Bob saw one! It was on the far side of the field we were overlooking, but where the ground dipped lower out of sight. He saw it just as I was returning to the hide. So, I quickly sat down and looked for it, but I didn't get a chance to properly see it. We decided to stay a bit longer, and so this time Bob left the hide to fetch our lunch, and that was when the Stone Curlew reappeared. It even flew a short distance, quite low, as it apparently had a nest nearby and it wasn't happy about the Rooks that were too close for comfort.  Don't hold your breath - the photo is pants! The bird was so far away and it was more of a record shot. However, I did enjoy watching it through my binoculars.
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