When the flower, to the yonder, fluttered gone

Apart from my decadent long weekend at Wickham Festival I had been either working on our home, or just plain working, so I hadn't been able to take many soothing steps into what Nature has to offer, especially as the weather had been so warm, but on this Sunday I allowed myself a couple of hours wandering around Browndown heathland which is the nearest nature reserve from our home-about 5 minutes walk- to see what was occuring on this late summer afternoon. 

The wild brassicas were in full bloom as I began my walk onto the sultry heath

Butterflies are still the order of the day and this Green Veined White was showing signs of age.

It has been a very poor year for Butterflies in general, especially as June was so cold, windy and wet. The Common Blue being very affected by the poor conditions. I and many other people have noted numbers being very low this season. This doesn't mean a complete downward trend of doom. Weather patterns can have a long term predictable boom and bust along with the creatures that react to it as well. The only obstacle they may find it harder to climb is man made climate change.
Nature is a great adapter and can evolve quickly. Lets hope it can.

After gingerly passing the Common Blue so not to disturb it, I crossed the shingle path to an area I had found a colony of Small Copper Butterfly a couple of months ago. They should now be producing their second brood but the first one I found was a Brown Argus. These are very small and easily overlooked, so you need a keen eye to spot them. They are usually in lower numbers and much rarer than the Common Blues but this year have proved to be an exception. I saw 6 here and although small, they do hold a large place in my heart....

and off it popped....

I do have a soft spot for hoverflies too. My knowledge of them is lacking but my respect and admiration less so.

I started again on the shingle path but spotted a sunbathing Argus, so couldn't resist another few shots...and almost immediately found a male courting a female too!
They both headed off playing chase me over the gorse.

The Silver Y Moth is always prominent here. These are migrants which always seem to be here in numbers most years. I always find it hard to fathom that creatures such as these have the strength and tenacity to complete the journey across the channel.

As I reached midway across the Heath I walked up the slight incline and took in the view looking towards the Isle of Wight and The Needles which would be just out of eye shot.

Beside me was a rested and slightly washed out Gatekeeper

I descended and noted the heather still showing well

I walked via the stunted Oaks that Chris and I had visited last month with fantastic views of Purple Hairstreak Butterflies. I shook the branches in anticipation but they had long since passed on. No doubt I would find eggs secreted in the branches but I had little time left so carried on to look for Grayling instead.
It didn't take long to find them....

In amongst them I found this Mottled Grasshopper, although it stridulated or 'sang' as I watched it, my ears failed to pick up the sound having long since lost this high frequency.

I returned to the silence of the Graylings. Here two adults courting...it was one of those days....

I left them to court in peace when I came across two Meadow Browns' doing the exact same thing, this time fully coupled. The male on the left.

I left these to indulge in their copulation and found my first Cinnebar Moth caterpillars munching through the Ragwort leaves.

A well worn Common Blue fed on the Vipers Bugloss flowers

and what at first thought was an Essex Skipper due to it's black tips to the antennae turned out to be a Small Skipper on closer inspection. So difficult sometimes!

The old railway that used to traverse here showed very rusty reminders.

I headed back to the main entrance. Slightly miffed I hadn't seen a Wall Brown or Small Copper Butterfly, but that's the constant appeal that plays on the mind of what is actually out there, yet you just fail to see.

A perfect Summer day that I stood to contemplate and absorb for that fleeting moment before heading home.
As I did so I checked for my water bottle in my pocket....it was missing...damn!
It was a quality metal one so I was not going to give it up, plus I hate littering with a passion!

I retraced my steps thinking where it could have fallen. Mainly when I bent down to take a photo. I reckoned when I was taking pictures of the Skipper in the tall grass. I had photo evidence. It was on the bank by the Vipers Bugloss. I headed that way.... and found some lovely Small Heath on the open path...

and my very first Wheatear of the year getting ready for it's migration back to Africa....

I found my bottle just where I thought I had dropped it, hurrah!!
Then not ten feet away spied a Small Copper too....which was nice!

Having been so fortunate, I indulged myself at such a tiny yet iridescently beautiful creature....

A short walk but packed with wonder and although littering is a bad thing, on this occasion it proved fruitful...



N.B. The title of this post in an excerpt from the poem 'Butterfly : The Unbridled Flower' by Jonathan Platt