Early Autumn on Pevensey Levels

Since the beginning of September, the maize crop has been harvested for winter feed, the meadows have been mown and the hedgerows and tracksides have been cut back. The Environment Agency has already started raking the Floating Pennywort (an invasion species) from the water ditches and Pevensey Levels have a rather end of season feel about them.  

However, there is still plenty of  wildlife activity to be found.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) (3rd brood female)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Brown Argus (Aricia agestis) (2nd brood female)

Wall (Lasiommata megera) (3rd brood)

(male)

(female)

Comma (Polygonia c-album)

Peacock (Aglais io) (2nd brood)

The Peacock has predominantly been a single brooded species in Britain but during the last decade or more, a second brood has become an increasingly regular occurrence and on Pevensey Levels, there has been a significant second brood emergence this year.

Peacock (Aglais io)

 (final instar larva preparing to pupate on 31st August 2025)

(the larva had successfully pupated on 1st September 2025)

(the pupa on 5th September 2025)

A few days later I revisited the pupa to find that it had been dislodged during windy weather. It was suspended by just a very fine thread and spinning in the wind and I reluctantly brought it home for safe keeping.

(the darkening pupa on 14th September 2025)

(by 15th September 2025, the wing markings were visible through the pupal membrane)

(on the 16th September 2025, the imago has emerged)

(the imago was safely returned near to where it pupated)

Southern Migrant Hawker (Aeshna affinis) (male)

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (male)

Golden-ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) (male)

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) (juvenile)

Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) (nest)

(this empty nest was exposed to view after trackside mowing)

Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa fuliginosa)

(mature larva basking on reed stem)