Heyshott Escarpment, 24 October 2012
Today saw the fourth of our weekly conservation work parties at Heyshott Escarpment.
Fabulous results have already been achieved this season, as a large amount of scrub and secondary woodland has successfully been cleared. In addition, records were smashed today as, for the first time in memory, we cleared so much scrub that three substantial bonfires were required; the tiny holes that cover my clothing standing testament to the intensity of the heat of their aerial embers.
Much of the area we are currently working on is the site of an old rubbish tip linked to the former chalk quarry; as numerous old metal buckets, fragments of broken glass and barbed wire were found. Nearby lies the site of the old limekilns which once served the industrial process; we are currently working just to the northwest of this area. The image below, which I took on 12th March 2012, shows the eastern sector of the reserve looking south. The 'Camels Humps' are just visible to the left of the centre of the picture; just to the right of the chalk track. An area of cleared ground lies just to the right. The old limekilns are located just to the north of this area. As I left the reserve shortly after 1pm, a Small White and a Comma made the most of the sun, which was just starting to burn through the lifting cloud …
Roll on next week ...
Heyshott Escarpment, 3 October 2012
As September draws to a close it heralds the start of the annual conservation work party season.
Today, I joined Sussex BC and UKB member Colin Knight, and several representatives of the Murray Downland Trust, for the first of our weekly habitat management sessions at Heyshott Escarpment; these will run until the end of March next year. As this was the first get together this season, I was extremely pleased we started on the relatively flat and easy terrain of the lower reserve; as the upper slopes were very slippery due to the recent heavy rain.
One of the key aims of this ongoing programme is to create and maintain habitat corridors at this nationally important site for the rare Duke of Burgundy. This is an extremely exciting project and one where positive management and hard work continues to improve the chalk downland habitat. The extensive scrub clearance achieved during the previous season has now settled and, as it prepares to rest for the coming winter, looks highly promising for primula development in the forthcoming year. The gorgeous female below was photographed at Heyshott on 22nd May 2012; a beautifully warm and sunny day.
Do we need a better reason to turn up every Wednesday ...
I don't think so ...
Heyshott Escarpment, 19 May 2012
Males, females, courtship, mating, egg laying and territorial behaviour - today can only be described as an absolute success, as I was joined by a mixed group of around 58 people on the Duke of Burgundy open day at Heyshott Escarpment, organized jointly by the Murray Downland Trust and Sussex Butterfly Conservation.
Arriving early, to help set up the marquee before the crowds began to arrive for the 10.30 kick off and the first of our two guided tours of the reserve, I couldn’t help but think that today would be successful. The temperature was good and the weather conditions were perfect for a day of emergence and activity on this site that radiates calm and inspiration. We were not disappointed as a count of 31 Dukes was recorded, along with a small selection of other spring downland species. The Duke of Burgundy far outnumbered any other species. Of particular interest to me, was the sighting of a single female flying from the established Duke colony on the eastern slopes down into the lower slopes cleared this past winter.
Fingers crossed …
Heyshott Escarpment, 21 March 2012
Today I joined John Murray for a walk around Heyshott Escarpment.
Climbing the upper slopes we were very pleased to note a single Cowslip in flower, rising above the delicate green leaves of those yet to awaken, our first this season. Several Wild Strawberry plants were also in flower along with numerous Violet. A solitary Whitebeam stood proud though heavily laden with Mistletoe. Three Red Admiral were observed on the reserve and I was very pleased to note several male Brimstone, my first this year, as I left the village of Heyshott on route to Graffham.
It’s all starting to happen …
Heyshott Escarpment, 12 March 2012
The Duke of Burgundy is one of the UK's fastest declining butterflies, having suffered a population drop of 35% from 1979 to 2008. It has disappeared from at least 153 of its former known sites. Butterfly Conservation’s ‘The Dukes on the Edge’ project (2011-2014) is targeting an area in the South East of England where the rapidly declining butterfly is clinging to survival.
Heyshott Escarpment, located within a small corner of the South Downs National Park, is one of the Duke’s few remaining strongholds. However, this is only being achieved by the continuing conservation efforts of a small group of dedicated individuals under the guidance and leadership of Neil Hulme (Sussex Butterfly Conservation) and ecologist Mike Edwards (The Murray Downland Trust). Work, undertaken by volunteers in both Kent and Sussex, has shown that populations can recover where appropriate habitat management is implemented and this is the trend currently being observed at Heyshott. The Duke of Burgundy is reliant on scrubby calcareous grassland and sunny woodland clearings where its eggs are deposited on cowslip, or primrose in more wooded environments. Changes in the nature of agricultural and forestry practices have led to required habitats becoming overgrown and consequently unsuitable. As the Duke has struggled to find the food plants it needs to breed and prosper, it has sadly become extinct across much of its former range in the UK. Butterfly Conservation is leading the fight to save this fascinating butterfly and through the Dukes on the Edge project aims:
To assess the status of the Duke of Burgundy and its habitat
To maintain and enhance existing habitat and create new Duke of Burgundy habitat (e.g. through coppicing, ride management, scrub management)
Undertake reintroductions on selected sites
Monitoring the impact of management on habitat condition and the butterfly's population.
Project activities:
Public events to raise awareness of the conservation importance of the South Downs for the Duke of Burgundy
The creation of a ‘Dukes on the Edge Action Group’.
Mapping of the locations of managed habitat, together with Duke of Burgundy records on GIS
Training events for volunteers to enable them to participate in conservation tasks, surveying and monitoring
Please support the Duke in your area ...
