Astonishing thunderstorms and downpours overnight. The morning visit perhaps yielded fewer species as a consequence:
Painted Lady 3
Comma 7
Small Skipper 4
Meadow Brown 6
Common Blue 2
Small White 4
Large White 5
Gatekeeper 2
Peacock 5
Red Admiral 4
Ringlet 3
Speckled Wood 2
Surprising guest appearance: 2 male Beautiful Demoiselle
After a week of maddening heat and Red Heat Warnings, some cooler air blew in from the south. Sea mist ebbed and flowed all afternoon. The opportunity to take an afternoon walk was too good to ignore. Walking at this time would have been folly for the last 5 days.
By July last year, the relatively new path that had been cut into the chalk (hence the 'White') above Hill Road was been a wonderful butterfly experience, particularly in the mornings. Butterflies on the White Path
Despite the earlier date and the later than optimal time of the visit, the numbers were still good:
Gatekeeper 2
Meadow Brown 10
Peacock 9
Comma 10
Red Admiral 8
Ringlet 4
Large White 4
Small White 1
Small Skipper 1
Painted Lady 1
Speckled Wood 1
Garden Tiger (day flying moth) 5
As to be expected, several fast-moving, predatory dragonflies were in attendance. However, some of the more pugnacious Commas actually chased them.
This poor Woodpigeon struggled along with us in 34°C at Alfriston.
These photos mark a new beginning for my nature photography. Since my old camera's sad demise on the 13th June, I had been making do with my mobile.
Arriving days earlier than expected, hello to my new Nokia Coolpix P1100! It is a big beast. Here's hoping it can last for ten years too!
