Common Darter

On the southern boundary of the wood is an east-west ride that we are trying to keep clear of Bracken, the idea is to promote the growth of wild flowers and provide an open sunny space for lizards and butterflies to bask. By doing this we have also provided a sunny area for dragonflies to hunt and many are often seen perching on the stubs of cut Bracken.

One such dragonfly spotted in this area today is the Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum. This species is common in Sussex and well distributed over the whole county, it can be seen from mid June, and in mild autumns it may survive into November. Not the largest dragonfly, measuring 38–43mm, they are frequently found away from water, resting on the tops of plants in woodland rides.

Broad-bodied Chaser

Another dragonfly taking advantage of our ride side Bracken clearance is the Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa. This dragonfly appears to enjoy going for short, swift flights and returning to the same Bracken stub.

The Broad-bodied Chaser is common and well distributed in Sussex, it measures 38-48mm in length and has a flight period from mid May to early August. Pictured here is the male of the species, the female is bright yellow and is often mistaken for a Hornet.

White Admiral - A true woodland butterfly

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve seen these wonderful butterflies on every visit to the wood, mostly in the more open areas along the tracks and within the wood where there are gaps in the canopy. They’ve often been seen basking in the sun on the woodland floor or on the bed of our dried up seasonal pond.

The White Admiral - Limenitis camilla - is a true woodland butterfly often associated with neglected or mature woods where large patches of Bramble are left to grow. It has a distinctive and delicate flight pattern consisting of short periods of wing beats, followed by long glides often very near the ground, a fairly large butterfly with a wingspan of approximately 60mm. During its flight period from June to September, they are found nectaring on Bramble flowers, their favourite food.

The females lay their eggs in late summer on honeysuckle leaves (Lonicera periclymenum), the caterpillar’s food plant. The eggs hatch soon after and the small brown spiny larvae feed on the tips of Honeysuckle leaves before sheltering in a dried, rolled up leaf known as a hibernaculum for the winter. As new fresh leaves appear on Honeysuckle plants during the following spring, the larvae feed further and grow on. The larvae pupate on the plant in late May, emerging as an adult in June/July. Both the larvae and pupa are highly camouflaged and difficult to find.

The butterfly is not very common and is a UK BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan) priority species. It is mostly confined to the south of England but its range is extending north.

Know your subject

We were walking through Apse Wood when we disturbed a fox carrying a very large chicken - presumably from the nearby chicken farm. The fox was startled and was unable to run whilst holding onto the chicken, so made a snap decision to drop the chicken and disappear into the undergrowth.


One of the first rules of wildlife photography is to know your subject - we knew the fox would not be happy leaving a meal like this behind. Plus the fact that we could hear the alarm calls from the birds in the canopy told us it hadn't gone very far. We therefore hid behind a sweet chestnut stool, focussed the camera on the chicken and quietly waited.

After about 15 minutes the fox cautiously came out of the undergrowth and I started firing off a succession of shots. We were rewarded with some great photos which show the size of the chicken in relation to the fox. I'm certain a good meal was had that day.