Time to Seek Some Therapy, I'm Going Walkabout

My yearly trip to the Isle of Wight was upon me. It was a choice between the hovercraft or fastcat?
I plumped for the latter seeing as it was the nearest available from the exit of the Gosport ferry onto the Hard at Portsmouth. Just into the train station and through to the end of the platform by the harbourside.
Upon reaching Ryde Pier after the twenty minute journey it's a long walk down to the bus station at it's base.
My destination was Ventnor on the southerly tip of the island. The double decker bus was waiting for me, so it was top deck, front seat, just like being a kid again.
After an hours trip winding along the precipitous lanes I had reached my destination. Ventnor is the typical Victorian British seaside town. A throw back in time with touches of modernity fused into it's fabric.
My walk takes me eastwards along the seawall path towards Wheelers Bay. Along the edges in between the steep chalk cliffs are a scattering of holiday caravans, chalets and permanent Victorian houses.
Echium Pininana grow really well in the climate here and can be seen all around. I have these in my garden some twenty miles north of this position. Bees love them. They can flower from May through to August providing a rich nectar bounty. They are half hardy, so with Winters generally being mild here in the South they usually make it through to flowering. The harsh Winter previously took it's toll on some, but the majority made it in my garden and clearly here too.
They are also known as Tree Echium, Pine Echium or Giant Vipers Bugloss. They are native of La Palma in the Canary Islands.  They can grow very tall as you can see in this shot. Mine have reached some fifteen feet on occasion but high winds can take their toll in our indifferent Summer weather when in full bloom. This Summer has been a good one for them. A relief after the snow in March.

Wheelers Bay lay before me. The weather was a little hazy but the UV light was penetrating through the thin cloud so I was glad for my cap on my head as protection. It was warm too, which was a bonus for the Butterfly activity.

The area beneath the cliffs adjacent to the path is a scattering of chalk rock fall with a thick foliage of Red Valerian and scrub that grabs desperately to the side of the escarpment.
As soon as I reached these areas of wildflowers, the Butterflies flew all around. The speciality here is the Glanville Fritillary. Only found on the Island apart from the occasional sighting on the southern coast of the mainland yet profuse through Europe.
My first discovery were of Common Blues'. They were everywhere. I don't think I've seen so many in one place. Females were the most common which is unusual.

Another insect showing in numbers were Thick Thighed Beetles. It always sounds like I have a lisp when I try to pronounce their name. This one here is a female which lack the swollen legs.

A slightly faded Male Common Blue fed on the Trefoil flowers.

Moths were here also. This is a Six Spot Burnet, a day flying species.

Then my quarry appeared. The Glanville. This is a male.

I hopped over the sleeper wall to walk along the path below the cliffs. I was careful where I trod and rightfully so as I crouched to get closer to the butterflies I encountered a Bee Orchid, my first sighting at this location. Such a stunning little flower.

The cliffs were awash with colour. Red Valerian, another cultivated escape like the Echiums and many Ox Eye Daisys.

The place was alive with Common Blues. I saw a male in  much better condition to the last courting a female. I managed some close contact while they were ensconced with each other.

From what I could make out, he seemed to be caressing her with his front legs and antennae.

There were so many around I had easy pickings with my lens and didn't need to stray far.

Another lovely female.

Whilst nestled in the grasses, a Great Green Bush Cricket crawled it's way past me. I managed a few pictures through the strands.
The easiest way to tell a Cricket from a Grasshopper is the antennae. Crickets are more elongated.

An even more pristine male Common showed itself.

Then more females.

Glanvilles weren't as numerous but more appeared as I negotiated the path.

They love the Valerian.

Another male

And at last, a female

Then a Dingy Skipper showed it's hand. Very well camouflaged against the ground.

Tree Mallows grow well here and were beginning to flower.

The Glanville has a beautiful underwing colour but it's so difficult to get a good view as they rarely close their wings. This was the best I could manage as one individual clambered desperately ungainly along a grass stem.

I sat at my favourite bench for lunch. The weather was strange. Warm sun trying to burn through the cloud layer while spots of moisture fell.
My seat nestles in the hill surrounded by bushes which is nice and quiet overlooking the bay.
A Whitethroat serenaded me as I rested.

More Orchids had begun to flower close to my seat. This Pyramidal Orchid had just begun to bloom.

A male Thick Thighed Beetle fed on the bramble flowers. They seem quite Catholic in their taste for nectar.

Ox Eye Daisy too...

I would normally climb the cliff path through the trees and over the top along Bonchurch Down but my time was limited so I decided to walk back to Ventor and board the return bus.

Occasional Glanvilles' would dot the inner paths. I had seen around 30 which wasn't bad but at their peak they can number in the hundreds. 

Thrift or Sea Pinks, so common in coastal habitats had begun to turn.

Still the Common Blues' showed the best...

The Beetles weren't too far behind them. This time on Asters.

Red Tailed Bumblebees loved them too.

Glanvilles love to bask on the stones. A good time to get on the floor for a more personal portrait and a different perspective. I always try to obtain a shot like this. It reveals more of the character of the Butterfly I think.

The tide was receding. The light on this part of the coast is unique. The mixture of colours - the greens and reds - lit up by the reflection of the light off the white cliffs.
There are always Swifts frequenting the top of the cliffs too. They must nest either in the cliff faces or nearby in the old houses.  

I was nearing Ventnor once again. One last flurry of Glanville Fritillaries set so well against the Valerian and green shrubbery on the cliff base.

And one last female Common Blue. They had been spectacular today.

One omission from my walk and one I had hoped to see. As I climbed the tarmac path towards the Winter Gardens I caught sight of one  as it dashed from it's sunbathing place against the wall. It scurried back into the fence the opposite side and safety in the Ivy.
I sat on a convenient bench and bided my time. I knew it would appear with a little patience.

Slowly it would gain my trust but the occasional passer by would send it scuttling back for cover.

Gradually the Viviparous or Common Lizard would move back out onto the warmth of the path just a couple of feet from me.
A little beauty it was too. Normally light brown in colour. This one was a lovely subtle green and black. Maybe coloured this way to fade into it's surroundings. Quite possible I thought. I've seen brown individuals in similar coloured brown habitat ?

It's head would move in sharp jabbing deliberate movements as it nervously ventured deeper onto the warmth of the tarmac and radiation from the stone wall behind me..

With slow incremental movements I managed to lay on the path and get as close as I dare to this rarely seen and overlooked reptile. I felt privileged to be in so close a company to it.

My final shot was as it looked into my lens. I got up slowly, trying not to disturb it's sunbathing and walked off to catch my bus with a warm smile on my face.

I reflected on my excellent little walk on this favoured Isle on the bus journey to Ryde and subsequently across the Solent to our home. There be dragons out there!

The title of this post is a line taken from the track 'Off to see the Lizard' by Jimmy Buffett